Late Loss Stings

For many reasons, the Southern Jaguars will not represent as West Division Champs in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game Dec. 11.
To illustrate, the closing moments of Saturday night’s 21-19 home finale loss to Alabama State, exemplified the frustration head coach Stump Mitchell subtly held throughout the season.
Specifically, the Jaguars did everything but win in Mitchell’s first year.
On the losing end of five consecutive games, senior defensive tackle Jordan Miller said the defense came ready to play on one of the biggest game of their careers.
“There are three phases to the game…I think one phase well. I thought defense played pretty good for us,” Mitchell said after the game. “Offensively, we had too many penalties.”
On their final drive, the offense came within a two-point conversion of tying the game with 16 seconds remaining in regulation.
“We had them where we wanted them,” Mitchell said. “Unfortunately, a young man got personal instead of just walking away.”
Still, penalties, which haunted the Jaguars all year, stood alive when officials flagged fullback Brian McCain for a personal foul after a one-yard touchdown by tailback Sylvester Nzekwe to narrow the gap 21-19.
The two-point conversion failed after the ASU’s defense swarmed over McGinty when flushed out of the pocket, scrambling for the end zone.
“I thought he gave it the best look he could, in terms of staying in the pocket,” Mitchell said.
McGinty, who hadn’t played since Oct. 23, replaced freshman quarterback Dray
Joseph in the first half and finished 5-for-22 passing for 47 yards and two interceptions.
“I just thought Dray was off,” Mitchell said. “We had some opportunities to complete some big balls and we didn’t do it, so I thought I needed to make a change.”
Joseph completed eight of 19 passed for 81 yards, including a nine-yard touchdown pass to LaQuinton Evans in the first quarter for a 7-0 lead.
From there, ASU (7-3, 6-3) clinched the SWAC Eastern Division title with the win.
“It’s a huge win for us,” said Hornets head coach Reggie Barlow. “We got guys that are really banged up and they fought any way.”
It is the first time Southern (2-8, 1-7) has lost eight games in one season since 1981.
A loss to Grambling would give Southern its first nine-loss season in school history.