With the Jaguar football team currently on a losing streak, their record standing at 1-4, many believe that if the students had just a little more school spirit, they could turn the tide for the remainder of the season. But I have to say, unless my loud and fierce “Go Jags” can also serve as a 70-yard touchdown reception, I doubt my spirit is the problem. We’ve had two home games thus far, and despite the sea of Columbia blue and gold that packed out the arena, the Jaguars have still fallen short.
Let’s be honest here, I’m not sure if screaming the words to “Neck” while the Human Jukebox plays is enough to distract the other team long enough for our offense to get the ball into the endzone. Yet, there is a standing misconception that if students wave a few more pom-poms, pack out the student section just a little more, and scream until they lose their voices, the quarterback will finally get the ball into the wide receiver’s hands. If this were the case, the memes that Jaguar fans spent hours creating would have been enough to finally overcome the six straight losses they’ve accumulated against the Jackson State Tigers. If I’m not mistaken, as of last week, they in fact have raised that number to a whopping 7.
The fact of the matter is, we lose games because our opponents have better offensive and defensive playmaking than we do. Unfortunately, for our fighting Jaguars, no matter how many Southern shirts fill A.W. Mumford Stadium on a blazing Saturday, there’s no amount of cheering that can stop the three interceptions they have made across their last five games. Currently, the Southern University Jaguar defense has also allowed 184 points across their last five games. With these facts, I am really having a hard time grasping how my cheers are supposed to tackle our opponents when defense isn’t doing it themselves.
Don’t get me wrong, there is no feeling like a Southern University football game. The Jukebox roars, the fireworks explode, and the students jig like there is no tomorrow. That is, until they ultimately leave after the band wins halftime, because there is no hope for the football team. While I am sure it is disheartening to see your peers leave the game as you’re on the turf trying to bring home the victory, who truly wants to watch our Jags get mauled every week? I know going on to SideChat minutes after a tough loss and getting dragged by the student body is nothing that one would want to endure. But, when posting TikTok’s on the field instead of scoring on that same field, what can you expect? The truth is, if we want to win games, there are only two things that can help us, and those are practice and prayers from the Jaguar Nation. Hopefully, these things will go into effect soon, as Homecoming is quickly approaching. With the Jaguars’ young and old present prayerfully, all the spirit that is coming from the crowd can push the ball into the end zone.
