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As reported earlier, the Southern University Jaguars were hit with a $7,500 fine and multiple suspensions by the SWAC following their altercation with Prairie View A&M (Oct. 8). That seems to be the only bad news for the Jaguars over the last three weeks, as they have been on a three-game winning streak since their loss to Texas Southern. The 6'2 Rice University transfer August Pitre has been a significant part of their improvement on the offensive side of the ball. This week Pitre's clutch production helped to seal the victory over Alcorn and earned him honors as the SWAC Newcomer of the Week. Southern is also now the #1 team in the SWAC West. Southern is poised to give Jackson State all they can handle when they meet later this season (Oct. 29). Grambling State, Southern's biggest rival, is currently at the bottom of the SWAC West but is showing significant signs of improvement every week. This week the significant improvement was in the special teams. While special teams' play seeming cost Grambling State a promising comeback in their game against PVA&M, this week, the unit led by Coach Chris Scott put the Tigers in a position to win their game against FAMU. Donald Johnson's play significantly impacted the game, and his punt return score earned him SWAC honors this week.
While Shedeur Sanders played an excellent game against Bethune-Cookman and left the game with 272 yards passing and 5 TDs, Kayvon Britten walked away with SWAC Offensive Player of the Week honors this week. UAPB leaned heavily on their running game this week with issues at QB, according to their head coach Doc Gamble. Kayvon Britten did not disappoint as the running back tore up the field with 277 yards rushing and four touchdowns. His coach says, "Everything doesn't have to be blocked just right for him to make a play." Though it didn't result in a win for UAPB, Britten's performance does land him well-deserved SWAC honors this week. Below is the statement from the SWAC on this week's winners:
BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- The Southwestern Athletic Conference has named Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Kayvon Britten, Alabama A&M's Dre Terry, Grambling State's Donald Johnson and Southern's August Pitre its SWAC Football Players of the Week for their impressive performances during games played this past week of competition.
Offensive- Britten rushed for 277 yards on 32 carries to go along with four rushing touchdowns during UAPB's contest against Alabama A&M. He currently leads the conference in total rushing yards (754), rushing touchdowns (12), and ranks fourth in yards per rushing attempt (6.2). This also marks the second time this season Britten has rushed for over 225 yards in a single game.
Defensive- Terry was a game-changer during Alabama A&M's 34-31 road victory at Arkansas-Pine Bluff this past week as he erupted for 14 tackles and a 31-yard interception. His interception would come after the Bulldogs had previously retaken the lead at 17-14 at the start of the second quarter. It also set up the Bulldogs with an opportunity to extend their lead on their next drive as they pushed to a 24-14 advantage a minute and a half later.
Specialist- Johnson was a key contributor for the Grambling State Tigers special teams unit this past week as he tallied 88 total punt return yards. Highlighting his efforts during the game was a key punt return for a score from 80 yards out versus Florida A&M.
Newcomer- August was a significant factor on the offensive side of the ball for Southern this past week against Alcorn State as he finished the night with 127 yards off four catches to go along with a receiving touchdown. He averaged 31.8 yards per catch while assisting the Jaguars with claiming a 21-17 win over Alcorn State on Saturday.