The Soul Bowl will have the attention of HBCU football fans on Saturday afternoon. Jackson State and Alcorn State are set to battle in a can not miss contest. These teams will be competing to keep their current winning streaks intact. JSU has won three straight, while Alcorn’s streak stands at five. The last time these teams met was in 2022. Jackson State won by a score of 24-13. They’ll surely hope to repeat that performance.
Jackson State (7-3 Overall, 5-2 in SWAC)
Defense has been the Tigers’ biggest strength for stretches of this season. They are allowing an average of 342 yards per game, with opposing offenses averaging 185 passing yards and 157 yards rushing. Attacking on the ground has netted opponents 4.8 yards per carry while passing attempts are gaining 6.1 yards on average.
Jacobian Morgan is looking to continue the play he showcased in Jackson State’s last game. Morgan threw for 182 yards and one touchdown in the team’s win.
Jackson State boasts a versatile ground game. Quarterback runs makeup 30% of their rushing attempts this season.
Jackson State went 12-1 in 2022. They are 2-1 at home so far this year, averaging 20.7 points per game in those games. Jackson State has won two straight matchups against Alcorn State since Nov 20, 2021.
Alcorn State (6-3 Overall, 5-1 in SWAC)
Alcorn State is among the elite of the SWAC-West, going 5-1 in conference play so far this year. They are averaging 23.1 points per contest while accumulating a total of 25 touchdowns so far this year. Their defense allows an average of 315 yards and 19.9 points per game.
Quarterback Aaron Allen will be leading Alcorn State in this one. Allen has averaged 204.3 pass yards per game with season totals of 12 touchdowns and four interceptions thus far this season.
Alcorn State’s play selection split has been fairly balanced thus far this season, throwing the ball 46% of the time while rushing the other 54%.
The Braves’ record sits at 3-0 for their last three games, scoring over 20 points in each of those matchups. They are 2-2 on the road so far this year, averaging 19.5 points per game in those games. Alcorn State is 5-1 in FCS HBCU games, averaging 27.8 points per game in those games.