The matchup between Alabama State and Jackson State absolutely lived up to the hype. It was, without a doubt, the HBCU game of the year, with both teams bringing their very best effort.
The game featured a great quarterback battle between Andrew Body and Jacobian Morgan. Body played as he has all year: showcasing elite running and playmaking ability with his legs, along with impressive throwing accuracy that resulted in some truly great throws. He finished the game with 349 yards and 1 touchdown, while also having 93 yards on 14 carries
Jacobian Morgan also delivered, demonstrating his ability to run and consistently find his receivers. He finished with 187 yards and four touchdowns, also adding 66 yards on the ground to his total. Alabama State certainly came to play on Saturday afternoon and nearly pulled off the huge upset. Ultimately, however, Jackson State's physicality was the difference-maker. It was clear throughout the game that Jackson State was simply the more physical team.
Though Andrew Body and the Hornet offense managed to make plays and keep things close, Jackson State's defense was relentlessly physical. Their defensive line was dominant, pushing around Alabama State's offensive line. There were moments where, upon the snap, the defense was immediately in the backfield. While Body managed to finesse his way out of trouble a couple of times, there were other plays where he simply couldn't escape. The run game did as well as could be expected against Jackson State's defense, but that unit is every bit as advertised—stout, hard to move, and often forcing Body out of the pocket.
On offense, Jackson State's run game was absolutely electric. Honestly, the stable of running backs might be the best part of this Jackson State team. Jackson State's defensive line effectively dominated Alabama State's offensive line, which forced Body to extend plays and make crucial decisions with his legs—sometimes under duress. However, just as we saw against UAB, he was ultimately able to keep that Hornet offense humming.
Honestly, it could have been anybody's game, but Jackson State was ultimately able to put together more winning plays on both offense and defense to secure the victory. They cut it close with two costly turnovers in the second half—a third-quarter interception thrown by Jacobian Morgan and a fumble with 5:26 left in the fourth quarter that Alabama State converted into a touchdown. Alabama State ultimately had the opportunity to steal the victory, with the ball in Andrew Body's hands with under a minute to go and the Hornets having all three timeouts.
Ultimately, it came down to a red zone stand where Jackson State read the speed option play perfectly and prevented Jamarie Hostzclaw from forcing the ball into the endzone and stealing the game with one second left. Despite the late drama, Jackson State was able to hang on and retain its spot atop the SWAC and HBCU football as it looks to continue its dynastic run.
Jackson State enjoys a bye week as they gear up to play Grambling State in the Las Vegas HBCU Classic on October 25th at 6 PM EST. The game will be broadcast on HBCU GO. Meanwhile, Alabama State also enjoys a bye week as they gear up to play the Magic City Classic on October 25th at 3:30 PM EST.
