Dog Day Defense holds off Alcorn: Southern takes #1 SWAC West

All eyes were on the Bluff as Southern would take on Alcorn State. The game had a lot on the line because the winner would essentially control their own destiny in the SWAC West Division. From start to finish the atmosphere was electric. The game was definitely one to remember with so much at stake. The Jags had no choice, but for this end goal—to win.
Alcorn won the coin toss and chose to kick off. Nevertheless, the Jags came out the gate swinging, nothing was stopping them, scoring with just 3 plays, 72 yards, and 52 seconds in the game, putting the score at 7-0. The chemistry between BeSean McCray and August Pitre seemed to be unstoppable. The first quarter ended at 7-0 Jags on top.
Two minutes into the second quarter and the Jags were on the board again with a 36-yard run from Karl Ligon, giving us a 14-point lead. Shortly after Malik Rodgers from the Braves answered our touchdown by catching a 26-yard pass from Aaron Allen. The Braves and the Jags began to have a small back-and-forth competition with both teams scoring again before the quarter was over. Going into the half, the Jags are still up 21-14.
In the past quarter, it seemed that Alcorn had gained a bit of their momentum back, but was this enough to overpower the Jags? The third quarter was pretty tough for both teams offensive-wise. However, where the offense fell short defense stepped up, “Dog Day Defense” to be exact. Alcorn is known for their rushing attacks. The defense was able to put a lock on their rushing attack, causing the Braves to stumble a bit more than they had hoped.
Going into the fourth, it was Alcorn’s ball. However, Braves quarterback, Aaron Allen did not seem to be on the same page with his receivers. They could not score a touchdown, but they went for a field goal, putting the score at 21-17. As Southern moved the ball closer and closer, more and more holding penalties put a stop to their drive. Nevertheless, the Jags remained on top.
The game was built on the foundation of trust, according to several of the post-game conference players. Collectively after the TSU game, they decided that they could not go out like that again. Football is a game of trust and the Jags are definitely showing team improvement each week. Jason Dumas said it best, “Southern’s been the standard, We are the standard, and we’re going to continue to play like that.”
Every week the goal is to win and to go 1-0 the next time. The season isn’t over yet and the Jags aren’t stopping. The next game will be our Homecoming game against Virginia Lynchburg. Kickoff at 4 pm. Beat me there don’t meet me there! Geaux Jags!