Jackson State football score vs. South Carolina State: Updates from MEAC/SWAC challenge
Jackson State football has a new coach in T.C. Taylor and with that a new identity. Gone is Deion Sanders, who bolted to Colorado. The two-time defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champs seek to get off to a fast start and exact a measure of revenge against South Carolina State when the teams meet in the MEAS/SWAC Challenge Kickoff (6:30 p.m., ABC) in Atlanta.
In the 2021 de facto black national championship game, SC State put pressure on the offensive and defensive lines of JSU and dominated them. On offense, Jackson State produced less than 200 total yards, rushing the ball 29 times for 19 yards. Shedeur Sanders was 16-of-36- for 175 yards with two interceptions and one touchdown.
Jackson State has won back-to-back SWAC championships and played in successive Cricket Celebration Bowls, losing to SC State 31-10, and North Carolina Central 41-34.
As JSU went undefeated through the regular season, its fans saw ESPN's "College GameDay" with fellow HBCU alum Stephen A. Smith as the guest picker, come to the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.
MORE: Jackson State football game-by-game predictions in 2023: Is a SWAC three-peat possible?
Jackson State score vs. South Carolina State: Live updates
Jackson State continues to pull away
Nothing has gone right for South Carolina State's offense. Tim Steward's interception of Corey Fields at the Bulldog 29 set Jackson State up in prime position to score again. The Tigers did just that, as Gerardo Baeza hit his second field goal of the game with 4:16 left in the third. It's 34-0 JSU.
Jason Brown's third touchdown pass makes it 31-0
Jackson State might have put the MEAC/SWAC Challenge out of reach. Andre Hunt took a quick screen pass from Jason Brown and turned it into a 44-yard touchdown, pushing the Tigers' lead to 31-0 with 7:18 to go in the third quarter.
Jackson State opens second half with a touchdown
Make it 15 straight completions for Jason Brown, who had little trouble leading Jackson State downfield on its first drive of the third quarter. The final blow was a 21-yard strike to DJ Stevens on fourth down to put the Tigers up 24-0.
Halftime: Jackson State 17, South Carolina State 0
Jason Brown is heating up. The South Carolina transfer has completed 10 passes in a row for Jackson State, including a 47-yard deep bomb to Rico Powers to key a long drive at the end of the first half.
Gerardo Baeza made up for his first-quarter miss by knocking a 31-yarder through as the clock hit zeroes, capping off a 71-yard series, and the Tigers lead South Carolina State 17-0.
Jackson State defense still dominating
Linebacker Isaac Peppers has been a force for the Tigers. He leads the defense with four tackles, two of them for loss, and a sack and has played a big role in holding South Carolina State to just 52 yards of offense.
Jackson State leads 14-0 with 4:55 remaining in the second quarter.
Jackson State takes two-touchdown lead
Jason Brown throws his first touchdown pass of his Jackson State career, hitting tight end Jency Riley on a short dumpoff. Riley does the rest, rumbling untouched for a 40-yard score to put the Tigers ahead 14-0.
Brown looked confident in leading the Tigers on a 92-yard drive, hitting three different receivers on short passes while on the move.
End of first quarter: Jackson State 7, South Carolina State 0
Jackson State has gained 113 yards on 12 plays while holding South Carolina State to less than three yards per snap. Bulldogs quarterback Corey Fields has been constantly under duress and is just 1-for-8 passing.
SC State is still in the game, though. It got a huge break in the final minute of the quarter when Marquis Bradley stripped the ball from Duke Miller, recovering inside Jackson State territory.
Missed field goal ends promising Jackson State drive
Jackson State's offensive line has been overwhelming South Carolina State. Big gains by JD Martin and Irv Mulligan took the Tigers deep into Bulldog territory on their third drive.
However, Gerardo Baeza's 30-yard field goal hit off the right post to keep the score at 7-0 with 5:27 left in the first quarter.
Jackson State strikes first!
Irv Mulligan takes a handoff on 3rd-and-1 and takes it to the house on a 46-yard run down the sideline. Tigers lead 7-0 after two and a half minutes.
Jackson State forces 3-and-out to begin
Isaac Peppers and Antonio Doyle bring pressure and get to Bulldogs QB Corey Fields on third down, forcing an incompletion. Jackson State takes over at its own 45.
We're underway in Atlanta!
Jackson State will kickoff to South Carolina State to begin. The Tigers won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.
Jacob Shames can be reached by email at jshames@gannett.com and on Twitter @Jacob_Shames.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Jackson State score updates South Carolina State: MEAC/SWAC challenge
