RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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NASHVILLE — With just under 1:30 left in Jackson State football ’s season opener against Tennessee State , things were not looking good for the road team.
JSU led TSU by two points, but a 24-yard completion allowed TSU to work the ball into the red zone with plenty of time left.
Two plays later, an incomplete pass, followed by a delay of game penalty and a sack, forced TSU to set up for the game-winning field goal attempt. However, the kick never happened after a botched snap and hold, and JSU held on to win 26-24 at FirstBank Stadium on Aug. 29.
“Honestly, I just really trusted the defense,” wide receiver Jabari Jones said of watching TSU’s final drive. “They went out there and stopped them, forced the field goal, and hey.”
The circumstances of TSU’s final play proved how crucial special teams were in deciding the result of this game.
TSU had just one field goal, in contrast to JSU’s four. Freshman kicker Andrew Ivaniciuc went 4-for-5, connecting on kicks of 21, 38, 45 and 51 yards in his first collegiate game after missing a 25-yard kick early in the first quarter. He was also 2-for-2 on extra point attempts.
His 21-yard kick with 2:31 left in the fourth quarter ended up being the winning score.
“Shoutouts to our kicker, Andrew, true freshman,” coach T.C. Taylor said. “To go out there and do what he did, and you know (make) a 51-yarder, that was some of the difference in the game.”
The 51-yard make broke JSU’s record for the longest field goal, which stood at 50 yards since 2014. It’s also the first time a JSU player has made three or more field goals in a game since 2024.
Ivaniciuc won the starting job after coming into preseason practice with a proven leg. In his senior year at Buford High School in Georgia, he made 16 of 22 attempts, with his longest kick measuring 44 yards. He was one of two freshmen to be listed as a starter on JSU’s depth chart for the opening game.
As Taylor spoke about Ivaniciuc’s help in getting the win, team captain Kam Sallis stood next to him nodding. When asked how JSU plans to celebrate Ivaniciuc’s accomplishments in his first game, Sallis didn’t provide specifics, but guaranteed they’d come up with something.
“Oh, we’re going to take care of him,” Sallis said.
Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger . Email her at [email protected] and follow her on X @tiareid65 .
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: How Jackson State reacted to Tennessee State botching go-ahead field goal attempt
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