Bulldogs to face No. 17 Jackson State in Gulf Coast Challenge

MOBILE — Alabama A&M is seeking its first victory in the Gulf Coast Challenge since 2021 as the Bulldogs take on 17^th-ranked Jackson State on Saturday. Kickoff for the Southwestern Athletic Conferencegame is set for 2 p.m. from Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile.

The Bulldogs (3-2 overall, 0-1 SWAC) are coming off a 41-34 road loss to Bethune-Cookman a week ago, while The Tigers (3-1, 1-0) continue to roll, scoring 31 unanswered points last Saturday to defeat Southern, 38-13.

“Last week, we didn’t execute when we needed to and we will need to do so this week against a very good Jackson State football team,” Alabama A&M head coach Sam Shade said. “We are excited about going down to Mobile this week and having the opportunity to play in front of a really good crowd. I told the team that not all is lost after falling to Bethune-Cookman.

“We’ve just got to take it one game at a time and it starts right here against Jackson State.”
The game will air live on HBCU GO as James Hadnot (play-by-play) and John Kelley (analyst) will have the call, and fans can tune into WJAB-FM 90.9 with Maurice Brooks (play-by-play), Thai Floyd (analyst), Evan Hayes (pregame and postgame) and Chauncy Sanders (pregame and postgame) bringing the action.

ABOUT THE GAME

• Jackson State has won the past four matchups, including the last three in the Gulf Coast Challenge
• The Bulldogs will be facing their first ranked opponent of the season
• Jackson State has not dropped a conference game since the end of the 2023 season
• Alabama A&M head coach Sam Shade is seeking its first SWAC win of the season

BULLDOGS AT A GLANCE

• Alabama A&M is coming off a 41-34 road loss to begin conference play last weekend
• The Bulldogs got 355 passing yards from Eric Handley in the loss
• Kicker David Faulk went 2-for-2 on field goals and 4-of-4 in extra point attempts
• Faulk booted a career-best 45-yard field goal in the first quarter at BCU
• The Bulldogs have scored in the opening quarter in 10 straight games, dating back to Nov. 2, 2024
• AAMU is averaging 30.8 points and 397.2 total yards per game

TIGERS AT A GLANCE

• Jackson State enters on a nine-game conference win streak after scoring 31 unanswered points in a 38-13 victory at Southern
• Quarterback JaCobian Morgan threw for 337 yards and a pair of touchdowns in being named the SWAC Offensive Player of the Week and HBCU National co-Player of the Week
• Jackson State was named the FCS HBCU National Team of the Week after the victory over the Jaguars
• The Tigers are ranked No. 17 in the AFCA Coaches and STATS Perform Top 25 polls
• Jackson State ranks fourth in the nation in rushing offense at 249.3 yards per game
• The Tigers are averaging 29.0 points and 457.5 total yards per game

SERIES HISTORY 

• Alabama A&M and Jackson State will meet for the 31^st time
• The Tigers lead the all-time series, 18-12
•  In the last 10 meetings, the series is tied at 5-5
• Jackson State has won the past three meetings in the Gulf Coast Challenge
• Alabama A&M is 2-4 all-time in the Gulf Coast Challenge, with the last win coming in 2021 to Tuskegee

THREE KEYS TO THE GAME

• Alabama A&M needs to protect the line of scrimmage
• AAMU needs to win the turnover battle
• The Bulldogs must avoid committing a ton of penalties

LOOKING AHEAD TO WHAT’S NEXT

• The Bulldogs turn their attention to the 2025 Homecoming game against Mississippi Valley State
• This will be the 37^th meeting in the series, which began in 1971
• AAMU is 26-10 in the all-time series
• The Bulldogs have won two straight in the series and 8-2 over the last 10 meetings
• Alabama A&M has outscored Mississippi Valley State, 1,034-583 in the previous 36 meetings

PURCHASE TICKETS

• With the 2025 Homecoming Game right around the corner, now is the time to purchase tickets. Visit aamusports.com or call the ticket office at 256-372-7255 or 256-372-7254.