Montgomery, Alabama -- It was there for the taking. But it was Southern, not Alabama State, that took it. The Hornets followed the formula that had spelled success all season. They forced four turnovers, they brought in the injured Greg Jenkins at quarterback to provide the spark. They even got 92 yards rushing from tailback Tim Clark.
But while Jackson State was demolishing Alabama A&M 34-6 -- giving ASU a berth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game provided they won -- the Jaguars were weaving their own brand of voodoo magic.
Alabama State highlights vs. Southern University: Nov. 12, at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery. Watch game highlights and postgame interview with ASU coach Reggie Barlow. (Video courtesy ASU)
And when Brian McCann landed in the end zone from a yard out with nine seconds left, it was Southern, not Alabama State, that pulled out a 26-23 victory on Saturday afternoon in front of 8,255 stunned fans at the Cramton Bowl.
"It hurts," said Jenkins, who sparked the Hornets to 16 fourth-quarter points. "I'm ready to play right now, just to get that bad taste out of my mouth."
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Finally!: Late TD helps SU sting Hornets
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The moment of truth was at hand. Moments earlier, in what looked like another trademark collapse, the Southern football team fizzled on offense, made too many late mistakes on defense and gave away a fourth-quarter lead to Alabama State.
But before freshman quarterback J.P. Douglas led the Jaguars to a game-winning touchdown with 9 seconds left in a 26-23 thriller at the Cramton Bowl, he and his teammates had a short meeting with coach Stump Mitchell on the visitors sideline. So many times, the Jaguars had been in this spot before. So many times, they caved under pressure.
“Coach told us we needed to come together as an offense,” Douglas said. “He told us, remember all the times that we lost the close ones. Win this close one.’ “ They did. Southern took over at its own 27-yard line with 2:59 remaining.
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Payton fires up defense
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Suspended two weeks for his role in a postgame brawl, Southern linebacker Jamie Payton was despondent. In losing his cool at the wrong time, he’d prevented himself from doing the one thing he loved most: playing football.
So when Payton returned Saturday in the Cramton Bowl, he played with passion. He tried to get the most out of every snap in a 26-23 upset win against Alabama State. It showed.
Though Payton and the Jaguars defense were sloppy in the fourth quarter, they made enough key plays to help Southern win - and for much of the sunny, mild afternoon, Payton was anything but mild. He led the charge, finishing with a team-high 10 tackles to go along with an interception and a 48-yard fumble return.
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Douglas steps up at QB
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Last week, Southern football coach Stump Mitchell said he planned to use freshman J.P. Douglas as his starting quarterback for the rest of the season. He changed his mind, starting sophomore Dray Joseph when the team faced Alabama State in the Cramton Bowl on Saturday.
Before long, it didn’t matter. Out of necessity, Douglas came in - and that turned out well for Southern, which scored with 9 seconds left to top the Hornets 26-23.
Joseph suffered a concussion in the second quarter when, after throwing an incomplete pass, his smacked the hard artificial turf. He eventually returned to the visitor’s sideline and watched the game in warmups. Joseph completed seven of 16 passes for 72 yards before his exit.
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