Deion Sanders leads Jackson State to SWAC title in second season with Tigers

In his second season as head coach, Deion Sanders led Jackson State to a SWAC Championship win on Saturday.

Back in 2020, Jackson State hired Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Deion Sanders to be the head coach of their football program. In just his second season as a head coach, Sanders can now add another trophy to his mantle.

On Saturday, the Tigers defeated the Prairie View A&M Panthers 27-10 to win the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship. This is the program’s first SWAC Championship since 2007.

Deion Sanders leads Jackson State to first SWAC Championship since 2007

After Jackson State tied things up 7-7 on a 16-yard touchdown pass from Shedeur Sanders to Malachi Wideman, Prairie View A&M took a 10-7 lead in the second-quarter on a 37-yard field goal by Luis Reyes. But, Jackson State responded with a 91-yard kickoff return from Isaiah Bolden to carry a 13-10 lead into halftime.

Jackson State clinched the victory after a pick-six from James Houston IV and a five-yard touchdown run by Peytton Pickett in the third quarter.

The Tigers defense played a huge role in the victory, as they forced the Panthers to turn the ball over five times (three interceptions, two fumbles). Additionally, Jackson State limited Prairie View A&M to 230 yards of total offense.

Sanders’ coached the Tigers to a 4-3 record in the 2020 pandemic-shortened campaign earlier this year. In his first full season, Sanders led Jackson State to an 11-1 record and a conference title.

With this victory, Jackson State has now clinched their spot in the Celebration Bowl on Dec. 18 at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga., where they will take on the MEAC Champions, the South Carolina State Bulldogs.

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