Football, Sports

Grambling Stuns Jackson State in HBCU Week 6 Chaos

Grambling State erased two 14 point deficits to stun Jackson State 45 to 38 in a wild HBCU football weekend of comebacks, injuries and NFL quarterback drama.

11 min read

Major Takeaways

Grambling State erased two 14 point deficits to beat Jackson State 45 to 38, ending the Tigers run as the only unbeaten HBCU team in the country.
Jackson State quarterback Jared Lockhart, the reigning SWAC Freshman of the Year, was injured before halftime and did not return.
Florida A&M rallied from a double digit fourth quarter deficit to stun Alabama State 28 to 27 on homecoming, winning on a blocked field goal at the final horn.
Mississippi Valley State came back from 17 points down to beat Texas Southern 38 to 34, its second straight miracle comeback.
Morgan State moved to five wins and one loss, the best start in program history since 2001.
In the NFL, Bears star Caleb Williams is expected to return Sunday against Atlanta, while Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. left Sunday night with a rib injury.

Week 6 of the HBCU football season delivered the kind of chaos that makes Black college football must see viewing. Grambling State knocked off Jackson State, the top ranked team in the country. Florida A&M broke hearts in Montgomery on homecoming. Mississippi Valley State pulled off another miracle in Houston. Across the SWAC and MEAC, six Division I games were decided by four points or fewer, and four of them turned on the final possession.

Jackson State arrived in Grambling unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in the Black College Football Poll and No. 22 in the national FCS poll. The Tigers left with their first loss and serious questions at quarterback. For Black football fans, weekends like this are a reminder of what HBCU football means to our communities. These are not just games. They are homecomings, family reunions, marching band showcases and economic engines for Black towns and cities, all packed into 60 minutes of football. This week, the football matched the culture.

Jackson State Falls in Grambling After Two 14 Point Leads Slip Away

The game of the weekend took place at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium in Grambling, Louisiana, where Grambling State beat Jackson State 45 to 38 in the rivalry known as the Who’s Your Daddy Battle. The Tigers jumped out to a 14 to 0 lead, but Grambling answered every punch, erasing two separate 14 point deficits to hand Jackson State its first loss of the season.

The bigger worry for Jackson State might be at quarterback. Jared Lockhart, the reigning SWAC Freshman of the Year, was injured just before halftime and did not return. Backup Caron Tyler finished the game but threw two interceptions, including a late pick that set up the field goal that sealed the win for Grambling. The school has not disclosed the nature of Lockhart’s injury or a timetable for his return, and the Tigers host Florida A&M next week.

The loss ends Jackson State’s run as the only unbeaten HBCU team in the country, but the Tigers still control their own fate in the SWAC East. Analytics from HBCU Legends still give Jackson State a 66 percent chance to reach the conference championship game. Grambling, meanwhile, keeps finding ways to win. The G Men erased a 17 point fourth quarter deficit at Alcorn State in Week 5, own 11 wins against only 3 losses versus Jackson State since 2009, and now sit tied for first place in the SWAC West with Alcorn State at two wins and one loss in conference play.

Florida A&M Spoils Alabama State Homecoming in Friday Night Thriller

Hurricane Isaias forced this one to Friday afternoon, and the Rattlers made the most of the early kickoff. Florida A&M trailed by double digits in the fourth quarter in Montgomery before storming back to beat Alabama State 28 to 27, spoiling homecoming for the Hornets.

Freshman quarterback Armond Parker threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns, including the go ahead two point pass to Tamez Young that put FAMU in front. The Rattler defense did the rest. Justin Bostic stopped Alabama State quarterback Aaron Frye for no gain on fourth and one with 4:07 left, and a potential winning field goal for the Hornets was blocked as time expired.

The final stats told a strange story. Alabama State outrushed Florida A&M 274 yards to 96, but the Hornets gave up two long touchdowns and could not protect the lead. The loss dropped Alabama State to one win and two losses in SWAC play. Florida A&M cannot take part in the SWAC postseason, but the Rattlers keep playing spoiler. They visit Jackson State next week and meet Bethune Cookman in the Florida Classic on Nov. 21.

Comeback Kids: Mississippi Valley State Refuses to Lose

Do not let Mississippi Valley State fall behind. The Delta Devils trailed Texas Southern by 17 points and still walked out of Houston with a 38 to 34 win, scoring 24 points in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Josh Brown led the rally and scored the winning touchdown, capping the program’s second straight stunning comeback after erasing a 24 point first half deficit to beat Prairie View A&M the week before.

Texas Southern, meanwhile, keeps finding painful ways to lose. The Tigers led 31 to 14 late in the third quarter before the collapse. Quarterback Cam’Ron McCoy threw for 279 yards and two touchdowns, but constant pressure left him with 25 lost yards on the ground after a string of sacks. Coach Cris Dishman’s team has now lost five straight games and sits at one win and five losses with three conference defeats.

Southern also left Houston happy, beating Prairie View A&M 28 to 14 for its eighth straight win at Panther Stadium, a place Jaguar fans now call A.W. Mumford West. Receiver Damien Henderson Jr. caught touchdown passes covering 69 and 46 yards from Christian Johnson. Prairie View has now dropped to two wins and five losses overall, while Southern earned its first conference win to move to three wins and four losses.

Morgan State Keeps Making History in the MEAC

Do not look now, but Morgan State is putting together a season for the record books. The Bears edged Robert Morris 28 to 27 to improve to five wins and one loss, the best start in program history since 2001. It was their fourth straight win and their second straight victory decided on the final possession.

Running back Keith Jenkins Jr. carried the load with 98 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, including a 45 yard burst and the winning score from one yard out with 24 seconds left. Shawn Phillips blocked a Robert Morris extra point earlier in the game to keep the margin within reach, and quarterback Cameron Edge has given the Bears steady leadership all season. Morgan State was the lone MEAC winner against a Division I opponent this week. The Bears face Tennessee State on Oct. 17 to close out their games outside the MEAC.

Around the HBCU Landscape

Alabama A&M rolled past Bethune Cookman 55 to 17 in the Louis Crews Classic in Huntsville, with Jarel Williams catching two touchdown passes and Byron Perrilliat running for two scores. North Carolina A&T needed overtime to beat New Hampshire 30 to 27, as Asher Holland kicked a field goal from 34 yards out in overtime after missing a point after try at the end of regulation, while Michael Carlock Williams starred with five catches for 129 yards and a scoring grab from 32 yards out. In Division II, Albany State celebrated homecoming with a 51 to 0 shutout of Lane, Bowie State blanked Winston Salem State 21 to 0 to leave the Rams winless after six games, and Johnson C. Smith stayed hot with a 49 to 6 win over Shaw.

Quarterback Injuries Cast a Shadow Over Week 6

The weekend’s biggest wins came with real costs at the most important position on the field. South Carolina State lost starting quarterback Keely Watson in the second quarter of a 49 to 39 loss at Charleston Southern after a targeting hit by Charleston Southern defensive back Anthony Paulk, who was ejected from the game. Watson had completed 8 of 12 passes for 89 yards before leaving, and backup Ronnie Robinson threw for 279 yards in relief.

The Bulldogs piled up 470 yards of offense in defeat but could not overcome 15 penalties for 113 yards or two Charleston Southern return touchdowns, a punt return of 60 yards and a kickoff return of 98 yards. It was the second straight year the Buccaneers beat South Carolina State. The Bulldogs get a bye week to heal before a MEAC showdown with Norfolk State on Oct. 24, and that game just got more interesting. Norfolk State, led by head coach Michael Vick, crushed Virginia Lynchburg 62 to 0 behind two punt return touchdowns from Christian James and an interception returned for a score by Nasir Bashir. The Spartans now have four wins against three losses after a season with only one win a year ago, and they have posted two shutouts.

NFL Watch: Caleb Williams Nears Return as Michael Penix Jr. Goes Down

The Black quarterback watch in the NFL has two big storylines heading into this weekend. In Chicago, all signs point to Caleb Williams returning to the lineup on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. The former No. 1 overall pick has missed three games with a hamstring injury suffered in a Week 2 loss to Minnesota, but he went through an intense pregame workout before the loss to Green Bay and looked like himself. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport said all signs point to Williams being back on the field this week for Chicago.

The Bears won two of three games without Williams to sit at three wins and two losses, getting a strong primetime win over Philadelphia and a win over the New York Jets before the 31 to 7 loss to Green Bay. Backup Tyson Bagent started against the Packers and threw for 87 yards and two interceptions, and head coach Ben Johnson said his starter is on track to return.

In Atlanta, the news is worse. Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was knocked out of Sunday night’s overtime loss to Baltimore with a rib injury after a slow start, and Tua Tagovailoa threw an interception on just his second pass of the overtime drive to end it. If Penix cannot play Sunday and Williams can, Chicago would catch a major break.

For Black football fans, a possible Williams versus Penix matchup carries extra meaning. Both are young Black franchise quarterbacks trying to lift proud franchises, and both fan bases spent the week waiting on health updates. The quarterback position remains the most scrutinized job in sports, and Black quarterbacks still face a shorter leash and louder criticism than their peers. Seeing two of them lead marquee franchises on a Sunday afternoon matters, win or lose.

What to Watch in Week 7

Jackson State gets no rest. The Tigers host Florida A&M on Oct. 17, and the Rattlers would love nothing more than to knock off a wounded rival and shake up the SWAC East even more. In the West, Alcorn State visits Prairie View A&M in a game that could leave three teams tied for first place. Alabama A&M gets Grambling State in Huntsville before the Magic City Classic.

South Carolina State rests up before hosting Norfolk State on Oct. 24, and Morgan State tries to keep its dream season alive against Tennessee State. Looking further ahead, Philadelphia will host One Philly HBCU Week from Oct. 26 through Oct. 31, closing with two games at Lincoln Financial Field: Lincoln against Virginia Union on Oct. 30 and Delaware State against Norfolk State on Oct. 31. For more football coverage all season, visit the Urban City Podcast Sports section and the Urban City Podcast homepage.