Why we gave Jackson State football better grade vs. MVSU than Deion Sanders
J.T. Keith
Jackson State football (4-0, 2-0) finished the opening month of the season with a 49-7 win over Mississippi Valley State (0-4, 0-1) on Saturday at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. Here's how we graded the Tigers for their performance.
Offense: A-
It is hard to complain about a team that scores 49 points and compiles 638 yards of total offense. Quarterback Shedeur Sanders had career highs in completions (40), attempts (51) and passing yards (438). Receiver Dallas Daniels had his best game of the season with 10 catches for 142 yards. On offense the game could have been put way earlier before halftime, if not for dropped passes and penalties that took points off the board, and a red-zone turnover.
Defense: A
For the second straight week, the defense started slow and gave up big runs up the middle. JSU gave up a 50-yard on the second play of the game, and Mississippi Valley State scored on its fourth play of the game. Jackson State allowed 181 yards rushing but only allowed 36 yards passing.
“We have to get it together," Jackson State coach Deion Sanders said after the game. “We don’t have gap control, a couple of guys just trying to do their own thing. Just not being disciplined and not being smart. They are out of the gap, so when one guy misses a gap, it affects everyone.”
Jackson State shut down the passing game and allowed three completions for 36 yards. It also benefitted from an interception return for a TD in the third quarter.
Special teams: A
They were solid in the kicking game and had no penalties. They made every kick with no big returns.
Coaching: B
The coaches have to figure a way to get the team to faster, but the ability to take over games is clear for a Jackson State team dealing with injuries, including to star freshman Travis Hunter (no timetable for return).
"We want you to see all of Travis (Hunter)," said Deion Sanders, who gave the Tigers a C+ for the win. "We want to be fair to him and the fans. We have a number of players out, and the next time you see us after the bye, you could be seeing some players you have not seen before."
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Overall: A
Jackson State is averaging 47.5 average points a game, and 533.8 total yards. It is going to be hard for teams to match them in a shootout, and the defense has shows it will eventually settle in. That was more than enough against overmatched MVSU ahead of an idle week.