Birmingham, AL -- Quincy Richard threw a pair of touchdown passes and Montie Ackley booted two field goals to lead No. 15 Southern to a 20-9 victory over the Alabama State Hornets in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game.

Richard finished 17-of-28 passing for 157 yards with one interception. Alfred Ard and Drayton Bridges each had a reception for a score for the Jaguars (12-1), who won their first SWAC title since 1999.

Reginald Glover scored the lone touchdown of the contest for Alabama State (8-5). Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson completed 13-of-31 passes for 167 yards with two interceptions in the loss. Nick Forston replaced Jackson and completed 5-of-10 passes for 102 yards with a touchdown.

Keldrick Williams gained 100 yards on 13 carries for Alabama State.

The Jaguars jumped out to a 14-point lead by halftime. Ackley's 25-yard field goal opened the scoring, giving Southern a 3-0 lead at 12:37 of the first quarter.

Alabama State failed on a 4th-and-5 from midfield and Southern took over at the Hornets' 33 after a penalty. Richard hit Ard for a touchdown on the next play for a 10-0 lead.

The Southern lead grew to 17-0 when Richard and Bridges hooked up for an 11- yard touchdown pass. The score came one play after Eddie Woods intercepted a Jackson pass and returned it 24 yards.

Anthony Johnson's 47-yard field goal as time expired in the first half put Alabama State on the board.

Ackley increased the Jaguars' lead to 20-3 with a 27-yard field goal late in the third quarter.

Glover caught a 22-yard touchdown pass from Forston with just 1:02 left in the contest to complete the scoring.