Jackson State got back on track Saturday with a commanding 41-16 victory over Florida A&M in Tallahassee. The win was pivotal; a loss would have thrown the SWAC East championship race into utter chaos. With the victory, JSU re-establishes control over its destiny.
The Tigers entered the game without starting quarterback Jacobian Morgan, who suffered a lower-leg injury in the previous week’s game against Grambling State. Head Coach T.C. Taylor successfully pivoted the offensive game plan, relying entirely on the run game with backup Jarad Lockhart under center. Jackson State’s revamped offense focused almost exclusively on the ground, rushing 56 times and compiling a massive 392 total rushing yards—a figure that alone exceeded FAMU’s total offense for the night (202 yards).
Lockhart, who only attempted 10 passes (completing five with one passing touchdown), used his legs effectively, rushing eight times for 37 yards. The ground attack was powered by the running back room: Ahmad Miller led the effort with 19 carries for 165 yards and one touchdown, including a 64-yard scamper; Donerio Davenport finished with 16 carries for 112 yards and a score; and Travis Terrell Jr., whom many fans have long advocated to be featured more heavily, rushed nine times for 29 yards and scored a touchdown.
While the score was a defensive battle at halftime (10-3), Jackson State exploded in the second half, outscoring FAMU 31-13. This demoralizing loss further heats up the hot seat for FAMU Head Coach James Colzie III.
On the following Monday’s SWAC call, Coach Colzie expressed deep frustration that his team failed to capitalize against the injury-depleted Jackson State squad, noting their performance was plagued by poor decisions and self-inflicted wounds. “We started the game, you know, mishandling the kickoff, having to start a drive at the minus 11 and then obviously having to start on the next drive at the minus one,” Colzie detailed.
He specifically pointed to offensive inefficiency that crippled their ability to sustain drives: “We were running, we had a lot of third down the longs, man, third down, the extra longs. Right. And that’s not the recipe for success, especially offensively.”
FAMU finished the game failing to convert on 10 of their 11 third-down attempts, which validated Colzie’s concerns about getting into “third down and long” situations against a stout defense.
Looking ahead, Florida A&M now faces a difficult road game against the UAPB Golden Lions, who are riding high after snapping a five-year losing streak against Southern University with a dominant 40-21 win. UAPB will be looking to secure a victory against a struggling FAMU team to further raise the stock of their program.
Meanwhile, Jackson State will look to continue its winning momentum when they host Mississippi Valley State. Both games are set to kick off on Saturday at 3 p.m. EST.
https://clutchpoints.com/hbcu/jackson-state-gets-back-on-track-dominates-florida-am-41-16