JACKSON, MISS. – The sun had begun to set on the east side of Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday evening. The crowd in the horseshoe-style venue—one that was standing-room only with 58,892 people earlier in the afternoon—had begun to dwindle on Alcorn's side as Jackson State (10–1, 8–0) was knocking on the door of its final touchdown in the Soul Bowl.
When JSU and Alcorn State (6–5, 5–3) take the field, it's a huge battle for bragging rights to see which team owns the state of Mississippi. It's the battle of bands—the "Sonic Boom of the South" and the "Sounds Of Dyn-O-mite"—coupled with what is always a physical bout on the gridiron.