Courtesy of Jackson State Athletics

JACKSON, Miss. | Records will be thrown out the window as teams reach the first weekend of December, with the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championship and 2024 Celebration Bowl bid on the line. That’s what it’s all about Saturday afternoon when SWAC East Division champion Jackson State hosts West Division champion Southern at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. The HBCU football championship game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on ESPN2.

No. 15/18 Jackson State (10-2, 8-0 SWAC), winner of eight straight games, will face Southern (8-4, 7-1 SWAC) for the second time this season after losing on April 14. Jackson played in non-conference action in September. The Tigers won the game 33-15 by building a 20-point lead in the first half behind a balanced offense, although Southern managed 387 yards passing in the loss.

The two legendary HBCU football programs met in the championship game at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium two years ago, with the Tigers winning their second straight conference championship. The two teams met three times in the championship game, with Southern leading 2-1 in those encounters.

Game Info – Jackson State vs. Southern
Saturday December 7th | 1 p.m. | Veterans Memorial Stadium Stadium
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Game notes

• TC Taylor, Irv Mulligan and Travis Terrell Jr. each won major SWAC honors this season, with Taylor named Coach of the Year, Mulligan named Offensive Player of the Year and Terrell named Freshman of the Year. All three are nominated for major FCS awards – Taylor (Eddie Robinson Award), Irv Mulligan (Walter Payton Award/HBCU+ National Player of the Year) and Terrell (Jerry Rice Award).
• Jackson State is seeking its 20th HBCU conference championship and first since 2022.
• The Tigers are playing in their eighth conference championship game after back-to-back appearances in 2021 and 2022. They are 3-4 all-time in the conference championship game.
• Taylor has won 13 conference games in his first two seasons after winning eight this season. He has a 13-3 record in conference play with losses to Alabama State, Alcorn State and Florida A&M in 2023. He has an overall record of 17-6 in his first two seasons at the helm.
• Jackson State has dominated the second half of conference play since October 5th. They have a streak of six straight games in which they held their opponents scoreless in the final quarter and have only allowed two schools to score in the second half – Alabama State and Alcorn State – since that game in Mobile.
• In eight conference games this season, the Tigers have outscored their opponents 316-127 (39.5-15.9). They have allowed 17 or fewer points in six of the eight conference games, including 10 or fewer points three times.

Series (since 1956)
Southern leads 36-34
First meeting: Southern Def. Jackson State, 30-6 (October 25, 1958)
Last meeting: Jackson State defeated. Southern, 33-15 (September 14, 2024)
In Jackson: 16-18 | In Baton Rouge: 16-15 | Neutral: 2-3 | strand: Jackson State, W5

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