Although Southern Miss was able to pull off the 38-20 victory over Jackson State, Charles Huff believes they left several points on the field. In post-game comments obtained by The Vicksburg Post, the former HBCU standout turned FBS coach believed that they were capable of 60 points on Saturday.
“I think I read somewhere last week we’re on an 11-game losing streak. It’s been since 2011 since we blocked a punt here. Just a lot of ‘firsts’ or ‘in a long times,’ but overall was a really good opportunity for us to go out and show what we can do. I think there’s a lot of points left out there, and we probably could have scored close to 60 today if we’d executed consistently, but I thought the guys responded well.”
Huff's comments weren't perceived well by Jackson State and HBCU football fans in general, especially given how the flow of the game went. The Tigers were competitive throughout the game, with the score being 17-10 with Southern Miss in front headed into halftime. It wasn't until later on in the third quarter that they started to hit their scoring groove again.
Micah Davis caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Southern Miss quarterback Braylon Braxton, concluding a 7-play, 45-yard drive that lasted 2 minutes and 48 seconds, with 5:29 remaining in the third quarter. It was the first time they scored since the 10:44 mark in the second quarter.
Early in the fourth quarter, with 14:54 on the clock, Braxton connected with Kadinn Morris for a 10-yard touchdown pass, which effectively iced the game as Southern Miss went up 31-10. But, it appeared as if Jackson State had more missed opportunities that could've led to a more competitive game than Southern Miss, leaving 22 points on the field.
Nevertheless, Jackson State heads home to host SIAC contender Tuskegee University on Saturday at 3 PM EST. The game will be broadcast on SWAC TV.
