JACKSON, Miss. -- For Tuskegee, games like the W.C. Gorden Classic against Division I Jackson State come with a bit of caution.
The Golden Tigers (1-2) entered the game as big underdogs, not because of their talent, but because of some of the built-in advantages that Division I schools harbor when facing Division II competition. Still, for the first 30 minutes, Tuskegee made sure that Jackson State (3-0) knew it was in for a fight.
Entering halftime trailing by just 10 points, Tuskegee looked prepared to pull off the big upset. But in the end, it was JSU that finally gained control of the matchup en route to a 41-7 win on Saturday at Veterans Memorial Stadium. Quarterback
Bryson McGrew threw for 163 yards and ran for a touchdown, but the Golden Tigers struggled against the JSU passing attack, allowing Tigers quarterback Jared Lockhart to throw for 376 yards and four touchdowns - three of them coming in the second half.
The Tuskegee defense went bend-but-don't break in the first half, allowing 195 yards of offense but just 10 points. Offensively, it was a bit of a struggle but the Golden Tigers made a late dash to get on the scoreboard. With 1:30 left before intermission, the team drove into the red zone before a late sack forced it to settle for a
Lorcan Ryans 44-yard field goal attempt. But the All-Conference senior was unable to convert the chance and JSU went into the half with a 10-0 advantage.
JSU would get touchdown passes on its first two possessions of the second half to increase its lead but the Golden Tigers finally got on the board by cashing in on a 75-yard drive that was highlighted by a 40-yard pass from McGrew to
Preston Parker. Two plays later, the TU signal-caller ran it in from 17 yards out to make the score 24-7 with four minutes left in the third quarter.Unfortunately, that was it for the Golden Tigers offense, gaining just 40 yards the rest of the game and turning the ball over twice to seal the team's fate.
Nate Davis had a team-high 10 tackles (nine solo) while
Devin Smith (six tackles),
Masiah Wells (four tackles), Braylen Jessie and
Jayden Brown (three tackles, half-sack each) registered sacks for Tuskegee, which will host Benedict on Thursday night Under the Lights. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
