Christopher Ross
MC301 Contributor
The Jackson State University Tigers will take on the Braves of Alcorn State University in the Soul Bowl in the efforts to send their seniors off with a great victory. The Braves bring in a (4-5) overall record with a (4-4) record in Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC) play.
Jackson State is sitting at third place in the SWAC Eastern Division. While the Braves have clinched the SWAC Eastern Division Championship with a blowout 61-7 win against Mississippi Valley State on Nov.12. The Braves victories are over Mississippi Valley State 61-7, Alabama State 21-18, Alabama A&M 42-18, and Texas Southern 23-20.
The Braves have the third best scoring offense, and also the third best total offense in the SWAC. Alcorn State is led by freshman quarterback Noah Johnson. Johnson was named the SWAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week for his outstanding performance this past Saturday against Mississippi Valley State where he accounted for eight touchdowns. Johnson threw for seven touchdowns and 285 yards, and rushed for a touchdown and 65 yards. Johnson is also ranked sixth in the SWAC for total offense. He has contributed 373 rushing yards and 1033 passing yards to the Braves offense.
JSU leads the series with a (44-34-2) record. This will be the 81th meeting on the gridiron for both Mississippi HBCU’s. In 2011, JSU won 51-7. In 2012, JSU won 37-11. In 2013, Alcorn won 48-33. In 2014, JSU won 34-31. Last year, Alcorn State beat Jackson State 14-10.
To win this weekend’s game on offense, the Tigers will need to capitalize in the red zone. The Tigers are ranked the sixth best rezone offense in the SWAC. The Tigers will need to have a balanced attack with the rushing and passing game. The Tigers will also need to cut down on the penalties as the Tigers are ranked the fifth most penalized team in the SWAC. The Tigers will need to score. The Tigers are ranked the eighth best scoring offense in the SWAC.
On the defensive side of the ball, the team will need to continue what they have been doing all season, as they are ranked the second best defense in the SWAC. The Tigers will need to continue to stop the run and force the Braves to turn the ball over. Continue to play good red zone defense, as the Tigers are ranked the second best red zone defense in the SWAC. The Tigers will also need to continue to play great pass defense as the Tigers are ranked the best passing defense in the SWAC. The Tigers will need to put pressure on and contain Johnson, and prevent him from making big plays.
For special teams, the Tigers will need to punt the ball to set up the opposing offense in bad field position, but also capitalize on field goal opportunities in the red zone to put points on the scoreboard. Continue to gain a lot of return yards to set the offense up with great field position. The Tigers need to continue blocking punts and field goals, as the Tiger are the best punt blocking team in the SWAC.
The Soul Bowl will take place this Saturday, Nov. 19 at Spinks-Casem Stadium in Lorman, Miss. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. To listen to the game on the radio, you can tune into 95.5 FM. The game will also be broadcast on JSUTV’s Livestream.
