Jackson Free Press

After last Saturday's 59-27 loss to Grambling Stat, Jackson State made the decision to fire head coach Harold Jackson during the team's bye week. The firing was first reported by the Clarion-Ledger.

Jackson's tenure ended after just 17 games and a 1-4 start this season and a 1-2 record in SWAC play. In just a season and just over a quarter of a second season, Jackson had a 6-11 overall record and 3-8 record in SWAC play.

Jackson State has given up 30 or more points every game this season and has given up 50 plus points in three of four losses. The Tigers offense had only scored over 30 points twice this season. JSU's one win was by four points (34-30 to Texas Southern) and 10 points is the closest loss (35-25 to Tennessee State).

Last season, Jackson State lost to Mississippi Valley State for the first time in over twenty years but rallied to beat Alcorn State (2014-15 SWAC Football Champions) to end the season.

At the time of the Jackson's firing no interim head coach was named. Jackson State doesn't take the field again until October 17, when the Tigers hit the road to face Alabama A&M (who currently also has one win going into a game against Grambling State this weekend).

Update:

Jackson State has announced that former Tigers quarterback Derrick McCall will take over as head coach for the last six games of the 2015-16 season. McCall has is in his eighth season as a coach at JSU.

During his time with Jackson State McCall was wide receivers coach, quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. He was a standout quarterback for the Tigers from 1979-82 were he helped lead the program to two SWAC Championships and two berths in the Division I-AA playoffs.

McCall's first home game as head coach will come on October 24 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

The 42 for Better Schools campaign has asked the Mississippi Secretary of State's office to review ballots across all 82 counties in Mississippi after finding errors on ballots in Hinds county. A Mississippi voter in Hinds County found the errors when the voter went to complete an absentee ballot, according to 42 for Better Schools spokeswoman Patsy Brumfield.

The same errors found on the absentee ballot are also visible on the Hinds County sample ballot. The letter "A" is removed from the Initiative 42-A choice, so voters can vote "FOR Initiative Measure No. 42" or "FOR Alternative Measure No. 42". Without the letter "A" to designate the alternative, voters might vote for the wrong initiative Brumfield said.

The wording of the voting language also changed. The wording to vote against Initiative 42 incorrectly reads, "AGAINST APPROVAL OF EITHER Initiative Measure No. 42 OR Alternative Measure No. 42A". It should say, "AGAINST BOTH Initiative Measure No. 42 and Alternative Measure No. 42A."

The original sample ballot did not contain these errors and supporters of Initiative 42 are calling on the secretary of state to review all other counties' ballots for the same errors. In a press release, co-campaign manager for 42 for Better Schools, Jonathan Compretta said: "These gross errors will lead to additional confusion on a ballot already made confusing by the legislative leadership. The Secretary of State has a statutory duty to ensure that ballots in each county are correct in every aspect."