Jackson State ‘didn’t miss a beat’ with QB who hadn’t taken a collegiate snap

Freshman quarterback Jared Lockhart made a statement in his collegiate debut, leading Jackson State to a 30-0 win over Tuskegee with three total touchdowns.

Lockhart started in place of the injured JaCobian Morgan, rushing for touchdowns of 11 and 6 yards and tossing a 21-yard scoring pass to Jameel Gardner Jr. as Jackson State took a commanding 21-0 halftime lead.

After the game, Lockhart commented on his first start, saying, “I felt comfortable out there. My teammates picked me up and made it easy to just play my game.”

He finished 14-for-20 passing for 257 yards, while receiver Kobe Paul caught five passes for 113 yards. Lockhart asked about the team effort, “This was about us making a statement. We executed the game plan, and everyone did their job.”

Morgan, who did not suit up after suffering an injury against Southern Miss., remains 11-2 as the Tigers’ starting quarterback.

The Tigers rushed for 252 yards, with three players notching at least 50 yards each, in a dominant performance on both sides of the ball.

Coach T.C. Taylor praised his freshman quarterback: “Jared stepped in and didn’t miss a beat. That’s what we expected when we recruited him. He’s got a bright future here.” The win marked Jackson State’s first shutout since the 2022 season

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