STWF Sports| BATON ROUGE, La.| September 19, 2026 — Southern University returned to the win column Saturday night in emphatic fashion, using a punishing ground attack and a career performance from running back Trey Holly to defeat Louisiana Christian University 50-31 at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

Holly was the centerpiece of the Jaguars’ offense, rushing for 200 yards and helping Southern seize control early. Fellow running back Mike Franklin added 130 rushing yards, giving the duo 330 combined yards on the ground as the Jaguars consistently found success between the tackles and in space.

Southern established the tone immediately.

Southern’s Dominance on the Ground Game

Holly capped the Jaguars’ opening possession with a 2-yard touchdown run, then later delivered one of the biggest plays of the night when he broke free for a 69-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Wide receiver Daejawn Smith also found the end zone on an 18-yard play during the opening period as Southern built a commanding 21-7 advantage.

The fast start gave the Jaguars exactly the type of response they needed after entering the matchup looking to rebound from a difficult road loss to Houston.

Quarterback Christian Johnson added another dimension to the rushing attack early in the second quarter, scoring on a 15-yard run as Southern continued to widen the gap. By halftime, the Jaguars had built a 30-10 lead and had placed Louisiana Christian in a position where it was forced to chase the game.

Southern never abandoned what was working.

The Jaguars continued to lean heavily on their running backs in the second half, repeatedly attacking a Louisiana Christian defense that struggled to slow the combination of Holly and Franklin. The approach allowed Southern to control the pace while keeping pressure off Johnson and the passing game.

Holly’s performance was particularly significant considering his production through the first three games of the season. He entered Saturday with 141 rushing yards on 39 carries, meaning his 200-yard effort against Louisiana Christian surpassed his total from Southern’s first three contests combined.

His explosiveness changed the complexion of the game early, but Franklin’s ability to consistently produce alongside him made the Jaguars’ rushing attack even more difficult to contain.

Franklin had already shown efficiency during the opening weeks of the season, entering the matchup averaging 7.4 yards per carry. Against Louisiana Christian, he provided Southern with another dependable option in the backfield, preventing the Wildcats from loading their defensive focus entirely toward Holly.

Louisiana Christian continued to compete and eventually produced 31 points, but the Wildcats were never able to completely erase the damage Southern inflicted during its explosive opening half.

The Jaguars’ 21-point first quarter and 30-point first half created a margin that Louisiana Christian spent the remainder of the night trying to overcome.

Smith’s contribution also gave Southern balance beyond the running game. The receiver entered the night as the Jaguars’ leading pass catcher with 161 receiving yards through three games, and his first-quarter score helped Southern capitalize on its early momentum.

For Southern, the victory represented an important response at home.

The Jaguars had been searching for stability after experiencing both a home victory over Kentucky State and a difficult setback against Houston during the opening portion of the season. Saturday’s performance offered a much clearer picture of what Southern’s offense can look like when the running game controls the matchup.

The Jaguars finished the night with 50 points, their highest-scoring performance of the young season, while Holly and Franklin gave Southern a foundation it can attempt to carry forward.

With conference play approaching, Southern leaves A.W. Mumford Stadium with renewed momentum and a backfield that just delivered its strongest performance of the season.

The next challenge will be translating that production into SWAC competition, but for one night on The Bluff, the Jaguars’ ground game was simply too much for Louisiana Christian to handle.