Box Score

NEW ORLEANS, La.- Despite starting off slow on the offensive side of the ball, the Southern Jaguars picked up pace in the middle of the second quarter and never looked back as SU defeated Grambling State 34-17 to win the Western Division Title and advance to the SWAC Championship game. 

Southern quarterback Besean McCray went 7-of-17 for 75 yards along 93-yards on the ground and a score. That performance earned McCray his first Bayou Classic MVP award. Karl Ligon added 57 yards on the ground off 13 carries and a score. Kendric Rhymes chipped in another 20 yards for the Jaguars and a score. 

The Jaguars defense was led by junior linebacker Jalan Campbell who tallied 11 tackles, two sacks and two tackles for loss. Derrick Williams finished the night with nine tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble. 

Southern will travel I-55 north to Jackson, Mississippi to take on the Jackson State Tigers in the 2022 Cricket SWAC Football Championship presented by Pepsi Zero Sugar on Saturday, December 3rd at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 3:00 pm CST live on ESPN2. 

About the SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) is considered one of the premier HBCU conferences in the country and currently ranks among the elite in the nation in terms of HBCU alumni playing with professional sports teams.
 
Current championship competition offered by the league includes competition for men in Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, and Tennis.

Women’s competition is offered in the sports of Basketball, Bowling, Cross Country, Golf, Indoor Track and Field, Outdoor Track and Field, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, and Volleyball.
 
Follow the SWAC
For complete coverage of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, please follow the SWAC on social media at @TheSWAC (Twitter), @TheSWAC (Facebook), and @TheSWAC (Instagram) or visit the official home of the Southwestern Athletic Conference at www.swac.org.