JACKSON, Miss. (AP)—Darius Bolela ran for 147 yards and a touchdown, and Marcus Benard recovered a fumble in the end zone as Jackson State claimed its second straight Southwest Athletic Conference East title with a 37-21 victory over Alabama A&M on Saturday.
Jackson State (6-4 5-1) won its fifth straight game and will play for its second consecutive title.
Benard’s recovery in the end zone with 8:44 left in the third quarter helped Jackson State take a 27-21 lead after falling behind 21-20 at the half.
Bolela’s 2-yard scoring run stretched the lead to 34-21 with 12:02 left in the game.
Luther Edwards also ran for two scores as Jackson State rushed for 260 yards.
Alabama A&M (4-7, 3-3) was held to 32 yards in the second half.
Kevin Atkins had touchdown passes of 33 yards to Rashad Johnson and 11 yards to Nate Baxter in the first half for Alabama A&M.
Head to Head - Week 12
| Team | Total Yds | Pass Yds | Rush Yds | First Downs | 3rdD% | Pen./Yds | Turnovers | Time of Poss. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama A&M | 244 | 161 | 83 | 14 | 18.8% | 8/69 | 2 | 32:30 |
| Jackson State | 290 | 30 | 260 | 11 | 20.0% | 5/86 | 2 | 27:30 |
