Jackson Free Press

When Jackson State went to Birmingham, Ala., last week to play Grambling State in the SWAC Championship Game, it was a week of firsts for the Tigers.

JSU hadn't won a SWAC championship since '96 and hadn't played in the title game since '99. JSU's players and coaches talked smack about Grambling before the game, and several Tigers showed up carrying boxing-style championship belts. Bold, considering Grambling won, 30-20, when the teams played in October.

The Tigers backed up their boasts on the field last Saturday by defeating Grambling, 42-31, much to the delight of the 30,000 or so JSU fans in the Legion Field crowd of 43,000.

"It feels great ...," Coach Rick Comegy told The Sun Herald.

"It's a whole new level for us. I thought we needed three years to get it done."

The Tigers reached the mountaintop a year ahead of schedule because Comegy recruited quarterback Jimmy Oliver, a two-time national player of the year at Pearl River Community College. When he got to the biggest stage of his career, he led the Tigers (8-4) to their 16th SWAC title.

Oliver passed for 249 yards and three touchdowns to capture offensive MVP honors. Time after time, he scrambled away from Grambling's ferocious pass rush to keep the Tiger offense moving as JSU rallied in the fourth quarter.

"I didn't get all-conference first or second team, and I just wanted to go out and win something that they couldn't take away from me," Oliver told the Mobile (Ala.) Press-Register. "This is a great accomplishment for our team, our coaches, our university and our community."

Previous Comments

ID

118460

Comment

Thanks Doctor. J-State rules. Now if we can just get Mississippi State and Ole Miss to win the SEC or something other than the rotten Egg Bowl. Tougaloo has a baseball team of late, but so far they're pathetic. I've been thinking of asking the college if they can be called something other than the Tougaloo Bulldogs. Their play hurts the school's image. Perhaps those ole miss grads can make a similar request. At least take Mississippi out of their name so as to keep from further em-bear-assing the state on the big stage.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2007-12-20T10:36:27-06:00

ID

118461

Comment

http://www.youtube.com/watch? The BOOM v=C9uddjlHTfU&feature=related

Author

NewJackson

Date

2007-12-24T23:11:51-06:00

ID

118462

Comment