JACKSON, Miss. – After four games in four states in four consecutive weeks, the two-time defending Southwestern Athletic Conference football champion Jackson State Tigers will open the home schedule at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats in the W.C. Gorden Classic.
GAME INFORMATION:
- Date; Matchup: Saturday, September 23, 2023: Two-time SWAC Champion Jackson State Tigers (2-2, 0-1 SWAC) vs. Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (1-2, 0-0)
- Game time; Stadium; Location: 6 p.m; Miss. Veterans Memorial Stadium; Jackson, Miss.
- Fan Color: Red
- Tickets: Available online at gojsutigers.com/tickets; Stadium ticket windows will open at 2 p.m.; Stadium Gates will open at 4 p.m.
- Radio: JSU Sports Network pregame show begins at 5 p.m. on 95.5 WHLH-FM in Jackson with SWAC Hall of Famer Rob Jay and Former JSU QB Darrell Asberry on the call; Sirius XM 383 and on SiriusXM App
- Online/TV: Live on ESPN+ and on ESPN App with Butch Alsandor and Jorge Vargas
First-year head coach
T.C. Taylor has deftly navigated the Tigers through the tough opening stretch of the season in wins against South Carolina State and Southern around losses against Florida A&M and Texas State. Now the JSU legend will finally lead his team into #TheeVet for the first time as head coach in the regular season.
The offense was explosive in last week's loss at Texas State, with the Tigers gaining 400 yards total offense (282 passing). QB
Jason Brown led the Tigers on three consecutive touchdown drives early in the game on his way to completing 16 of 26 passes for 209 yards with no touchdowns and one interception while scoring his first JSU rushing TD on a six-yard run. QB
Zy McDonald led a pair of second half touchdown drives, throwing scoring passes to
Isaiah Spencer (nine yards / 1st career TD) and
Hayden Hagler (28 yards).
Irv Mulligan rushed 12 times for 44 yards and two touchdowns (tying career-high).
Ahmad Miller carried 13 times for 98 yards (both career highs) as JSU ran for 118 yards. A total of 12 different players caught at least one pass, as Spencer,
Fabian McCray, and
Jency Riley Jr. each caught three passes.
Defensively,
Tim Steward had a season-high 10 tackles with one forced fumble and his second interception of the season.
Brown leads the SWAC in completion percentage (66.7% / 68 of 102) and passing yards (831 / t-7th FCS) with four touchdowns and one interception and has also rushed for one touchdown. Mulligan leads the SWAC (t-11th in FCS) in rushing yards (322 on 64 carries) and touchdowns (four / t-9th in FCS). WR
Rico Powers leads the SWAC in receiving yards (309 / 6th in FCS), and yards per catch (23.8) on only 13 receptions, and is second in TD receptions (two).
Bethune-Cookman (1-2) beat Savannah State (31-6) for its lone win after opening the season with a loss at Memphis (56-14) and at Miami (48-7) last Thursday. QB Luke Sprague leads BCU with 267 passing yards and two touchdowns, both caught by WR Dacarri Allen[1]Johnson (10 catches, 55 yards). LB Dearis Thomas leads the Wildcats in tackles (24), sacks (1.0) and tackles for loss (3.0). B-CU Alum Raymond Woodie Jr. is in his first season as head coach. Woodie played linebacker for the Wildcats and is a 1996 graduate.
#TheeILove #GuardTHEEYard
