[11/24/02]JACKSON No one controls the friendly skies quite like Jackson State’s Robert Kent, the Tigers’ version of the cape crusader, who turned the Southwest Airlines Capital City Classic into his own personal showcase.

Capturing the Perry Harrington-Steve McNair Offensive Player Award with five touchdown passes and 374 passing yards, Kent helped the Tigers (7-4, 5-2) beat Alcorn State (6-5, 3-4) 34-20 in the “Soul Bowl”.

Alcorn was led by Donald Carrie’s 289 passing yards and two touchdowns as senior Kris Peters gained 124 yards and a touchdown on eight receptions, but the Braves could only manage 51 yards rushing while the Tigers’ Tarnaka Counslor ripped off 99 yards.

The Tigers went into the game with aspirations of squeaking into the SWAC Championship Game, but needed an Alabama A&M loss to get there. Alabama A&M beat Arkansas Pine Bluff 39-19 to win the SWAC Eastern Division title and set up a meeting with Grambling in the SWAC championship game.

“We knew at halftime that Alabama A&M won, but it is still the Soul Bowl and a lot is riding on it,” Kent said. “We just came out and played for pride and came out with the victory.”

A brimming crowd of 45,292 filled Veterans Memorial Stadium to watch JSU beat the Braves for the eighth straight time, and it didn’t have to wait long for the Tigers to attack.

On the first possession of the game, JSU used three straight run plays to set up Kent’s 40-yard strike to Mississippi’s lesser known Manning, JSU receiver Tim, to take a 6-0 lead four minutes into the game. The extra point attempt was blocked.

The Braves’ offense, which resembled a teenager learning to drive a stick-shift, with plenty of starts, stops and stalls, had a hard time finding its offensive rhythm.

Fortunately, the Braves’ special teams came to the rescue and blocked the first of the Tigers’ four punts to give their stagnant offense possession on JSU’s 7-yard line.

Andrew Burks scored to tie the game at 6-6 after a Braves’ personal foul turned an extra point into a missed 28-yard attempt.

Kent then led the Tigers to three straight touchdowns before Carrie could find Peters for a 27-13 score at the half.

Alcorn’s inability to capitalize on three Tiger turnovers within the Braves’ 25-yard line tells the story of a season that had started with a bang and finished with a fizzle.

The Braves started the season with a 5-1 record and an undefeated record at home, the first time since 1994 when a quarterback named Steve McNair was at the helm, and went on to lose four of their last five games. The ’94 season also marks the last time the Braves beat the Tigers.

“There is always a positive side, but I am tired of hearing about where you could have been,” Braves head coach Johnny Thomas said. “We could have done real well, but we missed too many opportunities.”

Thomas could have been alluding to the Tigers’ three third-quarter turnovers, with the third, a Tyrone Parsons interception, giving the Braves possession at the JSU 34-yard line.

Alcorn started with a false start, followed by two consecutive early snaps that hit Carrie in the chest as he was calling audibles, and ended with a punt from the JSU 45.

“The defense gave it to us four straight times, and we didn’t put up any points until the fourth quarter,” Peters said. “We didn’t make plays when we needed them.”