“We are a team of faith,” Head Coach Eric Dooley stated when describing the mentality of the Jaguars. There has been much speculation about the victory Southern had over Grambling in the 49th Annual Bayou Classic. Some may say that the current West Division SWAC Champions snuck in through a backdoor. However, according to the quarterback BeSean McCray “this was always the plan.”
Grambling State drew first blood from Southern with a 4-yard touchdown pass from Lyndon Rash to Julian Calvez (7-0). This play seemed to light a fire under the Jags, as Karl Ligon tied the score (7-7) at the top of the second quarter. Although Grambling answered with a 44-yard field goal it wasn’t enough to keep the lead through the second quarter. Kendric Rhymes closes the half with a 5-yard run touchdown.
Halftime was the time to regroup for the Jags, as the first half was not the strongest offensively for Southern. However, momentum was maintained thanks to the Jags’ dog day defense. The third quarter was a battle between defenses as there was only one score made by Julian Calvez of Grambling by a 1-yard run in for a touchdown. Thus, the score was 17-14 by the end of the third quarter with Grambling in the lead.
The fourth quarter is where it all comes down to the wire. Southern capitalized off a fumble recovery and interception from Grambling to finish the game, winning 34-17.
Southern was able to make a division championship happen out of a bleak situation. A team that went 6-4 in the regular season prior to the bayou classic, they went undefeated at home, gave up some quintessential losses away during the season, and are now on their way to face Jackson State in the SWAC Championship.
Southern’s entire journey this season has depended on other division teams losing. However, the Jags were able to finally capitalize on this opportunity to represent the division. A backdoor opportunity-maybe? A backdoor is a door that still opens if someone chooses to walk through it. That is just what Coach Dooley and the Jags plan to do. Dooley also negated the idea of having “nine lives” when questioned in the post-game press conference. He is confident in his team’s ability to show up and bring a title back to Baton Rouge.
When questioned about preparation for the re-match against Jackson State, Coach Dooley admitted, “we all know that they [Jackson State] are a great team looking at what they have done this season as far as their overall record and gameplay. But we are a great team as well! It’s going to be a great game between both games.”
The Jags are looking at an uphill battle facing Jackson State but not an impossible one. Being a team of faith is what has kept the team comradery strong. Jason Dumas, Senior-Defensive Tackle stated, “we have some things to clean up but we are ready for Jackson.”
Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen; Coach Dooley and the Jags might not know what the outcome will December 3rd, 2022 but they have made it clear that they are not afraid or worried about Coach Prime and the Tigers. Their mission is playing “Jaguar Football” for a full sixty minutes and bringing a SWAC Championship Trophy back home to the Bluff.
The SWAC Championship will be televised on ESPN2, kickoff is at 3:00 pm CST. Stay tuned in to all Office of Student Media social media platforms for updates leading up to and during the game.
Categories:
Men of Faith
November 29, 2022
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