Florida A&M fell to Jackson St. 27-17 on Oct. 17, 2026, at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Miss., after Jamal Hailey’s 81-yard touchdown run gave the Rattlers a third-quarter lead. Florida A&M led 17-12 before Jackson St. scored the final 15 points to pull away in the SWAC matchup.
The loss dropped Florida A&M to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in SWAC play. Jackson St. improved to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in the conference. Jackson St. also held a 368-327 edge in total yards.
Jamal Hailey provides Florida A&M’s biggest play
Hailey rushed for 111 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries. His 81-yard scoring run came at the 12:46 mark of the third quarter and put Florida A&M ahead 17-12.
Chase Gillespie added 32 rushing yards, while Armond Parker scored on a 5-yard rushing touchdown. Parker also completed passes to Lawrence Wright IV, who finished with two catches for 58 yards.
Florida A&M outgained Jackson St. through the air 163-140 and finished with 164 rushing yards and 327 total yards.
Florida A&M defense creates multiple takeaways
Florida A&M’s defense held Jackson St. to 140 passing yards and forced a red-zone turnover. Denzel Johnson led the defense with 11 tackles.
Andre Powell Jr. recorded seven tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack and one forced fumble. Ryan Johnson added six tackles and a fumble recovery, while Anthony Baxter recorded an interception.
Florida A&M converted 5 of 13 third-down attempts, while Jackson St. converted 6 of 19. The Rattlers also held Jackson St. to 228 rushing yards in the game.
Jackson St. finishes with 15 unanswered points
Jackson St. opened the scoring before Florida A&M answered with a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7. Florida A&M then moved ahead 10-7 on a 23-yard field goal before Jackson St. took a 12-10 lead.
Hailey’s long touchdown run restored Florida A&M’s advantage at 17-12. Jackson St. responded with the final 15 points, including two third-quarter touchdowns, to secure the victory.
What comes next for Florida A&M
Florida A&M is scheduled to play UAPB at home on Saturday, Oct. 24, for homecoming. The game will be the Rattlers’ next scheduled contest after the loss at Jackson St.
FSB Take
Florida A&M produced a 17-12 third-quarter lead behind Hailey’s explosive touchdown run and received strong defensive efforts from Johnson, Powell, Johnson and Baxter. Jackson St. answered with 15 consecutive points and finished with the advantage in total yards. Florida A&M now turns to its Oct. 24 homecoming matchup with UAPB.
Source: Original report