Just a week ago, I viewed the Florida A&M-Jackson State game as an immediate win for the Tigers. The Rattler-Tiger rivalry has been engaging over the past few seasons, featuring what we all believed would be a compelling coaching rivalry between Deion Sanders and Willie Simmons. Unfortunately, it never happened, as Sanders bolted for Colorado following the 2022 season, and Simmons departed Florida A&M after winning the SWAC Championship and the Celebration Bowl in 2023.
FAMU even earned a win over the TC Taylor-led Tigers in the 2023 Orange Blossom Classic. However, the Rattlers have struggled mightily in James Colzie III’s second year, leading many to speculate that he is squarely on the proverbial coaching hot seat. Meanwhile, Jackson State has largely looked poised to repeat as SWAC champions and book another Celebration Bowl appearance.
That was the narrative until last week's game against Grambling. In the Grambling loss in the Las Vegas HBCU Classic, Jackson State star QB Jacobian Morgan was injured. After appearing in the first quarter, Morgan was seen wearing a walking boot and using crutches. Morgan is one of the best quarterbacks in HBCU football and was the key player who helped Jackson State escape its close matchup against Andrew Body Alabama State with a victory.
His injury throws the season into chaos, forcing JSU to rely on either Parker Stofa or Jared Lockhart to replicate his production. Grambling, a team that has also struggled mightily this season, pulled off the upset victory in the Las Vegas HBCU Classic. While I’m not saying Florida A&M will beat Jackson State, the best possible time for them to beat the defending champions is when JSU is missing its starting quarterback and scrambling for stability.
FAMU has certainly not been a world-beater this season, struggling immensely in all phases. They rank 10th in the SWAC in scoring offense (averaging only 21.9 points per game) and 9th in scoring defense (giving up 34.4 points per game).
However, a potential bright spot is their passing offense, which ranks fourth in the SWAC, averaging 239 yards per game. The key to a Rattler victory will be an opportunistic defense capitalizing on a new, unsettled Jackson State quarterback. If Lockhart or Stofa gets the start, FAMU needs to bait them into costly turnovers and errant throws.
This brings us to FAMU's biggest hurdle: defensive intensity. They are absolutely last in interceptions, having registered only two interceptions entering Week 10. They have also forced a paltry ten total fumbles and sacks combined. Can the Rattler defense suddenly develop the intensity needed to fluster a confused JSU offense? That's an answer we'd only get on Saturday.
Prediction: It is still hard for me to pick against Jackson State. While it’s easy to see them getting caught off guard—giving FAMU its biggest win of the season and blowing the SWAC Championship race wide open—JSU is still loaded with talent.
They still have Travis Terrell Jr., one of the best running backs in HBCU football (who is severely underused), and Nate Rembert, an elite route runner who showed up big in the Las Vegas HBCU Classic. If Stofa or Lockhart can simply minimize mistakes and make the correct plays within the scheme, Jackson State can still win.
