Southern rolls, SWAC races tighten after Week 10
Southern powered past Bethune-Cookman 45-17 as Saturday’s six-game SWAC slate left two teams tied atop the East and three sharing the West lead.
By Derek Payne | The Weekly Press
BATON ROUGE, La. — Southern delivered a commanding home victory Saturday, beating Bethune-Cookman 45-17 as Week 10 of Southwestern Athletic Conference football tightened the championship races in both divisions.
The Jaguars improved to 5-5 overall and 3-3 in conference play, staying one game behind a three-team group atop the West. Bethune-Cookman dropped to identical records with its second consecutive loss.
Trey Holly rushed for 206 yards as Southern built a 31-3 halftime advantage at A.W. Mumford Stadium. The Jaguars added 14 points in the third quarter before Bethune-Cookman scored the game’s final touchdown in the fourth. Christian Johnson passed for 111 yards for Southern, while Rashon Brown led the Wildcats with 98 rushing yards.
Southern has outscored its last two opponents 87-31, following a 42-14 victory at Florida A&M with Saturday’s home win.
Prairie View’s win shakes up the East
Prairie View A&M defeated Alabama A&M 31-10, handing the Bulldogs a loss that helped create a tie atop the East Division.
The Panthers led 14-3 at halftime and outscored Alabama A&M 10-0 in the fourth quarter. Prairie View improved to 5-5 overall and 4-2 in SWAC play, while Alabama A&M fell to 7-3 and 4-2.
Jackson State defeated Mississippi Valley State 38-7, bringing the Tigers to 7-2 overall and matching Alabama A&M’s 4-2 conference record. Bethune-Cookman and Alabama State sit one game behind the East leaders at 3-3 in league play.
Three teams share the West lead
Alcorn State beat Florida A&M 38-20, while Arkansas-Pine Bluff edged Grambling State 35-32. Those victories kept the Braves and Golden Lions alongside Prairie View at 4-2 in conference play.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff improved to 6-3 overall, and Alcorn State moved to 6-4. Southern remains within reach at 3-3 in the conference, while Grambling and Texas Southern stand at 2-4.
Alabama State earned the day’s other three-point victory, defeating Texas Southern 34-31 in Houston. The Hornets improved to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in conference play.
SWAC Week 10 final scores — Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026
All six results are confirmed in the conference’s official statistics.
