SU overwhelms Tigers

 
After a close loss to Alcorn State the previous week, the Jaguars took care of business on Homecoming night, defeating Texas Southern 34-7.
Before the game even started Southern came out in all white to support the homecoming theme “Unite in White,” but there was something wrong with this picture because Texas Southern was also in all white.
Southern’s coaching staff told the football team to go out in their all white uniforms to mess with the Tigers, because earlier in the week SU requested to wear the all white uniforms but was denied by Texas Southern.
“I rather wear the all white jerseys, but that’s why we put that woopin’ on them like that because we wanted to wear the white jerseys,” Southern linebacker Anthony Balancer said.
Southern (3-3, 2-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference) started out fast and kept their foot on the petal, their first scoring drive took less than four minutes and the longest time took only 5:19 of the clock and they went 89 yards for that score as well.
On both sides of the ball, the Jaguars had success against Texas Southern.
Offensively SU scored on six of their 12 possessions and of the other six possessions none were turnovers.
Quarterback Dray Joseph threw for 221 yards and two scores while backup Quarterback J.P. Douglass ran a score in from three yards out, wide receiver Mike Berry led the Jaguars in receiving yards for a second time this season with three receptions for 85 yards and a long 67 yard touchdown score.
“I just try to make the best out of my opportunities when I have the chances to,” Berry said.
Terrence Clayton Jr. led the Jaguars with 57 yards rushing and scored his first career touchdown, the Jaguars running finished with at total of 106 yards and marked Southern’s first 100-yard rushing game of the season.
Defensively the term “Dog-Day-Defense” seemed true Saturday night as the defense held the Tigers scoreless until the last eight minutes of the game.
Linebacker Anthony Balancer led the defense with seven total tackles and three sacks and a force fumble.
“My defense was just opening it up for me and when they opened it up I just took it and did what I had to do,” Balancer said. “I give all the credit to those guys really because without them I wouldn’t have all the success I’m having.”
The SU defensive unit also got to both quarterbacks, sacking them a combined seven times, and SU strong safety Levi Jackson and cornerback D’Andre Woodland both were able to get their hands on the ball as well each intercepting a pass.
Texas Southern (1-6, 1-4 SWAC) couldn’t get anything going from start to finish and had 13 penalties for 128 yards and finished the game with three turnovers.
The only highlight came in the fourth quarter when freshman quarterback Justice Jones connected with wide receiver Jaquaa Peters from 21 yards out to give the tigers their only score.
Tigers wide receiver Dedric Shipman finished with six receptions for 91 yards.
This win marks Southern’s largest margin of victory (27 points) since Homecoming of 2009.
 ”It’s a big win for the program because we been going through a lot of tribulations lately and it gives us a lot of momentum going into next week’s game,” Balancer said.
Next on the Jaguars schedule is a home game against Arkansas Pine-Bluff (4-2, 3-1 SWAC) and with a win over the Golden Lions, the Jaguars tied for first place in the Western Division.
“Homecoming was easy to get up to, and I think next week’s game will be easy to get up to because we know first place for the west is on the line and you want to be in the hunt this time of year,” interim head coach Dawson Odums said.