The Southern University Jags have a game to forget as they convincingly lose to the Jackson St Tigers 33-15. This is Jackson St’s 5th straight victory in the series, a win where the Tigers can feel happy with pretty much every aspect of their team. Unfortunately for the Jags, the same can not be said for them.
For the Jags, you couldn’t have written a worse start for the game. They got absolutely nothing done on offense while their previously-elite defense allowed a lightning fast start from Jackson St. The Tigers scored a field goal and two touchdowns in their first 3 drives of the game and the Jags were down 16-0 barely a quarter into the contest.
“Against good football teams, you can’t expect to dig yourselves a hole, especially on the road, and expect to get out of it all the time. It’s tough enough to do, and we can’t do those things and expect to win.”
Southern University Head Coach Terrence Graves
Just a few minutes later, Southern starting quarterback Czavian Teasett got sacked on 3rd down by Jackson St defensive lineman Joshua Nobles and came out of the game with an apparent lower body injury. He never returned, and week 1 starter Noah Bodden came back in to relieve him on the next drive.
Before Bodden got a chance to get settled in the game, however, the door got practically slammed shut. The Jags defense generally looked better throughout the last 3 quarters of the game, but they did allow one more big drive in the 1st half, capped off by a run from Jackson St running back Ahmad Miller to extend the lead to a backbreaking 23-0.
This game was won and lost in the trenches as Jackson St outrushed Southern 201-29. The Tigers were able to move the ball because they could get numerous chunk plays and consistent yardage on the ground, and the Jags were forced into erratic offensive output because they couldn’t move the ball on the ground. If the Jags want to compete when conference play begins, getting outrushed by almost 200 yards isn’t the recipe to do so.
Luckily for Southern, conference play hasn’t begun yet. Despite being conference rivals, this installment of the BoomBox Classic was an out of conference game because of the conference schedule rotation of opponents. This year, Southern played Jackson St out of conference, and their game against Prairie View next week will be the start of conference play for them.
There was one bright spot for the Jags in this game, and it’s one that further clouds the question of starting quarterback for this team. For the second straight week, it was the quarterback who came in relief that was able to get the ball moving, while the offense was stagnant when the starter was on the field. Bodden threw for 352 yards and a touchdown in just 2 and a half quarters of action, although he paired that performance with 2 interceptions. We don’t know the severity of Teasett’s injury yet, but Bodden’s performance today gave a real argument for him to be the starter next week regardless of Teasett’s status.
“[Noah] did some things better, but he still some things he missed. He missed opportunities to keep the ball moving and alive. He came in and did what he could do.”
Southern University Head Coach Terrence Graves
It’s a tough loss for the Jags as they fall to 1-2 on the season, but they will get a chance to bounce back next week when they travel to Texas to take on Prairie View to kick off conference play. That game is next Saturday at 6:00. For more updates on Jags football as well as all football around the area, make sure to stick around at https://www.gridironfootballusa.com/
