MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – The two-time defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Jackson State football team lost to Florida A&M 28-10 Sunday in the Orange Blossom Classic at Hard Rock Stadium.
A slow start hurt Jackson State (1-1 overall, 0-1 SWAC), but the Tigers rallied to outscore the Ratters (1-0, 1-0) in the second half.
QB
Zy McDonald came off the bench to complete 10 of 14 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown, a 66-yard strike to
Rico Powers just over a minute into the fourth quarter. It was the second of consecutive scoring drives directed by McDonald, who drove JSU on a 17-play, 71-yard drive that culminated with a
Gerardo Baeza 24-yard field goal with just over a minute to play in the third quarter.
Powers totaled 119 yards on four receptions, while RB
Irv Mulligan rushed 16 times for 77 yards.
Defensively, the Tigers kept Florida A&M off the scoreboard for nearly the final 36 minutes of the contest. LB
Isaac Peppers had a team-high nine tackles, including one for loss, while DL
Antonio Doyle Jr. had six tackles and one sack. DB
Jaheem Hazel had two tackles and blocked a pair of field goals in the second and fourth quarters, respectively.
Jackson State returns to action Saturday at Southern in a non-conference game in Baton Rouge, La. at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
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