One of the largest men on the field decided the outcome in what was billed as the biggest game on the HBCU football calendar between Florida A&M and Jackson State.
On a third-and-8 with 3:34 remaining in regulation, JSU defensive lineman Tru Thompson — all 281 pounds of him — burst through the FAMU offensive line and clobbered quarterback Daniel Richardson, forcing a fumble that was scooped up by Phillip Webb, who raced 11 yards for a touchdown.
The turnover and score turned the game on its head and a 21-20 deficit into a 28-20 lead for the Tigers.
And just seconds later, the Tigers defense forced another fumble that led to an Emari Matthews two-yard TD — his second of the game — to double the lead and put the final score at 35-21 at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
In the waning seconds, when the result was all but decided, ESPNU cameras caught Jackson State head coach TC Taylor in the middle of a celebration with his assistant coaches. He had a huge smile on his face and appeared reflective of what had just transpired.
The second-year coach had won the biggest game of his young career, knocking off the defending HBCU national champions and propelling Jackson State — ranked in the FCS Top 25 for the first time since 2022– into first place in the SWAC East.
The Tigers (5-2, 3-0 SWAC) journey to this point mirrored its season in many ways.
Jackson State relied heavily on its rushing attack
Led by Irv Mulligan, quarterback Jacobian Morgan, and Matthews, JSU pounded FAMU on the ground to the tune of 245 yards on 5.7 yards per attempt. The Rattlers defense, which had come into the game allowing 202.8 rushing yards per game, had no answers to slow the Tigers surge.
Matthews with the TD!#GuardTheeYard #GoTigers pic.twitter.com/OxE00ijwTV
— Jackson State Football (@gojsutigersfb) October 19, 2024
Tigers defense pitched a shutout
Florida A&M scored all 21 of its points in the first half.
They didn’t score again for the rest of the game as the JSU defense forced two FAMU punts, two turnovers, and a missed field goal. For the game, FAMU was held to 311 yards of total offense and just 63 yards rushing.
Jackson State was able to overcome turnovers
JSU committed four turnovers, three by Morgan, including two interceptions and a fumble. Those miscues led to a Florida A&M second-quarter touchdown. Despite the mistakes, Jackson State was able to score on three of its first five possessions of the first half to stay in the game long enough for the defense to make the difference.
Florida A&M has work to do
The Rattlers suffered only their third SWAC loss since joining the conference in 2021—all three ironically enough to Jackson State. Following those defeats in 2021 and 2022, FAMU would finish second in the SWAC East. The Rattlers now find themselves in a similar position, needing to win out and hope Jackson State drops two games to take the division crown for the second straight season.
