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SWAC swagger
Tigers battle for title in tough OT game by spencer mcclenty
T
he Jackson State University football team completed another successful season in 2012 by winning its fourth Eastern Division title and its third under head coach Rick Comegy. The Tigers were defeated in the Southwestern Athletics Conference (SWAC) championship game held at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., by Western Division champions University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. A 95-yard touchdown pass from Pine Bluff quarterback Benjamin Anderson to Willie Young with two minutes left in regulation forced overtime, and the Lions captured a 24-21 victory over the Tigers.
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1. Tigers running back Rakeem Simms tries to elude Pine Bluff defensive back Gyovanni Harvey. Simms finishes the game with 70 rushing yards and a touchdown.
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2. JSU quarterback Clayton Moore ends the SWAC championship game with 211 yards.
3. Tiger captains Rico Richardson (from left), Joseph LeBeau, Johnathan Billups and Stephen Capler prepare for the opening coin toss.
4. Tiger fans pack Legion Field Stadium in Birmingham, Ala., to cheer for JSU.
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5. Tigers defensive tackle Luis McLeod (6’4’’, 330 pounds) sets his sights on Pine Bluff quarterback Benjamin Anderson.
6. Tigers receiver Rico Richardson snags one of his four caught passes in the SWAC championship game. Prior to the game, Richardson is named the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year.