The combination of a petty halftime show, a thorough defeat on the field and a coach being fired may have given Southern University the rare football beatdown trifecta over heated rival Jackson State University.
First, a view of the 41-7 Jaguar romp over the Tigers in Baton Rouge.
Southern’s offense was efficient. The defense was dominant. Special teams were explosive. Even the crowd, at 20,575 strong, was the biggest at A.W. Mumford Stadium in three years. Everything went right for the Jaguars. And for it, they were rewarded with a crushing win against their most hated rival. It was just one of those magical nights.
Then, the SU Human Jukebox gave a performance for the ages in the annals of HBCU marching band trash talk.
And then JSU fired head football coach Tony Hughes. From HBCU Gameday:
Hughes led the Tigers to a 9-20 overall in his time at the helm. Last season, JSU finished 3-8 overall and 3-4 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
The Tigers (3-4, 2-2) are currently tied for second in the SWAC East with Alabama A&M, a team JSU lost 21-16 to on Sept. 29. Alcorn State (7-2, 6-1) sits atop the division.
It is common for a school to lose a football game, a band battle and a head football coach, but all three in less than 24 hours is a remarkable feat, even in the pettiness of the SWAC.
It was a weekend Jaguars will be certain to remember, and to bring up annually, for years to come.
