I'd suggest one alteration in that route (which would also suffice to allow you to see how much of a jerkface LayinLo really is
)
At Jackson, MS, stay on 20 East through Meridian and towards Tuscaloosa/Birmingham, AL. Right when you cross over into Alabama, at Cuba, AL, take Hwy 80 East. That'll run you straight through Selma and on into Montgomery. From there you'll have several options of how to get back on course heading south instead of east, but they're far more enjoyable roads for driving than the interstates.