The Jackson State University (JSU) Tigers (10-1, 8-0) came into Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday, November 20th at 1:00 pm already knowing that they were the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) 2021 Eastern Division Champions while the Alcorn State University (ASU) Braves (7-3, 6-1) entered the contest realizing that they needed a win and another Prairie View A&M University (7-3, 6-1) SWAC loss to keep their chances alive to claim the 2021 Western Division Championship.
The first quarter was a battle for defensive supremacy as both teams held one another scoreless.
Alcorn scored first in the second quarter when kicker Noah Kiani kicked a 32-yard field goal at the 3:12 mark making the score 3-0, Alcorn. JSU answered with 8 seconds remaining before the half when wide receiver Keith Corbin III caught a 3-yard pass from quarterback Shedeur Sanders and with kicker Noah Anderson’s extra point the score was now 3-7, Jackson State.
The Tigers kicked off the third quarter in scoring mode when kicker Bailey Raborn kicked a 41-yard field at the 8:19 mark making the score 3-10, Jackson State. ASU responded at the 7:23 mark when wide receiver Calvontay Key caught a 50-yard pass from Harper and with a successful Point After Attempt (PAT) by Kiani the score was now tied at 10. JSU added another score with 25 seconds remaining when wide receiver Shane Hooks caught a 31-yard pass from Sanders and with a successful Anderson extra point the score was now 10-17, Jackson State.
JSU produced the only score in the fourth quarter at the 3:23 mark when Corbin III caught a 2-yard pass from Sanders and with Anderson’s extra point the final score was 10-24, Jackson State.
Statistically, Alcorn had 281 total yards of offense while JSU had 363. The Braves Time of Possession was 28:55 while the Tigers held onto the ball for 31:05. ASU accumulated 15 first downs and had 1 turnover while JSU had 21 first downs and 0 turnovers.