2020 Jackson State Tigers football team
The 2020 Jackson State Tigers football team represented Jackson State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Tigers were led by Pro Football Hall of Famer and first-year head coach Deion Sanders and played their home games at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Mississippi as members of the East Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
| 2020 Jackson State Tigers football | |
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| Conference | Southwestern Athletic Conference |
| East Division | |
| Record | 4–3 (3–2 SWAC) |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Michael Pollock (1st season) |
| Co-offensive coordinator | Jason Phillips (1st season) |
| Defensive coordinator | Dennis Thurman (1st season) |
| Home stadium | Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 60,492) |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 24 Alabama A&M x$ | 3 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alabama State | 3 | – | 2 | 3 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jackson State | 3 | – | 2 | 4 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Mississippi Valley State | 1 | – | 3 | 1 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arkansas–Pine Bluff x | 4 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern | 4 | – | 1 | 5 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prairie View A&M* | 2 | – | 1 | 2 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas Southern | 1 | – | 2 | 1 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grambling State | 0 | – | 4 | 0 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Alabama A&M 40, Arkansas–Pine Bluff 33 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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On July 20, 2020, the Southwestern Athletic Conference announced that it would not play fall sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes the football program.[1] The conference ultimately moved its football schedule to the 2021 spring semester.
Schedule
Due to the SWAC's postponement of the 2020 football season to spring 2021, games against Florida A&M, Langston, Southern Miss, and Tennessee State were canceled.[2][3][4][5][6][7] The SWAC released updated spring schedules on August 17.[8]
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 21 | 1:00 p.m. | Edward Waters* | ESPN3 | W 53–0 | 11,000 | |
| March 6 | 12:00 p.m. | at Grambling State | ESPN3 | W 33–28 | 6,340 | |
| March 14 | 2:00 p.m. | Mississippi Valley State |
| ESPN2 | W 43–7 | 22,000 |
| March 20 | 3:00 p.m. | at Alabama State | ESPN2 | L 28–35 | 5,908 | |
| April 3 | 4:00 p.m. | Southern* |
| ESPN | L 14–34 | 22,000 |
| April 10 | 2:00 p.m. | Alabama A&M |
| ESPN | L 43–52 | 20,051 |
| April 17 | at Alcorn State | W 2–0 (forfeit) | ||||
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Staff
| Name | Position | Consecutive season at Jackson State in current position |
|---|---|---|
| Deion Sanders | Head Coach | 1st |
| Otis Riddley | Director of player personnel | 1st |
| Michael Pollock | Co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks | 1st |
| Jason Phillips | Co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach | 1st |
| Dennis Thurman | Defensive Coordinator | 1st |
| Alan Ricard | Special teams coordinator | 1st |
| T.C. Taylor | Tight ends coach | 2nd |
| Mike Markuson | Offensive line coach | 1st |
| Gary Harrell | Running Backs Coach | 1st |
| Jeff Weeks | Defensive line coach | 1st |
| Andre' Hart | Linebackers Coach | 1st |
| Kevin Mathis | Defensive backs coach | 1st |
Game summaries
Edward Waters
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| Statistics | Edward Waters | Jackson State |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 8 | 27 |
| Total yards | 104 | 435 |
| Rushing yards | 21 | 183 |
| Passing yards | 83 | 252 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 28:35 | 31:25 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edward Waters | Passing | Roshard Branch | 9/21, 83 yards |
| Rushing | De'Shaun Hugee | 6 carries, 10 yards | |
| Receiving | Samuel Thompson | 3 receptions, 28 yards | |
| Jackson State | Passing | Jalon Jones | 17/19, 163 yards, 2 TDs |
| Rushing | Kymani Clarke | 18 carries, 92 yards, 2 TDs | |
| Receiving | Warren Newman | 8 receptions, 76 yards, 1 TD |
At Grambling State
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| Over/under | |
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| GRAM −10.5 | 50 |
| Statistics | Jackson State | Grambling State |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 21 | 29 |
| Total yards | 473 | 422 |
| Rushing yards | 293 | 182 |
| Passing yards | 180 | 240 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 28:06 | 31:54 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson State | Passing | Jalon Jones | 12/18, 180 yards, 3 TDs |
| Rushing | Tyson Alexander | 17 carries, 184 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Daylen Baldwin | 4 receptions, 95 yards, 1 TD | |
| Grambling State | Passing | Geremy Hickbottom | 24/35, 237 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Geremy Hickbottom | 16 carries, 81 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Dorrell James | 6 receptions, 87 yards |
Mississippi Valley State
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| Over/under | |
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| JSU −17.5 | 55 |
| Statistics | Mississippi Valley State | Jackson State |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 15 | 21 |
| Total yards | 271 | 456 |
| Rushing yards | 147 | 153 |
| Passing yards | 124 | 303 |
| Turnovers | 4 | 2 |
| Time of possession | 34:08 | 25:52 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi Valley State | Passing | Jalani Eason | 17/34, 117 yards, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Darius Williams | 9 carries, 65 yards | |
| Receiving | Jarius Clayton | 5 receptions, 35 yards | |
| Jackson State | Passing | Jalon Jones | 14/27, 250 yards, 3 TDs |
| Rushing | Tyson Alexander | 6 carries, 136 yards, 3 TDs | |
| Receiving | Daylen Baldwin | 6 receptions, 136 yards, 3 TDs |
At Alabama State
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| Over/under | |
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| JSU −8.0 | 46 |
| Statistics | Jackson State | Alabama State |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 24 | 21 |
| Total yards | 350 | 466 |
| Rushing yards | 170 | 209 |
| Passing yards | 180 | 257 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 3 |
| Time of possession | 29:56 | 30:04 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson State | Passing | Jalon Jones | 19/50, 180 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs |
| Rushing | Jalon Jones | 22 carries, 94 yards, 2 TDs | |
| Receiving | Corey Reed Jr. | 8 receptions, 99 yards, 1 TD | |
| Alabama State | Passing | Ryan Nettles | 27/42, 257 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs |
| Rushing | Ezra Gray | 23 carries, 195 yards, 3 TDs | |
| Receiving | Michael Jefferson | 8 receptions, 76 yards |
Southern
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| Over/under | |
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| SCSU −1.5 | 59 |
| Statistics | Southern | Jackson State |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 26 | 16 |
| Total yards | 474 | 309 |
| Rushing yards | 294 | 66 |
| Passing yards | 180 | 243 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
| Time of possession | 42:49 | 17:11 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern | Passing | John Lampley | 9/14, 116 yards, 1 TD |
| Rushing | Jerodd Sims | 17 carries, 79 yards | |
| Receiving | Ethan Howard | 4 receptions, 54 yards | |
| Jackson State | Passing | Jalon Jones | 17/29, 243 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT |
| Rushing | Tyson Alexander | 8 carries, 38 yards | |
| Receiving | Daylen Baldwin | 3 receptions, 91 yards, 1 TD |
Alabama A&M
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| Over/under | |
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| SCSU −10.0 | 53 |
| Statistics | Alabama A&M | Jackson State |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 28 | 26 |
| Total yards | 533 | 463 |
| Rushing yards | 93 | 140 |
| Passing yards | 440 | 323 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 0 |
| Time of possession | 29:12 | 30:48 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama A&M | Passing | Aqeel Glass | 27/40, 440 yards, 6 TDs |
| Rushing | Gary Quarles | 16 carries, 86 yards | |
| Receiving | Zabrian Moore | 4 receptions, 114 yards, 1 TD | |
| Jackson State | Passing | Quincy Casey | 30/47, 323 yards, 4 TDs |
| Rushing | Santee Marshall | 19 carries, 126 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Daylen Baldwin | 6 receptions, 135 yards, 1 TD |
References
- Stephenson, Creg (July 20, 2020). "SWAC becomes latest FCS conference to postpone 2020 football season to spring". AL.com. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- Visser, David (July 21, 2020). "SWAC Suspends Fall Football Season". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- Kelley, Kevin (June 17, 2020). "2020 Southern Heritage Classic canceled due to COVID-19". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- Carpenter, Mark (June 17, 2020). "NAIA issues update on 2020 fall sports". People's Defender. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- Witz, Billy (June 17, 2020). "First Cancellations Emerge for Major College Football". The New York Times. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
- Wilmer, Brian (June 25, 2020). "FAMU adds Jackson State to 2020 football schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
- "MEAC suspends all fall sports for indefinite period". ESPN.com. July 16, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- "SWAC Releases 2021 Spring Football Schedule". swac.org. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
- "Spring 2021 Schedule". Retrieved August 15, 2021.
- "Jackson State Tigers". ESPN. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
