The Mississippi Massacre: SU Falls Short in Lorman

A lot was on the line for the Southern Jaguars football team. The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) anticipated the outcome of apparent powerhouses Alcorn State and Southern University. The talk leading up to this game was the winner of this game likely gets to represent the SWAC West for the SWAC Championship. Although Southern has won the last two against Alcorn, they haven’t won in Lorman, Mississippi since 2016, 41-33. Head Coach Eric Dooley tries to prepare his team for a hostile crowd by blasting Alcorn State band music the entire week on-campus, but would that translate to the game?
Southern and Alcorn fans gathered recently, filling the stands with anticipation and preparing for a significant game ahead. With sophomore running back Kendric Rhymes scoring the first touchdown of the game, hopes were high as the crowd grew excited about the early 7-0 lead. Soon enough, the Braves blew past Southern’s Jags in scoring, which resulted in an immediate slump in Jags’ fan energy. One would assume the odds were just against the Jags’ team due to the continuous and repetitive penalties thrown on the field. Southern scored again late second quarter on a 38-yard pass from graduate student Harold Blood to junior wide receiver Chandler Whitfield, but the score was 14-31. Thankfully, the Human Jukebox was there to save the day for entertainment.
Dooley’s promise of Harold Blood’s effectiveness, as he was top five in passing and a trustworthy quarterback, was broken slowly as the game continued. However, before this game, Harold Blood completed 56.7 percent of his passes on the season with ten passing touchdowns and eight interceptions. The first half had gotten away from the team rather quickly. By halftime, fans realized the inevitable: We would not be leaving with a win. Attention soon turned toward the band for their usual gagging performance, allowing one to wonder how many more times the band would be able to save the football games.
Not only was the offense botched, but so was the team’s confidence. The acceptance of defeat had overcome the team by halftime.
The Jags added another score in the 4th quarter on a 24-yard pass from Blood to graduate student wide receiver August Pitre III, but the damage occurred. The game ended with the score being a whopping 44-21. Alcorn State fans celebrated, cheered, and chanted filled with belatedness, as the last of the fireworks went off, signaling a win for the Braves. Chandler Whitfield provided his thoughts on the game, “Just a whole lotta misunderstandings and missed opportunities.”
The student body soon gave the football team grace, forcing all valid anger toward Coach Dooley.
When asked about the team’s discipline and lack of sportsmanship, Dooley responded, “It’s always enough because I don’t tolerate a person that is not disciplined. I’m not gone shout it out to the media for what reason? You guys can exploit that. I’ma exploit my football team and have them ready and sound to play.” However, several unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against the Southern Jaguars would make one think differently. Dooley then goes on to explain how some of Alcorn’s players, including graduate student defensive back Keenan Leachman, were predictable. Dooley commented, “I thought he made one big play in the 3rd quarter, but he did what we thought he was gonna do on tape. He played his role, but it wasn’t nothing that changed what we wanted to do. However, a question fans ask is why the results aren’t showing on Saturday. Head Coach Eric Dooley expressed how next week’s game, Southern University vs. Prairie View A&M University, is the most important. However, Southern vs. Alcorn was just as important to capitalize on, if not more.
The game was followed with concerns about Dooley’s coaching, once more, by students and fans. For fans, it is becoming harder for Blood and Dooley to show why they are the right people for the job. The Jags can only clinch a SWAC Championship berth by winning out and hope Alcorn loses the last two games. The Jags will take on Prairie View A&M, which is Dooley’s former school, on Saturday, November 11, 2023, at A.W. Mumford Stadium at 2 P.M.