The 44,215 fans that showed up for the rivalry game have to feel for the Jackson State seniors on Senior Day. Not because they lost the Soul Bowl as much as the way the game was lost.
Jackson State had a chance to win on the last drive with two minutes left. Three consecutive penalties moved JSU from midfield and a chance to score, back to its 30-yard line with the clock running. JSU suffered its fourth loss of the season in a 28-24 defeat to rival Alcorn State at Mississippi Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
“It was kind of tough, Tigers coach T.C. Taylor said. “I have never been a referee before, I don’t know what they (referees) were seeing out there. I think we lost 50 yards on that drive. In that kind of situations, you want to allow the players to decide the football game. I am going to leave it at that.”
JSU running back Irv Mulligan, who went down with a leg injury Oct. 14, returned to give the team a lift. The offense was stagnant until he carried the ball three times for six yards. Also, senior running back J.D. Martin, who had suffered a to a toe injury, carried five times for 30 yards. Jackson State (7-4, 5-3 SWAC) has a lot to be proud about its season after replacing its coaching staff and more than 60 players in the offseason.
Won everywhere except the scoreboard
Jackson State won almost every statistical category. JSU quarterbacks JaCobian Morgan and Jason Brown were a combined 22-of-34 for 237 yards with three touchdowns compared to Alcorn State quarterback Aaron Allen, who was 16-of-24 for 225 yards with three touchdowns. Brown played because Morgan was injured running the ball in the third quarter.
JSU shut down the Braves’ running game and held Jarveon Howard, the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s second-leading rusher, to 70 yards on 18 carries. The rest of the Braves gained one yard, and Alcorn State finished with 71 yards on 26 rushing attempts.
Jackson State had 431 yards of total offense to Alcorn State’s 296 yards.
A bad statistical category in which JSU won was in penalties, it had 15 penalties for 125 yards. Alcorn had seven for 55 yards, and that’s where it counted most.
“Very proud of my football team,” Taylor said. “They fought all the way until the end. They gave themselves an opportunity to win that football game. Very proud of my team and coaching staff. It is one of the classic Soul Bowls.”
JSU LOSES IN SOUL BOWL TO ALCORN STATE Penalties doom Jackson State football comeback bid against Alcorn State in Soul Bowl loss
First year as head coach
Taylor said he is critical on himself and feels like there are some areas in which he can improve.
“To be 7-4, that is something to build on,” Taylor said. “We had a lot of new players and pieces in place going into the season. There were coaches and players and our success depended on these guys (players) coming together as a football team this year. We are looking forward to 2024. We know what it is all about.”
Taylor said a winning season is nice, but the expectations are for so much more. At the beginning of the season, the team talked about starting in Atlanta and finishing in Atlanta, site of the season-opening SWAC Kickoff Classic and the postseaon SWAC Championship Game.
One of the emphases in the offseason recruiting will be to get bigger, stronger, and faster. The Tigers need to recruit another strong class, to match the No.1 HBCU class in 2023.
2023-11-19 03:03:28
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