Marshall Faulk isn’t just concerned about Southern’s latest loss — he’s concerned about what the Jaguars are becoming.
After Southern fell 35-17 to Jackson State in Saturday’s BoomBox Classic, first-year head coach and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk said his team is beginning to form the wrong kind of identity.
Jackson State jumped out to a 28-9 halftime lead and ultimately extended its winning streak over Southern to eight consecutive games. The Tigers finished with 355 total yards, while Nate Blount IV rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Jared Lockhart accounted for three scores.
For Faulk, however, the bigger issue is what the loss says about his team’s identity.
WHAT FAULK IS CONCERNED ABOUT
Before the rivalry game, Faulk said Southern needed to show that it wouldn’t be “pushed around and bullied” and that the Jaguars needed to establish their own brand of football.
Instead, Southern fell behind 14-3 after the first quarter and 28-9 by halftime.
The Jaguars fought back in the third quarter, cutting Jackson State’s lead to 28-17, but Southern was shut out in the fourth quarter.
That sequence is part of the larger problem Faulk has discussed throughout his first season.
Earlier in the season, Faulk described Southern as “a collection of guys” rather than a finished team and said the program was still in the process of becoming a team.
Now, following the Jackson State loss, Faulk is questioning whether the identity taking shape is the one Southern needs.
WHAT WE KNOW
- Jackson State defeated Southern 35-17 on Sept. 26.
- The Tigers improved to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in SWAC play.
- Southern dropped to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in SWAC play.
- Jackson State has now beaten Southern eight straight times.
- JSU led 28-9 at halftime.
- Southern closed the gap to 28-17 in the third quarter but couldn’t complete the comeback.
- Jackson State finished with 355 total yards to Southern’s 317.
- Nate Blount IV rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns.
- Jared Lockhart passed for 165 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing TD.
- Jackson State committed zero turnovers.
- Southern’s defense allowed Jackson State to control the game for 35:28 of possession.
THE IDENTITY FAULK WANTS
Faulk has repeatedly talked about building Southern into a team that plays with consistency, physicality and accountability.
Before facing Jackson State, he said the Jaguars needed to show their own “brand of football.”
That means the issue isn’t simply winning or losing.
It’s how Southern responds when things go wrong.
Faulk has already acknowledged that Southern has significant roster and resource limitations compared with some opponents. After the 77-6 loss to Houston, he said Southern didn’t have the bodies, funds, equipment and other resources needed to compete with a ranked FBS opponent. But he also stressed that mistakes such as turnovers and putting the defense in difficult situations could make the challenge even harder.
Against Jackson State, Southern did avoid turnovers, but the Jaguars still struggled to contain a Tigers offense that scored 28 first-half points.
THE BIGGER QUESTION
Faulk is in Year 1 of his tenure.
He’s already acknowledged that Southern is still being built.
But the Jackson State loss creates an important question:
What exactly is Southern becoming?
A team that fights through adversity?
Or a team that becomes accustomed to falling behind and trying to recover?
Faulk’s comments suggest that distinction matters to him.
The Jaguars have talent. They have moments where they show the type of football Faulk believes they can play.
The challenge is making those moments their identity rather than the exception.
📊 JACKSON STATE 35, SOUTHERN 17
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
| Southern | 3 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 17 |
| Jackson State | 14 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
Southern Scoring
- Chris McMcKenna — 27-yard FG
- Trey Holly — 6-yard TD run
- Mike Franklin — 1-yard TD run
- Trey Holly — 2-point conversion
Jackson State Scoring
- Nate Blount IV — 1-yard TD run
- Nate Rembert — 70-yard TD reception
- Nate Blount IV — 8-yard TD run
- Jared Lockhart — 1-yard TD run
- Alex Valbuena — 4-yard TD reception
SNEAKER SHOP TALK TAKE
The loss itself isn’t the only story.
The identity conversation may be the bigger one.
Faulk inherited a Southern program that he has openly described as being in a rebuilding phase. Now the first-year coach has to turn his message about toughness, consistency and accountability into something his players consistently show on Saturdays.
Jackson State provided a reality check but also a real time example of where Southern wants to get back to.
Now Southern has to determine what comes next.
Because an identity isn’t something a team simply talks about. It’s something it repeatedly shows.
WHO’S RIGHT?
Is Marshall Faulk right to be concerned about the identity Southern is developing?
Or is this simply what the rebuilding process looks like for a first-year head coach?
Who’s right?
