Southern Wins in a Thriller

By: Dustin Nothnagel

Intern, Louisiana Gridiron Football

Alabama A&M played host to Southern University in a showdown of SWAC opponents. A&M entered the game with a 2 and 4 record with only 1 SWAC victory.

Southern seemed to be out-matched in the first half falling to a 24-14 deficit by half-time. The first half was marked by legs of sophomore running back sensation Lenard Tillery. Tillery ran for two touchdowns in the first half as the Jaguars stuck to a ground and pound approach. Tillery finished the day with 93 yards on only 16 carries and two rushing touchdowns.

The Jaguars came out of half time slow giving up a few more scores on way to a 34-14 deficit. And then, BAM! The Jaguars came back with what will go down as one of the most memorable comebacks in Southern history. The comeback began with Austin Howard connecting with Willie Quinn for a 79 yard touchdown. Shortly thereafter, Austin threw another bomb to Justin Morgan for a 68 yard score. Trailing 34-28 for the entire 4th quarter, Southern had one more chance to win the game as they began their final drive with 3 minutes left in the game. 9 plays later, the Jaguars put the ball into the end-zone by the legs of Malcolm Crockett with only 51 seconds left to play. A&M could only go 21 yards in 8 plays ending the game on two failed hail-mary attempts.

Southern continues to play very impressive football. With the return of the big play on offense and stifling defense, the Jaguars are on their way to becoming SWAC conference front-runners. Jaguar fans should be excited to see the growth of this team and where they could sit at season’s end.

Alec Miller