JACKSON — To see his star quarterback and friend Casey Therriault go down with an injury was not a good sight for Jackson State senior wide receiver Anthony Mayes.

Mayes, a former Hinds AHS star, had been one of Therriault’s leading targets this season. With Therriault out with a broken collarbone, the Tigers had to dial down their offense and try to burn clock against their archrival Alcorn State on Saturday.

Behind third-team quarterback Mark Thigpen, and with help from a sputtering Alcorn offense, the Tigers were able to hold on to the 20-point lead Therriault helped build before his exit. Jackson State (8-3, 6-3 Southwestern Athletic Conference) went on to win 27-14.

While winning was a good way to end his season, it won’t be the last game as a collegian for Mayes.

“I’m going to try and see if I can get into the Senior Bowl, but if not, I am playing in the HSBU Game next month in Atlanta,” Mayes said.

The HSBU all-star game pits players from NCAA Division II, III and the Football Championship Sub-Division against each other. Mayes hopes to use the all-star game to build off a strong senior season in which he led Jackson State in receiving yards.

Mayes also shined at the junior college level.

As a sophomore at Hinds Community College in 2007, he led the team with 33 catches for 744 yards and was named to the MACJC all-star game. He red-shirted at Jackson State in 2008, and caught 24 passes for 285 yards and two scores last year as a junior with the Tigers.

“I want to show that I have some good wide receiver moves,” Mayes said. “I can be a factor on special teams which I think is real important to the pro scouts. With another good game, I can look forward to having a great workout on my pro day.”

The 5-foot-9 Mayes finished his senior season with 42 catches for 727 yards and six touchdowns. Two of the catches came Saturday against the Braves and he likely would’ve been more had Therriault not been hurt.

“It just hurt to see Casey get injured,” Mayes said. “Still, it was a heart-warming thing to get the win and beat Alcorn State, being this is my senior year and my last game with Jackson State.”

Therriault, a junior college transfer from Michigan, was a joy to play with, Mayes said. Through 10 games, Therriault led the FCS in passing with 3,272 yards and 29 touchdowns. He had another 164 against the Braves and two more TDs to finish at 3,436 yards and 31 scores.

“Casey was just spectacular this year,” Mayes said. “He could consistently make the great throw through the tight window.”

With Therriault leading the offense and with an experienced defense, the Tigers were able to rebound from last year’s terrible 3-7 season. The turnaround was not lost on coach Rick Comegy.

“I can’t say enough about how our seniors were able to turn it around after such a dismal season last year,” Comegy said. “They were focused every week. The three games we lost were all a matter of 12 total points.”