BgJag
Jaguar Nation
2 drives and 1 controversy
By Mike Knobler
Clarion-Ledger Sports Editor
JACKSON State fans will remember Saturday as the night Robert Kent led the Tigers back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit.
Southern University fans will remember it as the night their team got robbed by the men in stripes.
The one incontrovertible fact shone brightly on the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium scoreboard as both sets of fans vanished into the night:
JSU 24, SU 21.
Southern University had a first down at the JSU 18 with half a minute left when Terrence Levy dropped back to pass, looked, looked, looked and finally took off toward the end zone. The Jaguars had no timeouts left, so Levy needed to do one of three things:
Get a first down.
Get a touchdown.
Get out of bounds.
He did none of the above.
He pitched the ball out of bounds at the JSU 10 with about 12 seconds left. The referees ruled him down before the pitch. The clock kept running.
The Jaguars hurried to line up. The referees patiently wiped off the ball, just as slowly as they'd done it all night, and the clock ran out as Southern's players watched helplessly.
Jaguar assistant coaches raced across the field and yelled at the fleeing referees. Umpire George Stanley yelled back.
Meanwhile, JSU's players and fans celebrated their team's second consecutive victory over their biggest out-of-state rival.
"We can just send the game film in, and they'll make their analysis," Southern coach Pete Richardson said.
He should save himself the postage.
This wasn't the first controversy in the history of this series. JSU fans will tell you, for example, about the night the clock mysteriously went out at Mumford Stadium.
JSU players, whose memories are shorter, remembered the clock running out a week ago on their rally against Alabama State.
"There's some funny things going on up there in the clock booth," Kent said. "It was for our favor this time."
Kent threw for 595 yards against Alabama State. He had thrown for just 81 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions through three quarters Saturday.
But Kent wasn't through.
A 32-yard touchdown pass to T.C. Taylor made it 21-17 with 9:30 left. Then came the go-ahead drive, when Kent did it all, including a 22-yard pass to Taylor and a 16-yard fourth-and-7 pass to Taylor, plus four carries for 13 yards and a touchdown.
The drive not only won the game but also kept JSU in the Southwestern Athletic Conference race. Hughes credited the defense, the offensive line, the receivers and, finally, himself.
"At the end of the game, they put it in my hands," he said, "and I won it."
Only the Southern University fans will remember it differently.
By Mike Knobler
Clarion-Ledger Sports Editor
JACKSON State fans will remember Saturday as the night Robert Kent led the Tigers back from a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit.
Southern University fans will remember it as the night their team got robbed by the men in stripes.
The one incontrovertible fact shone brightly on the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium scoreboard as both sets of fans vanished into the night:
JSU 24, SU 21.
Southern University had a first down at the JSU 18 with half a minute left when Terrence Levy dropped back to pass, looked, looked, looked and finally took off toward the end zone. The Jaguars had no timeouts left, so Levy needed to do one of three things:
Get a first down.
Get a touchdown.
Get out of bounds.
He did none of the above.
He pitched the ball out of bounds at the JSU 10 with about 12 seconds left. The referees ruled him down before the pitch. The clock kept running.
The Jaguars hurried to line up. The referees patiently wiped off the ball, just as slowly as they'd done it all night, and the clock ran out as Southern's players watched helplessly.
Jaguar assistant coaches raced across the field and yelled at the fleeing referees. Umpire George Stanley yelled back.
Meanwhile, JSU's players and fans celebrated their team's second consecutive victory over their biggest out-of-state rival.
"We can just send the game film in, and they'll make their analysis," Southern coach Pete Richardson said.
He should save himself the postage.
This wasn't the first controversy in the history of this series. JSU fans will tell you, for example, about the night the clock mysteriously went out at Mumford Stadium.
JSU players, whose memories are shorter, remembered the clock running out a week ago on their rally against Alabama State.
"There's some funny things going on up there in the clock booth," Kent said. "It was for our favor this time."
Kent threw for 595 yards against Alabama State. He had thrown for just 81 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions through three quarters Saturday.
But Kent wasn't through.
A 32-yard touchdown pass to T.C. Taylor made it 21-17 with 9:30 left. Then came the go-ahead drive, when Kent did it all, including a 22-yard pass to Taylor and a 16-yard fourth-and-7 pass to Taylor, plus four carries for 13 yards and a touchdown.
The drive not only won the game but also kept JSU in the Southwestern Athletic Conference race. Hughes credited the defense, the offensive line, the receivers and, finally, himself.
"At the end of the game, they put it in my hands," he said, "and I won it."
Only the Southern University fans will remember it differently.
