Tigers Drop Road Battle in Daytona

Jackson State lost 24-21 to Bethune-Cookman on Saturday in Daytona, Florida.

The result marks the Tigers' second road loss of the 2026 season. They have won all four of their home games at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. The previous road loss occurred two weeks ago against Grambling State.

Jackson State beat Florida A&M at home one week prior to this contest. The team entered the game with a 6-2 overall record and a 3-2 mark in conference play. Both of their conference losses have come on the road.

Bethune-Cookman took an early 14-point lead. Quarterback Tyler Jefferson threw two touchdown passes to build that advantage. The Tigers struggled in the first quarter despite similar time of possession. They missed a field goal, botched a punt attempt, and completed a punt to begin the game.

Head Coach T.C. Taylor said the team was sleepwalking in the first half. “We been kind of sleepwalking in the first half and it finally caught up with us,” Taylor said. He noted that the coaching staff needs to find ways to start faster rather than relying on halftime adjustments.

The game was close in terms of total yardage and time of possession. Jackson State was penalized only once for 10 yards. Bethune-Cookman scored on two of their three trips to the red zone. The Tigers scored on one of their three trips to the 20-yard line. The final score was decided by a last-second kick.

Taylor acknowledged the importance of winning on the road for conference championship contention. “For us and any coach in this conference you know you got to be able to win on the road if you are talking about winning a championship and we did not get that accomplished this past weekend,” he said. The team will have a bye week before returning home.

Jackson State is scheduled to face Mississippi Valley on November 7. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.