What TC Taylor said about Jackson State's loss in SWAC Championship game
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Jackson State football has been the team to beat in the SWAC, winning three conference titles in four years between 2021-24.
At Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on Dec. 6, Prairie View A&M (10-3) did what most SWAC teams have failed to do in the last four years and beat the Tigers (9-3) in the SWAC Championship game by a score of 23-21.
“Prairie View just came out and outplayed us today,” Jackson State coach T.C. Taylor said. “… Tough loss. We worked so hard to get to this point this year, to host this SWAC Championship and we didn’t get it done. That’s the bottom line.”
The game was full of anomalies for Jackson State, as the Tigers were outgained by the Panthers and only managed to total 244 yards of offense. JSU, which averaged a SWAC-high 269.8 rushing yards per game, finished with just 84 yards on the ground.
“They’ve been stopping people in the run all year long, but that odd front, it’s a little different for us trying to get to those guys” Taylor said. “They played well up front. They were stout up front. … We didn’t move the line of scrimmage well.”
The Tigers’ challenges with running the ball hurt them throughout the game, but especially once JaCobian Morgan exited the game in the second quarter with an undisclosed injury.
Taylor said that with freshman Jared Lockhart in at quarterback once again, the Tigers looked to run the ball more to protect him, but the Panthers limited their productivity in doing so.
Lockhart finished 6-for-9 passing for 156 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Taylor was complimentary of Jackson State fans for showing support throughout the season and in the final game. JSU led the FCS in average attendance. The attendance for the SWAC Championship was announced at 32,186.
“I’ve been thanking them all year, no difference in today,” Taylor said. “They came up, came out today. They were loud and cheering us on throughout the football game. … They’ve been elite all year for us.”
Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at treid@usatodayco.com and follow her on X @tiareid65.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: What TC Taylor said about Jackson State loss in SWAC Championship game
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