BATON ROUGE, La. (Interstat) — JaCobian Morgan threw for 337 yards and two touchdowns, and the Jackson State Tigers pulled away in the second half for a decisive 38-13 victory over the Southern Jaguars on Saturday at Tiger Stadium.

Morgan, a 6-foot-4, 229-pound quarterback from Canton, Mississippi, orchestrated a potent Tigers offense, completing 21 of 31 passes. His primary targets were Nate Rembert, who caught five passes for 102 yards and a touchdown, and Jameel Gardner Jr., who hauled in seven receptions for 96 yards.

The game was a tale of two halves, with Jackson State leading just 17-13 at halftime before dominating the final two quarters.

Southern struck first with a 37-yard field goal from Nathan Zimmer on its opening drive. Jackson State answered with a methodical 12-play, 78-yard drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown run from Donerio Davenport to take a 7-3 lead late in the first quarter.

The Jaguars’ offense found a spark in the second quarter with running back Trey Holly. After a Zimmer 41-yard field goal cut the lead to 7-6, Holly broke loose for a 73-yard touchdown run on Southern’s next possession, giving the Jaguars a 13-7 advantage. Holly, from Farmerville, Louisiana, was a bright spot for Southern, rushing for 147 yards on just 11 carries.

Jackson State responded with a Gerardo Baeza 33-yard field goal to make it 13-10. Just before halftime, Morgan connected with Ja’Naylon Dupree on a 51-yard touchdown pass with five seconds remaining, sending the Tigers into the break with a 17-13 lead and all the momentum.

The Tigers’ defense stiffened in the second half, completely shutting down the Southern attack. Jackson State extended its lead on its first drive of the third quarter, with Davenport plunging in for his second touchdown from 3 yards out to make it 24-13.

After a scoreless remainder of the third quarter, Jackson State put the game out of reach in the fourth. Travis Terrell Jr. scored on a 6-yard run, and Morgan later found Rembert for an 82-yard touchdown strike to seal the 38-13 final.

The Jackson State ground game was balanced and effective, with Ahmad Miller rushing for 101 yards on 14 carries. The Tigers’ defense recorded multiple sacks and an interception by Kam Sallis.

Southern quarterback Ashton Strother struggled, completing 10 of 20 passes for 120 yards and one interception.

With the win, Jackson State improves to 2-1 on the season, while Southern falls to 1-3. The Tigers’ victory defied the pregame betting line, which had installed Southern as a 10-point favorite. The combined score of 51 points also went over the posted over/under of 51.5.

Jackson State travels to face Alabama A&M next Saturday, while Southern has a bye week before playing at Bethune-Cookman on Oct. 11.