Texas Southern 30, Southern 25

Texas Southern University Coach Johnnie Cole ends second season with 6-5, 5-2 SWAC record.

A bitter way to end it all

HOUSTON — At the shocking, bitter 30-25 loss, Southern left tackle Chris Browne slammed his helmet so hard on the plastic turf that the inner pads came loose and flew in three directions. Minutes later, receivers coach Eric Dooley took a knee, led his group in prayer and rose with tears in his eyes. So did star wideout Juamorris Stewart. All four of Southern’s starting defensive backs stood in place, looking around at nothing in particular, stunned over what they’d seen Saturday. On a cold, clear afternoon inside the rickety Delmar Stadium, the Jaguars had nearly sewn up a victory over Texas Southern in the season finale, only to watch it fall apart.

In the fourth quarter, SU took the lead; botched a two-point conversion; missed a field goal; then rebounded to block a TSU field-goal attempt with 1:23 remaining — seemingly clinching a win. Finally, the Jaguars gave the ball back to TSU one more time. The Tigers were all too happy to take it. Arvell Nelson threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Joe Anderson with 16 seconds left, securing a nearly impossible 30-25 win over Southern that left players, coaches and fans in a haze.

Photos: Texas Southern 30, Southern 25

Richardson: 'I think I'll be back'

HOUSTON — Saturday afternoon, in the cold air at Delmar Stadium, Southern football coach Pete Richardson had only a brief postgame huddle with his team. He told his players to concentrate on their academics, to get ready for the offseason strength-and-conditioning program, and to start preparing for next year. For Richardson, and for the Jaguars, this disappointing season was over. SU’s last-minute 30-25 loss to Texas Southern clinched a second straight year in which the Jaguars finished 6-5. Until late October, they had hoped for a berth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game. Instead, thanks to Saturday’s loss, they finished fourth in the Western Division.

House makes mark with interceptions

HOUSTON — One of the nicest surprises of Southern’s season had one of his finest games in the season finale. Free safety Jason House, who moved from wide receiver during training camp, finished his first season with 10 interceptions, the most in the Football Championship Subdivision. House and Coastal Carolina’s Josh Norman started the weekend in a first-place tie for the national lead, though Norman’s season had already ended. House picked off two passes against Texas Southern. The first one came during the second quarter, when House stepped in front of an Arvell Nelson pass at the TSU 40-yard line, then weaved down the sideline and broke a tackle near the goal line for his first touchdown of the season.

TSU WR Anderson gets redemption

HOUSTON — As the final minute ticked away from the Delmar Stadium scoreboard Saturday night, Texas Southern sophomore receiver Joe Anderson thought he had missed out on his last opportunity. With his team trailing 25-23, Anderson couldn’t hold onto a pass in the end zone on a crucial third down, and on the next play, Southern blocked a TSU field-goal attempt and seemed to be on its way to victory with just 1:23 left. Little did Anderson know, his fortune would change quickly. After some questionable clock management by the Jaguars, TSU got the ball back with 55 seconds left and Anderson and quarterback Arvell Nelson didn’t waste any time getting to work.

How They Scored: Southern-TSU

First quarter

SOUTHERN — Isaiah Nelson 25-yard pass from Bryant Lee (kick blocked) at 13:30. DRIVE: 5 plays, 58 yards, 1:23. KEY PLAYS: On the first play from scrimmage, Lee runs right on a designed play for a 19-yard gain. On the touchdown, Nelson gets behind the defense and dives into the end zone, stretching the ball across the goal line. TSU’s Michael Shelton blocks the PAT. Southern 7, Texas Southern 0.

SU gets close, but falls to 0-8

NACOGDOCHES, Texas — After seven losses, the Southern University men’s basketball team got a glimpse of the light at the end of the tunnel Saturday when it took on Central Arkansas in the in the Etech Lumberjack Classic. Anchored by a four-point play, Jaguars guard Jazz Williams reeled off seven straight points and Norm Nixon Jr. stole an inbounds pass and drove for a layup that pulled Southern within three of the Bears with 8:25 to play. But that was as close as the Jaguars (0-8) got before dropping a 79-63 decision. UCA’s Tadre Sheppard scored inside to trigger a 14-2 run that turned things back in the Bears’ favor and they never looked back. Chris Poellnitz led Central Arkansas (3-5) with 21 points and Sheppard added a career-high 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Cole has Texas Southern on cusp of winning season

Prairie View A&M’s run to a berth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship game isn’t the conference’s only feel-good story coming out of Texas this season. Texas Southern is also having a breakthrough season, which has largely gone unnoticed. The Tigers can end the year with their first winning record since 2000 with a victory over Southern in Houston on Saturday. A 6-5 record wouldn’t warrant a second thought for a number of programs. But if you’re a team that has gone 20-68 the previous eight seasons — with a pair of winless campaigns in the mix — 6-5 is something to get excited about. “The first wining season (since 2000) would be big,’’ Johnnie Cole, Texas Southern’s second-year coach and a former quarterback for the Tigers, said. “Winning is contagious, just like losing."

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