Jackson State–Southern football rivalry
Sport | American football |
---|---|
First meeting | November 30, 1929[1] Southern, 98–0[1] |
Latest meeting | November 13, 2021 Jackson State, 21–17 |
Next meeting | 2022 |
Statistics | |
Meetings total | 67 |
All-time series | Southern, 35–30 (not including 2 vacated wins[2]) |
Largest victory | Southern, 98–0 (1929) Jackson State, 41–0 (1981) |
Longest win streak | Southern, 8 (2013–2021) Jackson State, 7 (1977–1983) |
Current win streak | Jackson State, 1 (2021–present) |
The Jackson State–Southern football rivalry, often called the BoomBox Classic,[3] is a college football rivalry between the Jackson State University Tigers and Southern University Jaguars. An annual conference game between two historically black universities in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, its location usually rotates between JSU's Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium and SU's A. W. Mumford Stadium, but it has also been held at larger venues to accommodate the crowds that the game draws. As of 2021, the Jaguars lead the series 35–30 (not including two wins that Southern was ordered to vacate by the National Collegiate Athletic Association[2]).
History[]
The teams first met on November 30, 1929, a 98–0 win by Southern.[1] The series was not resumed, and they did not play again until 1958, when Jackson State joined the SWAC. Since then, the conference rivals have played each other every year—and twice in 1999 and 2013, when Southern defeated Jackson State in SWAC championship games. In fact, both schools are among the most successful SWAC members. Through 2019 Southern has won the second-most SWAC football titles (19), while Jackson State has won the third-most (16).
The game draws substantial crowds and has sometimes been played at alternative venues to accommodate the numbers. In 1961 it was played in Mobile, Alabama as part of the second annual "Claver Classic." It was played in Baton Rouge's Memorial Stadium in 1978,[4] since it could hold upwards of 25,000 fans, while Southern's stadium could only hold 13,000 at the time.[5] It was played in New Orleans in 2000,[6] 2002, and 2004[7]—the latter as part of the then-annual "Big Easy Classic" series.[6] In 2009 it was also played at Jackson State’s home stadium to take advantage of the larger capacity.[8] The 2012 game was played as part of the annual "W. C. Gorden Classic" series.[9]
The intense rivalry extends beyond the game itself, featuring a battle between the schools’ well-respected and popular marching bands, Jackson State's "Sonic Boom of the South" and Southern's "Human Jukebox."[8] Hence, in the past, the game had been commonly referred to informally by using a portmanteau of the bands' names—the BoomBox Classic. The BoomBox battle happens before the game begins and continues after the game has been decided, known as the "Zero Quarter" and "Fifth Quarter" respectively in the HBCU community.
Game results[]
Jackson State victories | Southern victories | Tie games | Vacated games[2] |
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See also[]
References[]
- ^ a b c d "Southern Jaguars: 1929 Schedule (7-1)". cfbinfo.com. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
- ^ a b c "Robinson 5 TDs for No. 16 TCU in 55-7 win over Southern U". si.com. 2018. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
- ^ "JSU Winning the SWAC East Has Been a Long Time Coming".
- ^ a b Joe Planas (November 25, 1979). "Ex-'fat dude' at home away from home". Baton Rouge Sunday Advocate (sec. D, p. 6).
- ^ Joe Macaluso (November 15, 1979). "University sports". Baton Rouge Morning Advocate (Newcomers Guide Special Edition, pp. 42–43).
- ^ a b Joseph Schiefelbein (October 14, 2004). "SU players excited about playing in Superdome". Baton Rouge Advocate (sec. C, p. 3).
- ^ "Southern vs Jackson St. (MS)". cfbdatawarehouse.com. College Football Data Warehouse. 2012. Archived from the original on 2015-06-10. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
- ^ a b Perry White (September 16, 2011). "Jackson State vs. Southern – A Rivalry Renewed in Baton Rouge". HBCU Digest. Retrieved 2012-08-15.
- ^ "Smile Page". Clarksdale (Miss.) Press Register (p. 24). September 28, 2012.
- ^ Greg Abadie (October 19, 1997). "High-powered JSU offense unable to get on track". Baton Rouge Sunday Advocate (sec. C, p. 14).
- ^ "Live updates: Jackson State vs. Southern University football". clarionledger.com. October 27, 2018. Retrieved 2018-10-27.
- ^ "Jackson State vs Southern (LA)". cfbdatawarehouse.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
- College football rivalries in the United States
- Jackson State Tigers football
- Southern Jaguars football
- Black college football classics