The Southern University Jaguars have had a rollercoaster of a season to have an opportunity to compete for a SWAC West Division. Southern had to beat the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats in a 5-overtime thriller at A.W. Mumford Stadium, winning 25-23. However, to finish the deal and have a chance to win the SWAC West Division and clinch a spot in the SWAC Championship, the Jags had to beat the University of Arkansas Pine-Bluff Golden Lions. The last time the two squads met was in 2023 with Southern winning 27-0, but the game in the present day had different implications for the season. Historically, the Jags dominated the all-time series against the Golden Lions, coming in with a 41-11-2 record against them.
Southern as a whole unit started slow, giving up two field goals to Pine Bluff, including setting up one off an interception from freshman quarterback Jalen Woods in his starting debut. However, it didn’t stay that way for long as the running game got going for Southern to start the second quarter. Senior running back Kendric Rhymes would give the Jags their first touchdown on a 3-yard rushing touchdown, making Southern take the 7-6. The running game would be the focal point for the remainder of the second quarter, including senior running back Kobe Dillion scoring an 8-yard rushing touchdown. The Jags had all the momentum going into halftime with a 14-6 lead.
Coming out of halftime, the Jags would connect on an explosive pass play as Jalen Woods would find freshman wide receiver Cam Jefferson on a 71-yard passing touchdown, extending the lead for Southern 21-6. Senior kicker Joshua Griffin would tack on a 32-yard field goal to extend Southern’s lead to 24-6. The Dog Day Defense would dominate against the UAPB offense, allowing just a field goal to end the 3rd quarter, with the Jags dominating 24-9. The Dog Day Defense would continue to shine, including an impressive 7-yard defensive touchdown off a fumble recovery from senior defensive tackle Willie Miles as his teammates embraced him on a special moment on senior day. The Jags would win the SWAC West Division and clinch its berth in the SWAC Championship, winning 31-9.
Head Coach Terrance Graves talked about the atmosphere of the locker room after clinching the SWAC West title and what the goal is moving forward, “This is the time you get excited, and like I told them this is just part one of three goals we set for ourselves and that was the goal. We wanted to win the west, we want to win the championship, and then we want to go to the celebration bowl and win that.”
Willie Miles reflected on his time at Southern University and what his moment meant, “It’s very special for me; not playing my first three years and playing the last three, it feels amazing. It’s a blessing.”
Jalen Woods talked about his first collegiate start and leading the team, “Obviously, you’re going to have first-game jitters, so I was glad I was able to get that out the way early, so I was able to lead the team to a victory, so it felt good being out there.”
Southern did have three running backs with at least 60 yards rushing, which were Rhymes, Dillon, and redshirt senior running back CJ Russell. Woods finished with 202 yards passing, one passing touchdown, and an interception on 14 for 22 passing. Southern will prepare for Grambling for the 51st Bayou Classic on November 30, 2024, at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana.
