Date: Saturday October 11, 2025
Time: 3:30 PM (ET)
TV: ESPNU
The Quick Hits
It will be the biggest SWAC game of the year, save for the conference’s championship, when Alabama State (4-1) travels to take on league juggernaut Jackson State (4-1) this Saturday. The Tigers have perennially
been a favorite in not only the SWAC but in HBCU ball as a whole over recent years and why wouldn’t they be? Deion Sanders came in, revitalized the program then turned the reigns over and JSU only got better from there, winning last year’s Celebration Bowl. The boys in blue are eyeing a repeat and seem to be on the fast track to it. A new challenger, though, has something to say about it.
The Hornets have put together an impressive start to their campaign and, like Jackson State, have not lost to an FCS foe yet. ASU is getting it done with a prolific offense that is averaging over 40 points per contest and leaving its opponents in the dust. Fresh off big victories over Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman, Alabama State is now in line to put the biggest feather in its cap yet if it can roll into Mississippi and upset JSU. Something will have to give this weekend and, when it does, someone will be seated firmly in the driver’s seat to reach the SWAC title game come December.
The Coaches
Alabama State has seen steady improvement in each of Eddie Robinson Jr’s three seasons at the helm and that trend looks as though it will continue this year. Robinson, an alum of ASU, took over in 2022 and has guided his team to a 24-15 overall record since. In each of the last two seasons, the Hornets went 7-5, tying them for second in the SWAC East standings and just missing out on the championship game. Robinson had quite the extensive NFL career as well, playing for Houston, Jacksonville, Tennessee and Buffalo. Now he is seeking his first HBCU national championship.
The guy he’s going up against got his first last year. T.C. Taylor led the Tigers on quite the tear in 2024 as the team posted a 12-2 overall record (8-0 SWAC) and won the Celebration Bowl. Taylor, who served as an assistant under Sanders during his time at JSU, got promoted to the head coaching gig and has done nothing but win since. Jackson State is 23-7 under Taylor and finished ranked in the FCS Top 25 at the end of last season. Taylor has only lost three conference games since being named the head man.
Jackson State Offense vs. Alabama State Defense
Jackson State’s offense will center around quarterback JaCobian Morgan and his dual threat abilities. Morgan, the 2025 SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, has served as JSU’s full-time starter since the beginning of last fall and has been terrific. In each of the last two weeks, he’s thrown for over 300 yards and a combined six touchdowns with no interceptions. On top of that he ran for 120 yards in the win over Alabama A&M a week ago. He’s hot right now and could be a real problem for Alabama State’s defense.
That defense will be led by senior linebacker Jalil Lenore who is suddenly asked to fill a bigger role following the injury to fellow backer Rhoody Jean-Louis who went down last week. Lenore has been on at least five tackles over the last four contests and leads the team with two behind the line of scrimmage but now he’s going to need to step up even further. He knows how to get to the quarterback when asked to and, odds are, he will indeed be asked to against Morgan.
He will be aided by a young defensive line that has already gotten a lot of production from its underclassmen. Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Michael Joiner Jr. has two tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks while sophomore defensive tackle Rashawn Watson has the same stat line. Keeping the elusive Morgan contained will be a top priority for both Lenore and this defensive front.
Morgan, though, is not the only Tiger weapon… not by a long shot. On the ground specifically, Alabama State will need to have a game plan for running backs Travis Terrell Jr. and Ahmad Miller. Miller has scampered for 455 yards and three touchdowns while Terrell, who is also a dynamo on special teams, has 295 yards and a score. Donerio Davenport is in this fray as well with four rushing TDs this year. All three of these guys put up solid numbers last Saturday and seem primed to keep it rolling this time out.
Then there’s the playmakers Jackson State has in the passing game. Receivers Jameel Gardner Jr, Ja’Naylon Dupree and Nate Rambert all have surpassed the 200-yard mark this year and have combined for five touchdowns. Dupree in particular has been playing good ball as of late and has been Morgan’s favorite target really since the turn of October.
Fortunately for the Hornets, they have viable secondary pieces that can match up with JSU’s receivers. Keane Lewis and Zaquan Patterson have started to make a name for themselves on the back end of the defense for ASU. Each has picked off a pass and knocked down two more this season. The duo has also racked up 49 tackles between them. They lead a secondary that is allowing 213.4 yards per contest coming into this one.
Alabama State Offense vs. Jackson State Defense
The big matchup on this side of the ball will be between Jackson State defensive lineman Quincy Ivory and quarterback Andrew Body alongside running back Jamarie Hostzclaw. Ivory has been sensational so far for the Tigers in the trenches, piling up nine tackles for loss, four sacks, a fumble recovery and four QB hits. He also leads the team with 37 total stops and has two games this year where he’s authored double-digit tackles. Ivory is a front runner for the SWAC’s Defensive Player of the Year award midway through for those tremendous efforts.
Body and Hostzclaw, however, are both pretty good in their own right. They have ran for more than 300 yards and average on the plus side of 60 per game. They have a combined three touchdowns but Body has done a whole lot more as a passer as well. He’s thrown for 14 touchdowns this fall, enough to land him tied for third among all FCS passers. He also has yet to throw an interception, a streak he will look to keep going against a stingy Jackson State secondary.
Defensive backs B.J. Washington and Khamauri Rogers have a nose for the ball and know how to close in on plays quickly. Washington has broken up three passes this year along with 24 tackles while Rogers has a pick under his belt as well as a PBU. They are the veteran presence on the back end for JSU and Body will need to be careful if and when he chooses to test them.
When he does throw, odds are Body will be looking to wideout Jalen Jones. Jones has made it happen time and time again for Alabama State this year, already accounting for six receiving scores and 430 yards. He averages 22.6 yards per catch and has found the end zone in all but one game. He is no stranger to having big, explosive plays that often flips the game on its head.
Prediction
As good as Alabama State has been… and they have been really good… Jackson State simply does not lose in their own building. The last time the Tigers stumbled at home was in November of 2023 and it’s hard to see that happening with this group this weekend. Morgan will be tested by the Hornets defense but he’ll be able to answer the bell. Body and Hostzclaw will find that getting their yards will not come quite as easy against JSU’s defense and, while both will be able to make some things happen, it won’t be enough. The crowd, as it often seems to, will help carry the Tigers to a big victory at home and once again, Jackson State will position itself nicely to make another run at a SWAC championship because of this win.
Score Prediction: Alabama State: 27- Jackson State: 34
