The two-time defending Southwestern Athletic Conference football  champion Jackson State Tigers battled to defeat Bethune-Cookman 22-16 Saturday night in the W.C. Gorden Classic at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.
 
Defense ruled the game for the Tigers (3-2 overall, 1-1 SWAC), who got a first-quarter safety from LB Isaac Peppers and 32-yard fumble return for touchdown by DE Athen Smith in the third quarter that gave the Tigers the lead for good at 14-9.
 
Smith was named Defensive MVP of the contest, while RB Irv Mulligan took home offensive MVP honors rushing for 174 yards on 21 carries with one touchdown. His 66-yard scoring run with 3:38 remaining extended the Jackson State lead to 22-9.
 
History was made at kickoff as K Leilani Armenta (left) became the first women's player in Jackson State University football history and is believed to be the first woman to kick in HBCU Division I history. Armenta, a freshman on the JSU soccer team from Ventura, Ca.,  was added to the roster this week due to injuries. She kicked in high school at Saint Bonaventure HS as well as played soccer. Armenta handled the opening kickoff in the contest for JSU.
 
Jackson State football will be off next week and will return to action Saturday, October 7 against Alabama A&M in the Gulf Coast Challenge in Mobile, Ala. at 3 p.m.