JACKSON, Miss. | Behind a dominant fourth-quarter surge and a defense that forced four turnovers, Jackson State secured a 27-17 homecoming victory over Florida A&M on Saturday afternoon before an energetic crowd of 44,173 at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Jackson State (6-1, 3-1 SWAC) relied on a heavy ground attack that racked up 228 rushing yards while controlling the clock for over 36 minutes to overcome an early deficit and close out Florida A&M (2-5, 1-2 SWAC).
Fourth-Quarter Rally
Trailing 17-12 entering the final period, Jackson State mounted a seven-play, 58-yard drive capped by a 25-yard touchdown pass from Jared Lockhart to Jabari Jones with 12:21 remaining. Lockhart added a two-point conversion rush to push the Tigers ahead 20-17. Moments later, Jackson State's defense set up the put-away score. Terrance Hibbler Jr. recovered an Armond Parker fumble at the FAMU 29-yard line. Four plays later, Nate Blount IV powered in from two yards out to make it 27-17 with 9:49 left. B.J. Washington and Mikey Johnson sealed the victory down the stretch with back-to-back interceptions, neutralizing FAMU's final comeback attempts.
How It Happened
Jackson State struck first early in the opening quarter when Caron Tyler rushed for an 8-yard touchdown following a Washington interception on Florida A&M's opening drive. FAMU answered with a 5-yard touchdown run from Parker to tie it 7-7. The Rattlers took a 10-7 lead in the second quarter on Gabriel Caison's 23-yard field goal. Jackson State evened the score on a 31-yard field goal by Andrew Ivaniciuc with 39 seconds left in the half and took a 12-10 lead into the locker room after recording a safety on the ensuing kickoff.
Florida A&M briefly regained momentum early in the third quarter when Jamal Hailey broke free for an 81-yard touchdown run to give the Rattlers a 17-12 advantage, but Jackson State's fourth-quarter heroics ultimately decided the contest.
Up Next
Jackson State hits the road, traveling to Daytona Beach (Fla.) next Saturday for a 1 p.m. (ET) kick.
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