Down to the wire: ASU falls to Jackson State in back-and-forth SWAC East showdown

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - In a battle between two “number ones,” nothing is ever certain, and the top two teams in the SWAC East proved that as they traded blows Saturday for control of the division along with favorability to host the conference championship on Dec. 6.

Jackson State has fielded the top defense in the SWAC this year, but had yet to face an offense like ASU behind powerhouse Quarterback Andrew Body.

Ultimately however, it was the shield that stopped the spear as Jackson State outlasted ASU’s offense in the final second of the fourth quarter to overcome a two-score rally and secure their track to the division title.

The fourth quarter could have been an entire game in itself as all the deciding plays were made in the last 10 minutes of the game.

Andrew Body connected on several crucial plays to lift ASU over Jackson State in the waning minutes of the fourth after being down by two touchdowns. However, JSU Quarterback JaCobian Morgan also clutched what would be the go-ahead score for JSU before they stopped ASU’s relentless offense one yard short of victory.

First Half

Jackson State struck first with a 38-yard opening drive that put them into ASU’s redzone. JaCobian Morgan then followed up with a pass for 10 yards to Shemar Savage inside the endzone, giving JSU a 7-point lead to set the tone.

Jackson State’s offense not only got off to a stronger start, their defense held ASU to just 67 yards in the first quarter.

That defense met Alabama State head-on at the top of the second quarter, stopping them on their first drive and forcing them to opt for a field goal to get onto the board, 3-10.

JSU extended their lead with a 32-yard pass by Morgan to Jameel Gardner Jr., which put them onto the 9-yard line.

However, a clutch defensive effort by ASU limited the damage to a field goal, putting JSU up 10-3.

After struggling to convert first downs, ASU’s offense picked up. A 6-minute drive and a 41-yard pass by Body to Dylan Djete got ASU into the redzone. Marcus Harris II then carried the ball for 2 yards into the endzone to put Alabama State on even ground, 10-10.

With just over three minutes on the clock in the first half, a 15-yard penalty against ASU put Jackson State on their side of the field, an error JSU capitalized on to score in just one play.

Morgan connected on a 30-yard pass to Ja’Nayon Dupree into the endzone to put JSU ahead again 17-10.

Two big passes by Andrew Body for a combined 56 yards got ASU within scoring distance in the last minute of the first half. After being unable to convert a first down however, ASU had to settle for a field goal to put themselves within striking distance of Jackson State going into the second half (17-13).

HALFTIME:

Alabama State - 13

Jackson State - 17

Second Half

Finding their stride on the offense, ASU fought their way to the 2-yard line, where Jamarie Hostzclaw rushed it in to put ASU ahead 20-17.

Jackson State answered with a 29-yard rush onto ASU’s 7-yard line for a first down.

Donerio Davenport then ran for a gain of 4 yards before a 3-yard pass to Jency Riley Jr. gave JSU back their lead, 24-20.

Not letting up on ASU, Jackson State pushed their way into the endzone yet again for a 31-20 lead.

ASU found themselves down by two scores with nine minutes left on the clock.

ASU rallied with two passes for a combined 38 yards to put ASU back within scoring distance of Jackson State, 27-31.

After shutting down JSU in three plays, Alabama State made it back into the endzone with a 15-yard rush by Jamarie Hostzclaw to seize the lead with less than 5 minutes left.

ASU held Jackson State back for 4 minutes, and it appeared Alabama State would emerge victorious until a crucial 18-yard pass by JaCobian Morgan gave Jackson the go-ahead score of 38-34.

It truly came down to the wire as ASU gained possession of the ball with 50 seconds on the clock and 73 yards between them and the endzone.

In 50 seconds, ASU’s offense showed why they are the most fearsome in the SWAC.

Andrew Body pushed his team into JSU’s territory with a 24-yard pass to Ajai Harrell. Then, a 12-yard pass put ASU on the 22-yard-line with 6 seconds left.

Body followed up with a massive 20-yard pass to Dylan Djete who advanced to the 2-yard line as the clock ran out.

With their final timeout, ASU stalled the clock at one second, but fell on the 1-yard line to end what had been an unpredictable thriller.

Andrew Body passed for nearly double Morgan’s yards at 349 to their 191.

In total yards, ASU also eclipsed Jackson state 514 to 448.

While JSU walked away the victor, the showdown between SWAC’s two number 1 teams could have gone either way and very well may have if the game had taken place in Montgomery.

Jackson State gains edge in SWAC East

The leadup to this showdown put both teams in a position of urgency to deliver.

With this crucial win, Jackson State is now favored to win the SWAC Division East Championship title.

ASU, now 4-2, will return to Alabama for a bye-week before facing Alabama A&M at Legion Field on Oct. 25.

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