Now that the Grambling State Tigers (9-1 overall, 6-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) have won the SWAC Western Division Championships outright, the only thing that the Southern University Jaguars (4-6 overall, 3-2 SWAC) are playing for is the pride of finishing at the .500 mark to avoid a losing season.
But before facing Grambling State in the Bayou Classic on November 30, they are going to have to face a Tiger from a different school.
The Texas Southern University Tigers (4-6 overall, 3-3 SWAC) are seated right behind the Jags in the SWAC Western Conference standings and are poised to see the Jags get their first losing season under head coach Pete Richardson.
The Tigers will be riding off the momentum of a 26-3 landslide win against Clark-Atlanta when they come into Baton Rouge on Saturday. They will also be facing a familiar face on the other side of the field. Former offensive coordinator Mark Orlando is now the running the offense for the Tigers and Richardson does not feel he should be encountering any surprises.
The Jags are coming off an emotionally charged 28-21 win against Miles College last week and are just as excited to face Texas Southern.
“(Looking at the film), Coach Orlando’s offense really hadn’t changed a great deal,” said Richardson. “What we need though is to put pressure on the quarterback and our defense can’t give up any big plays, especially on their wide receiver (Cortez) Hankton.”
The game is also an important one for the senior class. They will be honored at the game for their dedication to the football program.
Also Jaguar Nation, don’t forget your can goods. Saturday is “Can Goods Night.” The SU Athletic Department is planning to feed 200 families in the Baton Rouge area, specifically Scotlandville.
The game will be held Saturday at 7 p.m. in A.W. Mumford Stadium.
