ITTA BENA–Robert Kent was having so much fun he didn’t want to leave early. Kent passed for five touchdowns and ran for two more as Jackson State defeated rival Mississippi Valley State 66-36 Saturday night in a game marred by a bench-clearing brawl.
Jackson State (2-0, 1-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) won its seventh straight against Mississippi Valley State (0-3, 0-1) and increased its series lead to 41-6-1.
The Tigers trailed 19-6 in the first half before scoring 36 unanswered points.
Kent passed for 256 yards in only three quarters.
“We proved our point tonight,” the sophomore said. “We should have scored 70. Most of the credit goes to our offensive line. They gave me time to do my thing. I wanted to play the whole game, but my coach said that I had done enough for the night.”
Last season, Kent threw six touchdowns against Mississippi Valley State.
A fight broke out in the second quarter after Jackson State was flagged for a late hit during a Delta Devils punt return.
After the play, opposing players began pushing and shoving near the Tigers’ sideline. That led to thrown punches and swung helmet.
The game was delayed 25 minutes as school officials and stadium security broke up the melee.
Jackson State led 34-19 at the time of the fight.
“We kind of got out of sync after the incident,” Valley quarterback Rob Harding said. “It’s part of the game and it only brought a little more intensity to this rivalry.”
It was the third straight game Jackson State has scored more than 60 points against Mississippi Valley State.
It was the first time since 1979 the SWAC rivals played in Itta Bena. The game had been played at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson every season since 1982.