2021 SWAC Football Championship Game (December)

For the 2021 SWAC Championship game that was played during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season, see 2021 SWAC Championship Game (May).

The 2021 SWAC Championship Game was a college football game played on December 4, 2021, at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Mississippi.^[1] It was the 23rd edition of the SWAC Championship Game and determined the champion of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) for the 2021 season. The game began at 3:00 p.m. CST and aired on ESPN2. The game featured the Jackson State Tigers, the East Division champions, and the Prairie View A&M Panthers, the West Division champions. Sponsored by wireless service provider Cricket and by beverage corporation PepsiCo through their Pepsi Zero Sugar brand, the game was officially known as the 2021 Cricket SWAC Football Championship presented by Pepsi Zero Sugar.^[2] The winner of the game received a bid to the Celebration Bowl to face the South Carolina State Bulldogs, champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

2021 SWAC Football Championship Game
Conference Championship
Prairie View A&M Panthers Jackson State Tigers (7–4) (10–1) 10 27 Head coach:  Eric Dooley Head coach:  Deion Sanders STATS 15
1 2 3 4 Total Prairie View A&M 7 3 0 0 10 Jackson State 7 6 14 0 27
Date	December 4, 2021
Season	2021
Stadium	Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
Location	Jackson, Mississippi
Favorite	Jackson State by 8
United States TV coverage
Network	ESPN2
Announcers	Tiffany Greene (play-by-play), Jay Walker (analyst), & Tiffany Blackmon (sideline)
SWAC Football Championship Game  < 2021 (May) 2022 >

2021 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
No. 22 Jackson State x$		8	–	0					11	–	2
No. 25 Florida A&M ^		7	–	1					9	–	3
Alabama A&M		5	–	3					7	–	3
Mississippi Valley State		3	–	5					4	–	7
Alabama State		3	–	5					5	–	6
Bethune–Cookman		2	–	6					2	–	9
West Division
Prairie View A&M x		6	–	2					7	–	5
Alcorn State		5	–	3					6	–	5
Grambling State		3	–	5					4	–	7
Southern		3	–	5					4	–	7
Texas Southern		2	–	6					2	–	8
Arkansas–Pine Bluff		1	–	7					2	–	9
Championship: Jackson State 27, Prairie View A&M 10
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant ^ – FCS playoff participant Rankings from STATS Poll

Teams

Prairie View A&M

Main article: 2021 Prairie View A&M Panthers football team

Prairie View A&M clinched its spot in the championship game on November 20, via Jackson State's defeat of Alcorn State.^[1]

Jackson State

Main article: 2021 Jackson State Tigers football team

Jackson State clinched its spot in the championship game on November 13 after defeating Southern, 21–17.^[3] Jackson State clinched home field advantage in the game on November 20 after defeating Alcorn State, 24–10.^[1]

Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Prairie View A&M	7	3	0	0	10
No. 15 Jackson State	7	6	14	0	27

Game information

First quarter 3:25 Prairie View A&M – T. Holden pass to J. Howard for 35 yds for a TD (L. Reyes KICK) – 8 plays, 67 yards, 2:49 (Prairie View A&M 7–0( 1:04 Jackson State – S. Sanders pass to M. Wideman for 16 yds for a TD (N. Anderson KICK) – 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:21 (tied 7–7) Second quarter 6:38 Prairie View A&M – L. Reyes 37 yd FG GOOD – 9 plays, 60 yards, 4:17 (Prairie View A&M 10–7) 6:25 Jackson State – I. Bolden return for 91 yds for a TD (N. Anderson kick missed) (Jackson State 13–10) Third quarter 8:20 Jackson State – J. Pass pass intercepted, J. Houston IV returned 5 yds for a TD (B. Raborn KICK) (Jackson State 20–10) 2:39 Jackson State – P. Pickett run for 5 yds for a TD (B. Raborn KICK) – 6 plays, 48 yards, 3:22 (Jackson State 27–10)

2021 Cricket SWAC Championship Game presented by Pepsi Zero Sugar

at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson, MS

• Date: Saturday, December 4, 2021
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
• TV: ESPN2
• Box score

Statistics

Statistics	PVAMU	JSU
First downs
Plays–yards
Rushes–yards
Passing yards
Passing: comp–att–int
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Prairie View A&M	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Jackson State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

References

1. Thompson, Khari (November 20, 2021). "Jackson State football pulls away from Alcorn State 24-10 in first sellout of Deion Sanders era". Mississippi Clarion Ledger.
2. "2021 SWAC Football Regular Season Play Set to Conclude". Southwestern Athletic Conference.
3. "Jackson State comes back to defeat Southern 21-17, wins SWAC Eastern Division title". WLOX. November 13, 2021.