JACKSON — It would’ve been hard for Jackson State coach Rick Comegy to live with his Alcorn State neighbors had his Tigers not avoided nearly blowing a 26-point second-half lead.

Yet the Tigers almost did and needed a last-second bat down from Marcell Young at the 1-yard line to hold on for a 26-21 win at the Capital City Classic Saturday at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Jackson State (7-4) can now turn its focus on to the Dec. 13 Southwestern Athletic Conference title game against the Western Division champion in Birmingham. First-year Alcorn State coach Ernest T. Jones ends his first season at 2-10.

Comegy didn’t feel he had just beaten a 2-10 team, though.

“Those guys played hard. That was a good football team. I am just so happy that our No. 9 (Young) batted down that ball. Since coming here, I’ve learned how much this game means.

“I mean the Alcorn people are everywhere and it would’ve been hard to live that one down had we lost it. You don’t want to lose this game,” Comegy said.

Up 26-0 after the JSU corner forced a safety with eight minutes and nine seconds left in the third quarter, the Tigers appeared on their way to an easy win and their second straight in the series after four straight wins by the Braves.

“We just can’t seem to double up that lead, once we go up 21-0. The kicking game let us down. This should teach us a lesson,” Comegy said.

The Tigers had a punt blocked, an ill-advised pass returned for an Alcorn State touchdown and a late field goal blocked.

“Blocked punt and interception run back for a score, we gave these guys a lot,” said Rich, who had his own pick six in the second quarter when he returned a Tim Buckley pass 21 yards with 4:21 left before halftime to make it 21-0.

The Alcorn comeback began with a blocked punt late in the third quarter that set up the Braves at the JSU 12. Two plays later, Buckley hit Emamnuel Arceneaux on a 6-yard TD pass with 4:52 left in the third quarter.

Until the blocked punt, the Braves had done nothing on offense. Buckley had just three completions for a meager 12 yards at the half.

“I told my team that we are a team of pride. I knew we were not out of it. It was all about pride and we were going to play the full four quarters,” Jones said.

A minute later, things got even better for the Braves. Back-up JSU quarterback Michael Mosley faced a third-and-long inside his own 19. Against a heavy rush, he tried to throw off his back foot and the errant pass went right to ASU linebacker Lee Robinson, who took the gift back for an 11-yard touchdown return. Taylor Richardson’s PAT kick made it 26-14, and the Braves were right back in it.

Buckley then put together the Braves’ only successful scoring drive midway through the fourth quarter to bring Alcorn to within 26-21. He hit Elliot Moore on an 18-yard score with 5:48 left.

A three-and-out by the Tigers got the Braves the ball back with 2:40 to play. Buckley completed a pair of passes to midfield but then was sacked on third and then fourth down by JSU defensive tackle Dennis Coit.

The Tigers took over on downs at the 38 and picked up a pair of first downs to the Alcorn 11. They got to the six before facing a fourth down with 56 seconds left.

“I thought about going for the touchdown and if we didn’t get it, leaving them down there, but I really wanted to come away with something and that’s why we went for the field goal,” Comegy said.