HBCU Football Saturday by the Numbers: Jackson State Hosts FAMU

HBCU Football Saturday by the Numbers: Jackson State Hosts FAMU

Jackson State's homecoming against Florida A&M, Morgan State at Tennessee State in Nissan Stadium, and the SWAC race, with CollegeFootballData stats on every key player.

13 hours ago

Winston-Salem State Goes Viral After Crooked Football Field Lines Spark Controversy

Winston-Salem State faces criticism after viral footage shows crooked football field markings. Athletic Director Eric Burns responds and hires outside help.

3 days ago

Jackson State is 5-1, unbeaten at home, and has a quarterback who has not thrown an interception all season. Florida A&M is 2-4 with the worst running game in the SWAC. On paper, Saturday's 2 p.m. CT homecoming game at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium is a mismatch. On the field, JSU-FAMU is one of the fiercest rivalries in Black college football, and the numbers below explain why the Tigers are favored and where the Rattlers can hurt them.

All statistics come from CollegeFootballData.com through games of October 10.

View this post on Instagram

Jackson State vs. Florida A&M: Jared Lockhart's Zero-Interception Season

Jackson State quarterback Jared Lockhart is 85 of 138 for 1,395 yards, 13 touchdowns and zero interceptions, averaging 10.1 yards per attempt. That efficiency sets up a run game led by Nate Blount IV (499 yards, 6.5 per carry) and Li'Darius Pryor (270 yards and five touchdowns on just 40 carries). Receiver Nathan Rembert has 25 catches for 531 yards, a 21.2-yard average.

Florida A&M's problem is balance. Quarterback Armond Parker has 762 passing yards and eight touchdowns against four interceptions, and the Rattlers have found one explosive target in Armand Burris, who averages 30.3 yards on his eight catches. But FAMU's leading rusher, Jamal Hailey, has 143 yards on 56 carries, 2.6 per attempt, and no touchdowns. Against a JSU defense that has not lost at home, that is the number to watch. FAMU is 1-1 in SWAC play and 1-2 away from Tallahassee.

SWAC Standings After Week 6

Alabama A&M 5-2 (2-1 SWAC)
Jackson State 5-1 (2-1)
Alcorn State 4-3 (2-1)
Grambling 4-2 (2-1)
Alabama State 3-3 (2-2), Arkansas-Pine Bluff 3-2 (1-1), Bethune-Cookman 3-3 (1-1), Mississippi Valley State 3-4 (2-1)
Southern 3-4 (1-3), Florida A&M 2-4 (1-1), Prairie View A&M 2-5 (2-2), Texas Southern 1-5 (0-3)

Four teams sit at 2-1 in the league, which makes Saturday's Grambling at Alabama A&M game (2 p.m. CT, Louis Crews Stadium) as important as anything in Jackson. Alabama A&M quarterback Cornelious Brown has thrown for 1,741 yards and 16 touchdowns, running back Byron Perrilliat averages 8.1 yards per carry (447 yards), and receiver Jarel Williams has 34 catches for 574 yards and seven scores. The rest of the Saturday SWAC slate: Alabama State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2 p.m.), Alcorn State at Prairie View A&M (2 p.m.) and Bethune-Cookman at Mississippi Valley State (2 p.m.).

Morgan State at Tennessee State: Nissan Stadium, 5:30 p.m. CT

Nashville gets an HBCU showcase in an NFL building. Morgan State comes in 5-1 before MEAC play even starts. Quarterback Cameron Edge has completed 68 percent of his passes (99 of 145) for 1,337 yards, 11 touchdowns and two interceptions, and Jordan Barnett averages 6.6 yards per carry. Justin Perry (23 catches, 440 yards) and Joseph Towler (14 for 327, four touchdowns) are the targets.

Tennessee State is 1-5 and 0-2 in the OVC, and the issue is the ground game: Brenton Paul leads the team with 227 yards at 3.4 per carry. Daylin Lee has thrown for 1,394 yards but with seven interceptions against nine touchdowns. Cam Bulluck (31 catches, 460 yards, five touchdowns) is the one matchup problem the Tigers can lean on.

The Rest of the HBCU Slate and Next Week

Also Saturday: Chicago State at North Carolina A&T (noon ET, Truist Stadium, Greensboro), Hampton at Sacred Heart (noon ET) and Morehouse at Howard (2:30 p.m. ET). Next week the SWAC flips the Florida matchup, with Jackson State at Bethune-Cookman and Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Florida A&M on October 24, while Howard visits Morgan State to open MEAC play.

Tickets for the Jackson State and Tennessee State games are on the BallerTube events page. Follow every program on BallerTube's HBCU page, where coaches can tag their athletes' film.