T.C. Taylor’s debut as Jackson State’s head football coach began with a dominant 37-7 revenge win over South Carolina State in front of a national audience.
Questions surrounding how JSU would perform in a post-Deion Sanders era were answered during Saturday night’s game with the Tigers dominating the Bulldogs on all cylinders.
Jason Brown was given the nod as JSU’s starting quarterback to replace two-time SWAC offensive player of the year Shedeur Sanders, and he did not disappoint. The Virginia Tech transfer highlighted the Tigers’ offense, completing 26 of 30 passes for 356 yards and three touchdowns.
Running back Irv Mulligan picked up where former Tiger Sy’veon Wilkerson, who followed Coach Prime and Shedeur to Colorado, left off with 109 yards on the ground that was kickstarted by a 46-yard touchdown run in JSU’s opening drive.
Jackson State RB Irv Mulligan Breaks Free For A 46-Yard Touchdown! 💨 pic.twitter.com/aVcGemDEu9
— LIGHT ON COLLEGE SPORTS (@LightOnSports) August 26, 2023
The JSU defense plagued the SCSU offense from the very beginning. The Tigers held the Bulldogs to a mere 201 total yards and forced one interception. JSU’s defensive line was continuously in the backfield applying pressure to SCSU quarterback Corey Fields, Jr., and forcing him to make off-balance throws.
After missing his first field goal attempt of the season, JSU kicker Gerardo Baeza converted his next three tries — with the longest being a 38-yarder.
The Tigers had lost their three previous matches against the Bulldogs, with the last meeting resulting in a 31-10 SCSU victory in the 2021 Cricket Celebration Bowl. Next up for Jackson State is a matchup against Florida A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic next Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.
