JACKSON — A tight first half gave way to a blowout and a Jackson State celebration in the Southwestern Athletic football championship game.

Backup quarterback Zy McDonald threw a touchdown pass and ran for 95 yards and a TD as Jackson State beat Southern University 41-13 on Saturday to win its third SWAC championship in four seasons.

“The main point of this week was our coach wanted us to dominate. I feel as though we went out there and dominated,” said Jackson State defensive back Robert McDaniel, who had two interceptions. “Especially coming in and hosting the SWAC championship game, it was definitely a blessing to be in this spot. I’m just able that we were able to go out there and handle our business, and the next stop is Atlanta.”

Jackson State (11-2) will play MEAC champion South Carolina State (9-2) in the Celebration Bowl in Atlanta on Dec. 14, with the winner being declared the HBCU national champion.

Jackson State has won the HBCU national title four times, the last coming in 2021.

“I was standing on the 40-yard line in the fourth quarter toward the end of the game and I couldn’t move. I was stuck in that moment,” said JSU head coach T.C. Taylor, an alum of the school. “Just like, ‘Wow. We’re SWAC champions.’ So much came back to me as a player, and to be here now as the head coach, to be winning a SWAC championship, it still hasn’t hit me.”

Jackson State beat Southern (8-5) in the SWAC opener back in September, but the Jaguars came out ready to go in the championship game rematch at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson.

The teams swapped field goals early, and then Southern took a 10-3 lead on Czavian Teasett’s 1-yard touchdown run with 4:58 left in the second quarter.

JSU’s Emari Matthews tied it with a 2-yard TD run with 39 seconds left, and then the second half belonged to the Tigers.

Beginning with Matthews’ touchdown, Jackson State outscored Southern 38-3 over the last 31 minutes.

McDonald and Irv Mulligan both ran for touchdowns in the third quarter, and McDonald threw a 13-yard TD pass to Joanes Fortillien in the fourth.

Jackson State finished with 275 rushing yards. Mulligan had 116 of those, for his sixth 100-yard game in the last seven.

McDonald was just 6-of-11 passing for 75 yards, but did plenty of damage on the ground after replacing injured starter Jacobian Morgan in the second quarter.

“The players rallied around Zy,” Taylor said. “We tried to design some stuff for him to run the ball around little bit, he said that would get him going. Then we sat down at the half and I said tell me what you’re comfortable with going into this second half. I put it on the table for him and he went out and executed.”

Southern kicker Joshua Griffin, a former Warren Central star, made two field goals from 38 and 28 yards and was also good on his only PAT attempt.

Southern had three turnovers in the second half and its quarterbacks were sacked four times.

“I stay on them about getting ready to play in December, and they were ready for this moment,” Taylor said.