Box Score
NEW ORLEANS — The SouthernUniversity Jaguars defeated the Jackson State Tigers 45-7 in the SuperdomeSaturday afternoon.
Senior quarterback ThomasRicks completed 32 of 45 passes for 353-yards, rushed 10 times for 43-yards andthree touchdowns.
“We had to make plays. The receivers they did a great job,”Ricks said. “Emile Bryant made abig catch on third down, we just executed the offense the best that we could. The offensive line did a great job,they kept them off me all night, they put a little pressure on me but it’s myjob to handle it.”
Southern (5-2, 4-0 SWAC) had506-yards of offensive yards and converted 11 of 19 third-downs. Southern’s ‘Dog Day Defense” held theTigers (1-5, 1-2 SWAC) to just 1-yard rushing for the game and 200 yards intotal offense.
“We’re improvingdefensively,” said Southern head coach Pete Richardson. “I thought that they were a little bitbanged up on the offensive line. Going into the game I thought that the quarterback was a little nickedup and that didn’t help them any.”
Jag’s true freshman widereceiver Rogers Taylor had five receptions for 97-yards and a career high twotouchdowns. Southern juniorwide-receiver James Vernon had 11 receptions for 134-yards.
On the opening play of thegame an 80-yard pass from Ricks to Taylor put Southern up 7-0 and the Jagsdominated the rest of the game keeping the Tigers scoreless until the lastminute in regulation.
Jackson Sate third stringand red-shirt freshman quarterback Kethon Mclaurin’s 43-yard pass connectedwith junior wide receiver Air’en Cabell for the only touchdown and the PAT kickby junior kicker Ashcher Ashley was good.
“It was important for us towin because the last two games in the third quarter we lost focus and then welet the other teams crawl back in,” Richardson said. “But then they got to learn how to get that killerattitude.”
Jag’s sophomore running backJamaal Huff led Southern in rushing on nine carries for 45- yards, followed byRicks with 10 carries for 43 yards and junior running back Steel Adams witheight carries for 20-yards.
At halftime the Jaguars led21-0.
The Jag’s will travel to AlcornState, this Saturday for a 2 p.m. match up in Lorman, Miss.
