Bethune-Cookman stuns No. 24 Jackson State on late touchdown pass
Tyler Jefferson’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Rickie Shaw II with 40 seconds left gave Bethune-Cookman a 24-21 upset of Jackson State on Saturday in Daytona Beach, Fla. The win moved the Wildcats into a tie for first place in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Facing third-and-11, Jefferson rolled left, doubled back to the right and found Shaw along the right sideline in the end zone for the go-ahead score.
Bethune-Cookman (5-3, 3-1) shares the lead with Alabama A&M, which beat the Wildcats 51-17 on Oct. 10. Jackson State (6-2, 3-2) entered ranked No. 24 in the Stats Perform Top 25. The Tigers have lost two of their past three games after winning their first five.
Jackson State had taken its first lead at 21-17 on Li’Darious Pryor’s 1-yard run with 2:56 remaining. Jared Lockhart had put the Tigers back in the game with a 30-yard touchdown pass to Jabari Jones about seven minutes into the second half.
Jefferson completed 8 of 13 passes for 113 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for 68 yards on 19 carries. Deanwar Johnson added 81 yards on nine carries.
Howard stuns Morgan State with overtime pick-six
Howard overcame a 20-6 deficit early in the fourth quarter to beat Morgan State 26-20 in overtime in its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener at Hughes Stadium. The Bison scored 20 straight points, and Ben Chandler IV sealed the victory with an 87-yard interception return for a touchdown in overtime.
The finish mirrored last year’s game at Howard, when the Bison also beat their nearby rivals in overtime.
White, who earned the first MEAC victory of his career, said the team never wavered, even after falling behind by two scores in the fourth quarter.
South Carolina State tops Norfolk State in conference opener
South Carolina State built an early lead and beat Norfolk State 22-7 on Saturday at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium. Mason Pickett-Hicks ran for two touchdowns, and Jett Jackson kicked three field goals for the Bulldogs.
Pickett-Hicks scored on runs of 7 and 21 yards in the first half to help build a 16-0 lead. Jackson connected from 28 and 46 yards before halftime and from 34 yards in the fourth quarter. South Carolina State gained 321 yards and kept Norfolk State out of the end zone on offense. Pickett-Hicks finished with 52 rushing yards and 86 all-purpose yards, and Keely Watson completed 21 of 38 passes for 215 yards.
Norfolk State’s only touchdown came on a 47-yard punt return by Jason Wonodi in the third quarter, which made it 19-7. DaJean Golmond completed 17 of 35 passes for 162 yards, and the Spartans totaled 279 yards. Brevin Caldwell caught six passes for 80 yards, and Jalyn Daniels rushed for 51 yards.
Freshman Addison runs for 214 yards as NC Central beats Delaware State
Freshman running back Gino Addison carried 31 times for 214 yards and two touchdowns Friday night, leading North Carolina Central to a 31-12 victory over Delaware State in its Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener at Alumni Stadium.
The Eagles (3-5, 1-0) ended a four-game losing streak. They rushed for 272 yards as a team, their third 200-yard rushing game this season.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff spoils Florida A&M’s homecoming
Arkansas-Pine Bluff beat Florida A&M 31-28 at Bragg Memorial Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla. It was the Rattlers’ first homecoming loss in nine years and ended a seven-game homecoming winning streak. Their previous one came in 2017, a 31-20 defeat against North Carolina A&T.
The Golden Lions (4-3, 2-2 SWAC) outrushed Florida A&M by 136 yards, finishing with 211 yards and three touchdowns on 4.6 yards per carry. The Rattlers (2-6, 1-3) managed only 75 rushing yards.
Jalen Williams led the ground game with 66 yards and a touchdown, averaging 7.3 yards per carry. Za’Marion Webber added 60 yards and a score. Quarterback Jack Schierholz completed 8 of 12 passes (66.7 percent), and Demetric Whitlock Jr. caught four passes for 74 yards and a touchdown.
Next up
South Carolina State plays at Morgan State in Baltimore on Thursday at 7 p.m. Eastern.
On Saturday, Oct. 31, Howard, unbeaten in MEAC play, visits North Carolina Central in Durham, N.C., at 2 p.m. The MEAC’s marquee matchup pits Delaware State, coached by DeSean Jackson, against Norfolk State, coached by Michael Vick, at 3 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, home of the NFL’s Eagles.
In the SWAC, Alcorn State visits Mississippi Valley State, Bethune-Cookman plays at Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Southern visits Florida A&M in Tallahassee. All three kick off at 3 p.m. Eastern on Saturday. Plus, Alabama State and Alabama A&M meet in the Magic City Classic at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala., this Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Eastern (2:30 p.m. Central). Saturday night, Grambling State and Texas Southern close the slate in Houston at 7:30 p.m. Central.
