The birth of the SWAC Championship Game

SWAC1999

Team of The Decade

Southern and JSU were predicted to meet in the inaugural game, and sure enough, both teams ended up face-to-face at Legion Field that day. Both teams had won three SWAC titles in the 1990s and the winner would be the mythical “Team of the Decade.”

Southern (10-1) ended up there on the strength of its Dog Day Defense, while Jackson State’s (9-2) offense was potent with running back Destry Wright and receiver Sylvester Morris giving defensive coordinators fits. Southern had won four-straight over JSU, but it limped into the game beat up after needing a big comeback in the Bayou Classic two weeks prior.

Broadcast on BET and played in front of 47,621 fans, the game lived up to its billing. JSU jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the first quarter, but Southern put together a two-touchdown second quarter to give itself a 17-10 lead at halftime.

The Jaguars built on their lead in the third when Terrance Levy, the second-half star of the Bayou Classic, threw an 81-yard touchdown pass to Michael Hayes to give SU a 24-10 lead heading into the final quarter. Sensing the game falling out of reach, the Tigers awoke with a fury in the final quarter, scoring 20 points as Washington threw a 40-yard pass to Lawrence Story and rushed for a one-yard score to go with two field goals to take a 30-24 lead.

Southern would respond, however, as Levy found Devin Lewis for a 26-yard touchdown pass to tie the game and Justin Mattingly’s PAT gave it a one-point edge. The third interception by defensive back Edreece Brown sealed the game, the 26th SWAC win in a row for SU and the first-ever SWAC Championship Game win.

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