MOBILE, Ala. | Jackson State trailed by 11 with 8:22 remaining in the Gulf Coast Challenge before scoring 14 unanswered points over the next two-plus minutes to stay undefeated in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play with a 31-28 victory over Alabama A&M at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on Saturday night.
Jackson State (5-0, 2-0 SWAC) found itself down 28-17 following a 70-yard touchdown pass by Alabama A&M (4-2, 1-1 SWAC) before marching 72 yards in just four plays, using 1:16 off the clock with a 29-yard touchdown by Li'Darius Pryor to trim the deficit to 28-24 with 7:00 remaining in the game. On the next Alabama A&M possession, Jackson State forced and recovered a fumble on the 28-yard line of the Bulldogs.
The Tigers parlayed that into a 17-yard touchdown reception by Kobe Paul from Jared Lockhart to take a 31-28 lead with 5:42 to play, before holding Alabama A&M on its next possession and running out the clock.
Nate Blount IV finished with 88 yards on 18 carries before leaving the game at halftime, while Pryor finished with 72 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown. Emari Matthews added 34 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown for the Tigers. Meanwhile, Lockhart finished 15-of-32 with 169 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Nate Rembert finished with seven receptions for 108 yards.
Defensively, J'Cori Hargon and Tymon Wells ended with six tackles each.
Jackson State took a 7-0 lead early in the first quarter on a six-yard reception by Jabari Jones before Alabama A&M scored 14 unanswered, ending with a 19-yard field goal by Andrew Ivaniciuc before half to trim the deficit to 14-10. Both teams scored a touchdown in the second half, including a two-yard run by Matthews in the fourth with 13:11 to play for Jackson State, setting the stage for the final eight minutes.
Up Next
Jackson State stays on the road, traveling to the state of Louisiana to face Grambling State next weekend.
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