Some graduates dread leaving campus. A Southern University student settled that worry with one line during homecoming weekend in Baton Rouge. When a reporter asked what she would miss after graduating she said nothing at all because she is still coming back.

Breonna Dunbar summed up the whole week before that. She called Southern homecoming family. Thousands of Jaguars spent the days proving her right in blue and gold.

Homecoming week packed in a pep rally plus a step show plus a block party. By Saturday the roads around the Bluff were packed with students alumni and families steering toward campus. Tailgates were going early and cheerleaders squeezed in their last reps.

A walk then a rout

The Jaguars made their pregame walk to Mumford Stadium and then gave the crowd a reason to stay loud. Southern beat Bethune-Cookman 45-17 and never let the visitors get comfortable.

Trey Holly ran wild for 206 yards. The Jaguars led 31-3 at halftime and added two more touchdowns in the third quarter. The only drama left for the stands was deciding which tailgate to hit after the final whistle.

Southern is now 5-5 with a 3-3 mark in the SWAC. The Jaguars have now outscored their last two opponents 87-31 and sit one game behind the three teams tied at the top of the West.

Coming home on repeat

For many on the Bluff homecoming does not end at graduation. Jaguars young and old treat the week as a tradition and a standing reason to come home. The reunion simply becomes an annual appointment.

Dunbar plans to keep that appointment. A rout on the field and a party in the parking lots made her answer sound less like a joke and more like a promise.