JACKSON, Miss.—Hurt emotionally, physically bruised and mentally battered, Bryant Lee dropped to a knee, buried his head in his jersey and let it all out.
Yards away, reserve QB Jeremiah McGinty sprinted off the Southern sideline into the fieldhouse seconds before the final whistle.
As Lee sobbed his teammates looked up at the scoreboard at Veterans Memorial Stadium as the final seconds dripped off the clock. In their last trip to Jackson (October 2006) Lee stood helpless as then freshman kicker Eric Perri booted a game winning field goal just before time expired.
Lee’s meltdown, along with several other Jaguar players, came as Southern fell to Jackson State 22-14 Saturday in a game that is almost certain to have a say in deciding the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s Western Division.
“We had them on the ropes,” SU coach Pete Richardson said. “Any time you’re on the road and let the home team hang around, it’s bad.”
Talk about bad. Here’s the ugly.
Coming into the game JSU (1-3, 1-0 SWAC) had struggled finding consistency on both sides of the ball, while SU (3-2, 1-1) had found ways to hang points on opponents in every game.
But something changed all of a sudden. This time, the SU offense looked to be stopping itself.
In all SU penetrated JSU territory seven times, only coming away with 14 points. There were three punts, one three-and-out, one turnover on downs, a 36 yard missed field goal and an interception.
Down 16-14, with 3:35 left to play it was time for someone to step forward and make a play. Lee, Brian Threat and Juamorris Stewart had been bottled up all game. But luckily, SU only needed a field goal to retake the lead.
Would it be converted tight end Warren Matthews to step up? Isaiah Nelson? Curry Allen?
How about JSUs Ryan Rich?
Readying himself for what could have been the go-ahead scoring drive, Lee jogged out onto the field and called the play. He made several pre-snap reads, then called for the ball. Hit as he threw, Lee dropped back and floated a wobbling pass 10 yards. Breaking on the ball, JSUs Ryan Rich moved in for the interception.
In only one play, the SU defense was thrust back on to the field and asked to make yet another stop. This time, however, the Jaguar defense broke before it was able to bend as Bloi-Dei Dorzan went to work ripping off runs of 11 and 13 yards (on second and third down) before breaking free for a nine-yard TD with 1:14 remaining. The score was enough to stretch JSUs lead to 22-14.
“We have to execute more and dominate games from start to finish,” Matthews said.
Their inconsistencies in the loss makes the Jaguars quest to win a SWAC title that much harder since Western Division rival Prairie View stunned Grambling 35-32 in Dallas—its first win over GSU since 1986.
Lost in the carnage of a game that slipped away were several bright spots. Trailing 10-7 late in the third, Lee orchestrated a seven-play, 71-yard drive that culminated on third-and-13 when Matthews hooked up with Curry Allen, on a flea flicker, for a 39 yard TD. The score put SU up 14-10 with 14:52 left in the fourth.
“In the first half we had a couple opportunities there and we didn’t capitalize,” Richardson said. “They got energized in the second half, made a few plays and we came up short.”
SU penetrated JSU territory on its first two drives, coming away scoreless. On third-and-7 of the following drive Lee found Matthews running free behind the defense for a 37-yard touchdown. The score put the Jaguars up 7-0 with 12:10 to play in the second.
Threat had 31 yards rushing, Stewart 69 yards receiving and Lee finished 21 of 39 for 207 yards, two interceptions and one TD.
“When we get in opponents’ territory, we have to execute,” Threat said. “Obviously they studied film and practiced our blocking scheme.”
Gameball
JSU defense—held SU offense to only 266 yards total offense.
X-factor
JSU kicker Eric Perri who was three of three on field goals. Without him, JSU loses by one point.
