Jackson State fans may need to see a cardiologist, but for a good reason: T.C. Taylor’s group benefited from a late special teams blunder by Tennessee State to win 26-24 in the 2026-27 season opener.
With 56 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Tennessee State lined up to kick a 36-yard field goal with hopes of taking a 27-26 lead. Placekicker Preston Hurless had connected on a 45-yard field goal in the first half and was 3-3 on extra-point tries on the night, giving Tennessee State head man Reggie Barlow full confidence in the specialist. Hurless, however, was not allowed to split the uprights heroically, as his placeholder mishandled the snap, upending the potential game-winning kick.
Jackson State gladly capitalized on its foe’s lack of timeouts, and victory formation ensued, with the Tigers from Mississippi besting the Tigers from Tennessee in the John A. Merritt Classic in Nashville.
Jackson State survives!
The Tigers beat rival Tennessee State after a chaotic finish in Nashville 😅 pic.twitter.com/qdsKFGzJ3V
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) August 30, 2026
Jackson State was led offensively by quarterback Jared Lockhart, who completed 17 of 26 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown. His top target was Jabari Jones, who logged 117 yards and a score on four receptions, averaging 29.3 yards per catch. Running back Nate Blount IV had 101 yards on 15 carries. Defensively, Taylor’s team was highlighted by Keith Bass Jr. The sophomore linebacker had six total tackles, a sack, and 1.5 tackles for loss. Holmes County native Khamauri Rogers notably had two pass deflections and a tackle for loss in the win. But it was placekicker Andrew Ivaniciuc who was arguably the MVP.
The old football adage that special teams make the difference proved true in FirstBank Stadium on Saturday. While a botched field goal attempt stymied Tennessee State’s chances of coming out victorious, Jackson State discovered a star in the making in its special teams room. Ivaniciuc, a true freshman, had quite the debut. The Georgia native missed on his first try, a 25-yarder, but quickly redeemed himself with four straight makes — from 38, 45, 51, and 21 yards out, respectively — the rest of the way. He was also 2-2 on point-after attempts.
Jackson State struck first blood in the matchup, with Lockhart connecting with Jones on an 88-yard deep ball to go up 7-0 midway through the first quarter. Tennessee State quickly rebutted, scoring 17 unanswered to lead by 10 points with just under two minutes left in the first half. Jackson State closed the second quarter on a high note, as Ivaniciuc connected on a successful field goal try to make it a one-score game. Tennessee State led 17-10 at the midway intermission.
The momentum garnered at the end of the first half carried into the third quarter for Jackson State. A pair of Ivaniciuc field goals and a 2-yard touchdown run by Emari Matthews found Jackson State with a 23-17 lead with the fourth quarter approaching. Tennessee State rebutted and reclaimed the lead, courtesy of a 5-yard Daylin Lee touchdown pass to Francisco Pratts III with 8:48 remaining in regulation. The pendulum then swung in Jackson State’s favor by way of Ivaniciuc capping a six-minute drive with a 21-yard field goal with 2:31 on the clock. Jackson State survived near-disaster from there.
Tennessee State was carried offensively by Lee, who led the team in both passing and rushing. The senior completed 23 of 41 passes for 265 yards and a touchdown, while rushing for 40 yards on 13 carries. Jayden Guy was Lee’s top target, amassing a whopping 148 yards on nine receptions. Defensive end Brandon Collins was Tennessee State’s standout defender. He had 0.5 sacks and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Next up
Jackson State will welcome Edward Waters to Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium for its Sept. 5 home opener. The game is set to kick off at 6 p.m. CT.
Tennessee State will head to No. 3 Georgia for a Sept. 5 matchup that will kick off at 2 p.m. CT.
