DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Wildcats return from a two-game road trip with big aspirations as they are set for a huge matchup with Jackson State at Daytona Stadium.

The winner of Saturday's game will vault into a tie for first place in the SWAC's eastern division with Alabama A&M, while the loser faces an uphill climb for a potential SWAC Championship berth.

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST, and the action will be streamed live on SWAC TV.



Saturday, October 24th
Opponent: Jackson State (6-1, 3-1 SWAC)
Time: 1 p.m. EST
Location: Daytona Beach, Fla. | Daytona Stadium
Watch: https://tv.swac.org
Listen: https://wele1380thecat.com/ / Youtube.com/CatEyeNetwork / BCUAthletics.com/Radio
Live Stats: https://bcuathletics.com/sidearmstats/football/summary
Tickets: https://www.ticketmaster.com/bethune-cookman-university-football-tickets/artist/821762

Redshirt junior Jaden Davis had a game to remember Saturday evening, willing his team to a 34-14 win over Mississippi Valley State at Rice-Totten Stadium.

In a game that featured six turnovers, it was Davis who continually turned the game on its head. He finished with three interceptions, a mark that ties him for third in program history for a single game. He also led the team with nine tackles, picked up a sack and a tackle for loss, and recorded a scoop and score that sealed the Wildcat's fourth win of the season.

Bethune-Cookman (4-3, 2-1) overcame a rough start against Mississippi Valley State, turning the ball over twice in the opening quarter. MVSU capitalized on the first takeaway with a 47-yard touchdown run, but the Wildcats' defense held the Delta Devils to just seven points despite the early miscues.

B-CU tied the game midway through the second quarter when Tyler Jefferson took over at quarterback and connected with Rickie Shaw II for a 23-yard touchdown. Jefferson then gave the Wildcats the lead with a two-yard rushing touchdown. Jaden Davis came up with two interceptions before halftime, helping B-CU take a 14-7 lead into the break.

After a slow start to the second half, Jefferson added another rushing touchdown late in the third quarter before finding Shaw II for his second touchdown pass in the fourth. MVSU scored once more, but the Wildcats' defense held firm to secure the victory. Davis capped off his standout performance with a 61-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown in the final minute, sealing the 35-14 win.

The Jackson State Tigers are 6-1 this season, with the lone blemish coming in the form of a road loss to Grambling State. They are coming off a comeback win over Florida A&M in which they socred 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter.

JSU has been excellent offensively, ranking third in the SWAC in points per game and total yards per game. They are extremely balanced, sitting top five in passing yards and rushing yards per game.

Like the Wildcats, the Tigers prefer to run the ball, with sophomore Nate Blount IV being one of the top backs in the league. He sits just behind Rashon Brown for third in the SWAC in rushing despite 36 less carries.

Quarterback Jared Lockhart has been one of the most efficient passers in the league. He has completed 60.5% of his passes for 1493 yards and 14 touchdowns to just one interception. Lockhart did not play in the second half of his team's loss to Grambling.

On defense, the Tigers place second in yards allowed per game and third in points allowed. They have been especially excellent against the run, allowing just 113.7 yards per game on the ground (1st).

Sophomore Justin Foster leads the Tigers with 4.5 sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, and five quarterback hurries. Keith Bass Jr. is the team's leading tackler with 44.0 total.




THE JADEN DAVIS GAME
Jaden Davis enjoyed a historic performance at Mississippi Valley State Saturday. He racked up nine total tackles - four of them solo tackles, a tackle for loss, a sack, three interceptions, and a 61-yard scoop and score fumble recovery. For his efforts, he received multiple weekly awards, including SWAC Defensive Player of the Week, Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week, Aeneas Williams Award HBCU Defensive Back of the Week, and BOXTOROW HBCU Defensive Player of the Week.

HOME COOKING
B-CU opened the 2026 season with four of its first five games in the friendly confines of Daytona Municipal Stadium. The Cats have been exceptional at home of late -  a win Saturday over Jackson State would make it nine wins in their last 10 games at home over the past few seasons. That luck has not translated on the road, with B-CU winning just four road games since joining the SWAC in 2021 - three of those four coming at Missisippi Valley State.
 
GROUNDED
Bethune-Cookman's offense has excelled on the ground, averaging a conference-best 228.4 yards per game rushing. That number ranks fifth nationally at the FCS level. They have done so on the back of Rashon Brown, who has already reached nine rushing scores on the year (1st SWAC, 7th FCS). The aeriel attack has not enjoyed the same success, with B-CU sitting in the bottom-10 nationally in passing offense, passes had intercepted, completion percentage, passing yards per completion, and passing efficiency. B-CU has run the ball on 67% of snaps.

KEEP AN EYE ON RJ
Redshirt Freshman running back Rashon Brown was named this week to the Jerry Rice Award Midseason Watch List. The award is given annually to the best true or redshirt freshman in the FCS.

HIT THE SACK
Bethune-Cookman's success on the season has largely correlated with it's front 7's ability to rush the quarterback. B-CU is undefeat ed with on the year (4-0) when recording three or more sacks as a team.

WE'LL PASS
B-CU's passing game has struggled through the first half of the 2026 season. Tyler Jefferson finished Saturday's game at MVSU with 109 passing yards - the first time this season a B-CU QB has surpassed the century mark in the category. The Cats rank third to last in the nation in passing yards.

JUST GO FOR IT
Bethune-Cookman has picked its spots well on fourth down this season, ranking second in the FCS (tied with Jackson State) in fourth down conversion percentage (6-for-7).



Bethune-Cookman will search for its first ever win against Jackson State as a member of the SWAC. They are 0-5 against them since joining the league and just 3-9 overall.


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