Jackson State 43, Alabama A&M 40, OT

November 3, 2007

From Alabama A&M Sports Information

For the better part of Saturday afternoon, Alabama A&M defied the story that was being told by the game statistics. Jackson State ran 99 total plays for 539 total yards and finished with a 43:36 to 16:24 advantage in time of possession, yet the Tigers still needed a touchdown with :03 remaining in regulation to force overtime before defeating the Bulldogs 43-40 after the extra session at Louis Crews Stadium.

The game, which determined the front-runner for the SWAC East title with two games to play, hinged on several big plays throughout the afternoon.

Alabama A&M rushed easily to a 13-0 lead by the 2:31 mark of the first quarter. The Bulldogs took the opening drive of the game three plays and 42 yards to lead 7-0 after a Ulysses Banks seven-yard scoring run. Jeremy Licea added two field goals from 37 and 41 yards, respectively.

The Tigers responded with a 10-play drive to get on the scoreboard with a 38-yard Eric Perri field goal. Perri added a 47-yarder with just under nine minutes to play in the half, and Dennis Coit made the score 13-8 when he tackled Banks in the end zone for a safety.

Alabama A&M responded to take the momentum into the halftime lockerroom when Kelcy Luke hit Thomas Harris with a 49-yard touchdown strike with :42 remaining in the half. A&M led 19-8 at the break.

JSU quarterback Jimmy Oliver dominated the third quarter. In leading the Tigers to three straight scoring drives, Oliver completed 10-12 passes for 196 yards and all three scores in the period as the Tigers built a 30-19 lead.

Licea added his third field goal of the game to cut the lead to 30-22 heading into a dramatic fourth quarter.

Luke hooked up with Gerald Stockdale for a 27-yard touchdown and then scored on an option play to tie the game with a two-point conversion.

Then things got crazy.

With Jackson State driving inside the red zone looking to take the lead, Oliver took a 26-yard sack on a third-and-13 play from the A&M 22-yard-line. A&M's Marcus Powe forced a fumble on the sack that sent the ball another 10 yards down field where Byron Wilson scooped up the loose ball and ran for a 42-yard fumble return and a go-ahead touchdown for the Bulldogs with 5:35 to play.

It looked like the Bulldogs would make the 37-30 lead stand for good, but Al Donaldson narrowly missed an interception that would have sealed the game, and Jackson State took advantage.

Oliver found Rodney Gray from the five-yard-line with just :03 to play to tie the score.

In overtime, A&M settled for another Licea field goal from 41 yards. Jackson took just two plays to win the game once it have the ball. Oliver's pass to to Carlos Simpson covered 24 yards, and Edward Lee won the game with a one-yard plunge.

Statistically, this was a one-sided affair. Oliver finished 26-43 for 391 yards and four TDs. Luke was 16-34 for 261 and two scores. The Bulldogs rushed for just 15 yards on 16 carries. JSU won the first down battle 27-13 and total yards 539-276.

The loss drops Alabama A&M to 7-2 overall and 5-2 in the SWAC. Jackson State moves to 6-3 and 6-1. The Tigers will have to drop both of their final two games to Prairie View and Alcorn State, while A&M needs to defeat the same two opponents in the final two weeks for A&M to qualify for the SWAC Championship Game on December 15.