JACKSON, Miss. – The first step toward repeating as Southwestern Athletic Conference champions is on the horizon for the Jackson State University football team in Saturday's Gulf Coast Challenge in Mobile.
With a win over Alabama A&M, Jackson State can win the SWAC Eastern Division title for the second straight year and would host the SWAC Championship Game on December 3 in Jackson.
GAME INFORMATION:
- Date; Matchup: Saturday, November 12, 2022; Jackson State Tigers (9-0 overall, 6-0 SWAC) vs. Alabama A&M Bulldogs (3-6, 3-3 SWAC)
- Game time, Stadium, Location: 4 p.m., Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
- Fan Color: Blue
- Tickets: Available at gulfcoastchallenge.com
- Radio: JSU Sports Network pregame show begins at 3 p.m. on 95.5 FM in Jackson; Sirius XM Channel 386, and SiriusXM online channel 976; SWAC Hall of Famer Rob Jay and Former JSU QB Darrell Asberry on the call
- Online: ESPN+ with Santoria Black and Tolly Carr
- Live Stats: https://gojsutigers.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
Jackson State will play on the Alabama Gulf Coast Saturday afternoon in the home of Pro Football Hall of Famer Robert Brazile looking to ensure the road to the 2022 SWAC Championship again runs through The Vet.
Last week, Jackson State scored touchdowns on its first three possessions to take an early lead, and pulled away in the second half for an impressive win at Texas Southern. RB Sy'Veon Wilkerson earned BOXTOROW National Player of the Week honors and SWAC Newcomer of the Week accolades after rushing 26 times for a career-best 214 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Wilkerson had scoring runs of 3 and 41 yards and posted the first 200-yard rushing game by a JSU player since Keshawn Harper rushed for 214 yards vs. Southern on Nov. 16, 2019. Wilkerson has three 100+ yard rushing games this season and is currently second in the SWAC in rushing with 887 yards, and is tied for fourth with seven rushing TDs.
Heisman Trophy and Walter Payton Award Candidate QB Shedeur Sanders passed for 252 yards and accounted for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) in the win. Sanders threw a 38-yard TD pass to TE D.J. Stevens in the first quarter and a pair of second-half scoring passes to WR Shane Hooks (7 yds in third quarter; 9 yds in fourth quarter). Sanders also rushed for a two-yard score in the third quarter, adding to his career-high total of five rushing TDs this season.
The nation's top-ranked defense limited Texas Southern to 262 yards (130 rushing / 132 passing), allowing only 13 first downs and holding TSU to three of 16 on third-down conversions. S Cam'ron Silmon-Craig led the team with 11 tackles, and LB Aubrey Miller Jr. 10 tackles in the game, followed by. Jeremiah Brown and Khalil Arrington each recorded a sack in the win.
Jackson State is 24-5 in the Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders era, including 20-2 in the last 22 games with 16 consecutive wins over SWAC teams.
Alabama A&M has lost two in a row (24-17 vs. Alabama State; 30-20 at Miss. Valley last Thursday). The Bulldogs, who have also lost to FAMU (38-25), while posting SWAC wins over Bethune-Cookman (35-27), Grambling (37-31) and at UAPB (34-31). Alabama A&M has lost a non-conference game at Troy (38-17) and beat Austin Peay (28-3).
Offensively, AAMU averages 20.9 points per game and 369.8 yards per game (143.7 rushing / 226.1 passing). QB Quincy Casey has passed for 941 yards and five touchdowns. RB Donovan Eaglin has rushed for 651 yards and five TDs. Defensively, the Bulldogs allowed 34.0 points per game and 381.0 yards per game (149.3 rushing / 231.7 passing).
HC Connell Maynor is in his fifth season as head coach at AAMU and led the Bulldogs to the 2021 SWAC Spring Championship
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