Jackson State opened its second college football season under NFL legend Deion Sanders with a victory as the Tigers narrowly defeated the Florida A&M Rattlers, 7-6, in the Orange Blossom Classic.
Jackson State's season opener was a family affair for the Sanders clan as two of Coach Prime's sons saw action for the Tigers with Shedeur as the team's starting quarterback and Shilo playing the safety position.
Shedeur Sanders delivers shaky performance in college football debut
Shedeur Sanders had a shaky start to his college football career. The freshman quarterback recorded three first-half turnovers, including a costly fumble in the opening quarter that wasted the Tigers' promising drive.
He still made an impact in this contest, though, scoring Jackson State's only touchdown in the second quarter with a quarterback sneak at the goal line on third down to give the Tigers a 7-3 lead. Sanders, Jackson State's second highest-rated recruit in program history, finished the game 18-of-24 with 221 yards and no touchdowns.
SHEDEUR SANDERS WITH HIS FIRST COLLEGIATE TD‼️ pic.twitter.com/iHFKCZaFeI
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) September 5, 2021
The Rattlers gave the Tigers quite a fright, though, which was impressive given that Florida A&M had not played an actual football game in 653 days. FAMU opened the scoring in the first half that was filled with errors and missed opportunities from both sides, with Romo-Martinez kicking a field goal to hand the Rattlers a 3-0 edge.
The Tigers answered back, though, with Sanders leading the charge in the second quarter. He made a 32-yard completion to Trevonte Rucker despite taking a huge hit from Florida A&M linebacker Nadarius Fagan that netted the latter a targeting foul.
The completion and the ensuing penalty placed Jackson State inside the Rattlers' five-yard line. Sanders made sure they converted that scoring opportunity, taking a two-yard plunge into the end zone to cap off a 10-play, 69-yard touchdown drive.
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Jackson State's defense shines in the season opener.
Thanks to their stellar defense, the Tigers failed to score again after that touchdown, and they managed to hold on for the win. Jackson State made it a point this past offseason to bolster its roster, particularly the Tigers' defense, as they signed the highest-rated recruiting class in the history of FCS and HBCU.
That roster overhaul paid immediate dividends on Sunday, with the Tigers' new transferees taking center stage on the defensive end. Tennessee transfer Nyles Gaddy had two tackles and one TFL, while Georgia Tech transfer Antwan Owens recorded three tackles and 1 TFL as they made their presence felt in the backfield.
South Carolina transfer Shilo Sanders made his father proud by recording seven tackles in this contest, including a hard hit in the midfield that ended the first-half drive by the Rattlers.
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