FCS college football made its way to Las Vegas. No. 14 Jackson State started off strong against Grambling State, fell behind in the third quarter, made a comeback, but ultimately fell 26-24.
The inaugural P&G Las Vegas HBCU Classic, presented by The Stephen Lackey Family of Companies, took place at Allegiant Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 25. Jackson State came into the game with a 5-1 record overall, 3-0 in conference play and a four-game win streak. Grambling State came into the game 4-3 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
C’Zavian Teasett started in the quarterback position for Grambling State. Tre Bradford started the game with a 45-yard rush. An incomplete pass and a quarterback sack of 13 yards by Tymon Wells ended their drive. It didn’t take long for Jackson State to make it to the end zone. Ahmad Miller and Travis Terrell Jr. had two rushing plays each. Quarterback JaCobian Morgan found Nate Rembert twice for an 11-yard and a 43-yard pass. Morgan ran seven yards for the first touchdown of the game. Jackson State took a 7-0 lead. Grambling State was only able to make it to its own 48-yard line before having to punt. The team was close to sacking the new quarterback put in for JSU, Parker Stofa, but Stofa got away and gained five yards. Miller reached the end zone for JSU, but a flag on the play pushed them back to the 17-yard line, where they settled for a 30-yard field goal by Donovan Warren, putting the score at 10-0.
The second quarter had a messy start. Grambling State fumbled the ball and JSU’s Ashton Taylor recovered it on the GSU 24-yard line. JSU had an incomplete pass and also fumbled the ball. Grambling State’s Josh Darling recovered it on the GSU 26-yard line. The team made it to the 20-yard line, but two penalties forced a replay of the down, putting the men back at the 48-yard line. Grambling State ended its drive with a missed kick by Theodore Caballero from 48 yards. Jackson State’s Ja’Naylon Dupree caught a 47-yard pass, but a loss of 11 yards and a quarterback sack of 10 yards led the team to punt on fourth down. Grambling State’s pass game got the team to its first touchdown. Teasett completed a pass to Covadis Knighten for 59 yards. GSU only got six points after JSU blocked the kick attempt. Jackson State still led the game, now 10-6. After JSU’s drive, Grambling State ended the second quarter with a field goal.
Jackson State started with the ball in the third quarter and couldn’t get into field goal range. Grambling State made it down the field slowly but surely. A defensive pass interference helped them get to the 30-yard line. Andre Crews had a total of 19 rushing yards in the drive. Teasett scrambled up the middle for a GSU touchdown. Grambling State took the lead 16-10. Jackson State put Jared Lockhart in as the quarterback and he went 1-3. GSU made it to the JSU 45-yard line to end the third quarter.
Grambling state’s passing led them to the end zone at the start of the fourth quarter. Teasett passed to Andrew Frazier for 26 yards, putting GSU ahead 23-10. Jackson State quickly came back with a touchdown. Lockhart completed a deep pass to Rembert for 62 yards. JSU now only trailed 23-17. Grambling State didn’t gain any yards on its drive and the ball went to Jackson State. Kobe Paul rallied JSU down the field with a 29-yard reception. Lockhart ran one yard to the end zone to put JSU ahead 24-23. Grambling State’s quarterback, Teasett, went down on the field and was escorted out in an ambulance. The game continued and GSU put in A’Myne Darensbourg as the quarterback. He got the team to the JSU 27-yard line, and Josh McCormick made a 44-yard field goal. Grambling State took the lead 26-24. Jackson State wasn’t able to make it into field goal territory in the last 21 seconds of the game. Grambling State won 26-24.
Grambling State finished with a total of 365 yards and Jackson State had 448. Teasett threw for 232 yards, two touchdowns and went 16-26. Lockhart was the leading quarterback for JSU with 96 yards, one touchdown and went 3-8.
