JACKSON, Miss. (Interstat) — In a wild, back-and-forth Southwestern Athletic Conference shootout, JaCobian Morgan’s fourth touchdown pass of the game, an 18-yard strike to Nate Rembert with 50 seconds remaining, lifted Jackson State to a 38-34 victory over Alabama State on Saturday at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

The Tigers, who improved to 4-1, appeared to have the game sealed when Quincy Ivory intercepted Alabama State quarterback Andrew Body at the Jackson State 32 with 13:32 left in the game and the Tigers leading 31-24. Jackson State then engineered a methodical 11-play, 68-yard drive, capped by Morgan’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Naylon Dupree to take a 38-24 lead with 9:18 to play.

But the Hornets, who also moved to 4-1, refused to go quietly. Body led a swift 75-yard scoring drive, finishing it with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Jones to cut the deficit to 38-31 with 7:07 left.

On the ensuing possession, Jackson State’s Jameel Gardner Jr. fumbled after a 17-yard reception, with Alabama State’s Zaquan Patterson recovering at the Tigers’ 31. Three plays later, Jamarie Hostzclaw broke free for a 15-yard touchdown run, his second of the game, to tie the score at 38-38 with 4:36 on the clock.

Jackson State’s final drive was a masterclass in clutch execution. Starting at their own 32, the Tigers leaned on the running of Travis Terrell Jr. and Ahmad Miller, who combined for key first downs to move into Alabama State territory. Facing pressure, Morgan then found Rembert in the end zone for the decisive score.

Alabama State had one last desperate attempt, driving from their own 29 to the Jackson State 1-yard line in the final 44 seconds. But on the game’s final play, Body’s pass to Hostzclaw was stopped just short of the goal line, sealing the dramatic win for the home team.

Body was spectacular in defeat for the Hornets, accounting for 442 total yards. He completed 20 of 30 passes for 349 yards and one touchdown while also rushing 14 times for 93 yards. Hostzclaw was his top weapon, scoring three touchdowns — two rushing and one receiving — while accumulating 67 all-purpose yards. Jalen Jones caught six passes for 72 yards and a score.

For Jackson State, Morgan, a quarterback from Canton, Mississippi, was efficient and effective, completing 16 of 23 passes for 187 yards and four touchdowns without an interception. He also rushed seven times for 66 yards. Dupree was his favorite target, catching four passes for 53 yards and two touchdowns. Terrell Jr. anchored the ground game with 77 yards on 17 carries.

The game was a tale of offensive surges. Jackson State struck first with a 75-yard opening drive, finished by a Morgan touchdown pass to Shemar Savage. Alabama State responded with 13 second-quarter points on two Andrew Abu-Akel field goals and a 2-yard touchdown run by Marcus Harris II, but the Tigers answered just before halftime with a 30-yard touchdown pass from Morgan to Dupree to take a 17-13 lead.

The Hornets briefly took a 20-17 lead on Hostzclaw’s first touchdown run in the third quarter, but Morgan’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Jency Riley put Jackson State back in front 24-20 heading into a frantic fourth quarter that saw 35 combined points.

The victory defied the pregame projections, as Interstat’s game simulator had projected a Jackson State win by a score of 36-24, and its ELO system gave the Tigers an 87.4 percent probability to win. Alabama State had been installed as an 8-point underdog. The total score of 72 points sailed over the over/under line of 54.5.

Both teams now sit at 4-1 on the season. Jackson State travels to face Grambling on Oct. 25, while Alabama State is set for a road contest at Alabama A&M the same day.