Southern and Jackson State renew their rivalry Saturday at Mumford Stadium

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- A buzz has been building around A.W. Mumford Stadium this week.

Yeah, it’s Southern’s season opener, and it has been 44 weeks since Jaguars fans have been able to see their team play on its home field.

But more than that, it’s Jackson State week. The longtime rivals — separated by a mere 175 miles yet joined by a mutual dislike — meet for the 58th time.



“I think the fans are what really make it a rivalry,” Jaguars coach Dawson Odums said. “They probably don’t have much good to say to each other, especially this time of year, but other than that I think it’s a fun atmosphere to play in. I think this is what college football is supposed to be about.

“I think the tradition of both schools, the history, the heritage and the close proximity of the two schools — I think that’s what creates a rivalry, and it’s not just dominant by one side or the other side. They’ve had some runs where they’ve won some games, and we’ve had some runs where we’ve won some games.”

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