This Saturday, December 3, the Jackson State Tigers and the Southern Jaguars face off in Veterans Memorial Stadium for the SWAC Championship. JSU and their head coach Deion Sanders are playing for their second SWAC title in a row, while Southern is attempting to spoil the Tigers’ undefeated season. These two teams faced off at Veterans Memorial earlier in the year when JSU hosted College Gameday. That game ended in a dominant 35-0 victory for Jackson State.
Jackson State’s Road to Victory
JSU coach Deion Sanders and Southern coach Eric Dooley have developed a bit of history over Primetime’s two-year career with the Tigers. Saturday’s championship game will be the third time the pair have faced off in two seasons. Last season, coach Dooley was the head coach of Prairie View A&M and took on coach Prime and JSU in the 2021 SWAC Championship. Earlier in the season, the pair found themselves on the same field again when College Gameday came to Jackson, Mississippi for the first time. Now, coach Dooley and coach Prime will face off for a second straight time with the SWAC title up for grabs.
For coach Prime, the message to his team is simple. Run the ball effectively and dominate the line of scrimmage. But the Tigers can’t just run the ball down the Jaguars’ throats. JSU will also be relying on their star quarterback and coach’s son Shedeur Sanders. Sanders has played extremely well this season, throwing for 3083 yards and 32 touchdowns. However, his father and coach holds him to a very high standard. When asked about Shedeur, coach Prime critiqued his decision-making and commented on his six interceptions this season. While speaking on how his son can be better, Sanders also said, “The best is yet to come.”
When it comes to his team, it’s all about being prepared. Coach Prime requires all of his coaches to turn in film time, telling him how much time each of his players have spent watching film. It’s an unusual practice, but effective nonetheless. When speaking on why he does this, the NFL hall of famer said, “We are not going to not be prepared for this game.”
Coach Dooley Demands Perfection
For Southern head coach Eric Dooley, it’s all about preparation and never letting the moment get to his team. Coach Dooley is a perfectionist who believes you can never stop getting better. “Even if we are perfect,” coach Dooley said, “I keep striving for perfection more.” Coach Dooley also wants to make sure his team stays cool in the big moments. Dooley has spoken to his team often about how to approach this championship game. “You have to play the game for what it’s worth right now, today.”
The Jaguars have struggled to put up big numbers recently. Statistically, Southern is at a large disadvantage. Southern’s quarterback Besean McCray has struggled significantly in the last four games, which includes a game against JSU. In his last four outings, McCray has not thrown for over 100 yards and has only one passing touchdown. However, coach Dooley isn’t concerned about stats. Dooley stated very calmly that he needs his players to win the game, not put up big numbers. “At the end of the day and it all comes down and it’s a W, you’re not worried about the stats. You’ve got the biggest stat of all. Winning.”
What Does This Game Mean for Jackson, Mississippi
Since Deion Sanders took over the head coaching job at Jackson State, both the university and the city of Jackson have experienced an economic boom. Sanders has been extremely generous to Jackson State, pouring his own money into the HBCU. He has also used his brand to get companies like Walmart, who, in 2021, pledged $2.4 million to JSU to support the university. Hosting the SWAC championship for the second straight time will only keep the momentum going for the city of Jackson and its university.
According to a hospitality agency, the 2021 SWAC Championship game generated over $11 million for the capital city of Mississippi. This is exposure that the city of Jackson has never seen before. Before coach Prime, Jackson State was lucky to get the stadium even a quarter full. Now, the stadium is packed to watch one of the most successful teams in JSU history. Jackson State has experienced a boom in the public eye as well. Once a team that few outside of Jackson cared about, the Tigers are now talked about just as much as the premier SEC schools in the state, Mississippi State and Ole Miss.
The Future of Deion Sanders
Rumors have surrounded Deion Sanders for months regarding where he will coach after this season with Jackson State. Primetime has been mentioned as the next potential head coach of Arizona State, South Florida and even Auburn. However, the hot program right now is Colorado.
During the SWAC Championship press conference, Sanders confirmed that Colorado University made him an offer to be their next head coach. Colorado is a tough place to play. The Pac-12 conference is loaded with good teams, just like the Buffalo’s schedule. This season, Colorado faced several top-ten teams, including TCU, USC and Oregon. Colorado is also a difficult place to recruit. However, no one is really concerned about Deion Sanders being able to recruit in the mid-west. After all, if Primetime can land the first five-star recruit in HBCU history, he can certainly be successful in the Pac-12.
Perhaps the most interesting thing coach Prime said is that Colorado is not the only school that has made him an offer. The aforementioned South Florida is a likely program to be in the hunt for the hall of famer. Cincinnati could also be a potential landing spot for coach Prime. The Bearcats have experienced a lot of success in recent years, having gone to the College Football Playoffs just last year. But with their head coach Luke Fickell recently leaving to take the Wisconsin job, Sanders could be the next big name in Ohio.
However, coach Sanders isn’t overlooking his current team’s chance at a second championship. He is refusing to let the rumors affect his focus or his teams. When asked about the Colorado offer, Sanders said, “That’s not my focus right now. My focus is to win and to be dominant.” Dialed in on Southern, coach Prime repeated his motto several times, saying, “Keep the main thing the main thing.”
