RYDER BURTON LEADS UAB TO TOP 25 UPSET AFTER 3 YEARS OF WAITING
UAB quarterback Ryder Burton is an example of staying prepared for your opportunity. The Springville, Utah native has played for three schools over the past three years, without seeing any significant playing time until yesterday, amid a rollercoaster week in the Blazers program. On October 12th, the news broke that UAB was firing head coach Trent Dilfer after the team's 2-4 start to the season. Then, yesterday, before the Blazers’ home game against No. 22 Memphis, it was announced that starting quarterback Jalen Kitna would miss the game due to an upper-body injury.
This resulted in Burton receiving the opportunity he needed from interim head coach Alex Mortensen. He made an instant impact by completing 74% of his passes for 258 yards and 3 touchdowns, leading the Blazers to a 31-24 upset win over No. 22 Memphis. In his post-game presser, Burton spoke on how he was ready for this moment, “I’ve been to three schools in three years, and it’s tough when you’re not playing the game you love. But I prepared like I’m the starter for three years, and I think tonight showed dividends of that.”
Before playing for UAB, he began his college career at BYU, where he redshirted in 2023, and then he transferred to West Virginia in 2024, where he had a backup role. His patience and perseverance paid off in a big way yesterday, delivering UAB’s first Top 25 win since 2021.
JaCobian Morgan Shows Championship Pedigree In Jackson State’s Thrilling Win Over Alabama State
Jackson, Mississippi, was the place to be on Saturday for an epic battle between SWAC East foes Alabama State and No. 14 Jackson State. There was much hype surrounding this matchup, which many labeled as the HBCU Game of the Year, and it did not disappoint. It was a game full of emotion, big plays, lead changes, and more. The 44,000 people in attendance witnessed an instant college football classic.
Jackson State quarterback JaCobian Morgan helped lead the Tigers to an HBCU National Championship in 2024, and he put his championship pedigree on display against the Hornets on Saturday when his team needed it the most. Alabama State took a 34-31 lead with 4 minutes and 36 seconds remaining in the 4th quarter and silenced the JSU homecoming crowd. Morgan showed great poise and delivered in the clutch by putting together a game-winning drive and finding Nate Rembert for an 18-yard touchdown with 50 seconds remaining to put the Tigers on top 38-34.
His will to win has earned him the trust of JSU’s coaching staff. During the post-game press conference, Jackson State head coach T.C. Taylor stated that Morgan called the game-winning touchdown. “JaCobian comes running to me after the timeout, and he said Coach, I got a play. He made the call that threw the touchdown to Nate. That’s what leaders do.” Morgan finished the game, completing 70% of passes (16/23) for 191 yards and 5 touchdowns through the air, while rushing for 66 yards on the ground.
It was an elite quarterback duel as Alabama State quarterback Andrew Body put on a show as well. The Tigers’ defense was able to get a goal-line stop with 1 second remaining to secure the win over Body’s Hornets.
Coach T.C. Taylor and Jackson State improved to 5-1 overall and 3-0 in SWAC play with the win.
Florida True Freshman Dallas Wilson Shines & Honors Late Mom
Coach Billy Napier and the Florida Gators football team got a much-needed spark in the wide receiver room from true freshman wide receiver Dallas Wilson.
The Tampa native and class of 2025 4-star signee made an instant impact in his 1st start with the Gators yesterday against No. 9 Texas. He recorded 6 receptions for 111 yards and two touchdowns, which helped lift Florida to a massive win over the Longhorns in the Swamp (29-21).
Wilson broke multiple Gator true freshman records, becoming the 1st Florida wideout to have 100+ receiving yards and catch a touchdown in his 1st career start.
After the game, Wilson was asked during his post-game press conference, "Where does his confidence come from?" He responded by saying, “I say from my mother. My mom had passed, her name Lisa. She was very confident. She believed she could do anything in the world, and I guess that just carried on to me.”
While playing a key role in one of the biggest wins of the Billy Napier era, Dallas Wilson had “Lisa Son” on his eyeblack, honoring his mom.
THE BUZZ IS THERE FOR ALABAMA STATE’S HOMECOMING
It’s Homecoming week in Montgomery, Alabama, with Alabama State (3-1, 1-0) set to play host to Bethune-Cookman (2-3, 1-0) on Saturday, October 4th, at 2:00 PM CT on SWAC TV. The Hornet faithful has a lot to cheer about as Coach Eddie Robinson Jr. and the ASU football team had an impressive September. Alabama State nearly upset UAB in the season opener, losing 52-42. After an electrifying offensive performance in Birmingham, the Hornets have gone on to win three consecutive games. They’ve scored 30+ points in every game this season, averaging 37.8 points per game, which is 12th overall in the FCS and 1st in Division 1 HBCU football. ASU quarterback Andrew Body has played sensational through 4 games, completing 70% of his passes for 867 yards and 12 touchdowns through the air, while rushing for 235 yards and 1 touchdown on the ground. Body currently ranks 3rd overall in FCS passing efficiency at 205.3. Speaking of rankings, the Hornets received 11 votes in the latest AFCA FCS Top 25 Coaches Poll, which was released yesterday. It will be fascinating to see if they can maintain the momentum as we enter October, with key SWAC matchups on the horizon, starting with Bethune-Cookman on Saturday.
No. 17 Jackson State Makes It 7 Straight Wins Over Rival Southern
Coach T.C. Taylor and the Jackson State football team put their championship pedigree on display in front of the 27,487 people who packed A.W. Mumford Stadium for the Boombox Classic last night in Baton Rouge, LA. The No. 17 Tigers found themselves down 13-7 early in the 2nd quarter, after Southern running back Trey Holly exploded for a 73-yard touchdown run to give the Jaguars the lead, and had the home crowd in a frenzy. Jackson State remained poised and responded by scoring 31 unanswered points and winning the game 38-13. JaCobian Morgan led the way for the Tigers, completing 21 of 31 passes for 337 yards and 2 touchdowns. This is JSU’s 7th straight victory over Southern. The reigning Celebration Bowl Champs improved to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in SWAC play.
Ty Simpson Shines In Alabama’s Gutsy Road Win Over No. 5 Georgia
The No. 17 Alabama Crimson Tide made a trip to Athens, GA, a place where a visiting team hasn’t beaten the Georgia Bulldogs in their last 33 home games. That all changed last night when Alabama stunned Dawg Nation in Sanford Stadium, winning 24-21 over Georgia. Ty Simpson, a senior quarterback for Alabama who waited his turn after sitting behind Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe for the first 3 years of his career in Tuscaloosa, rose to the occasion last night. Simpson completed 24 of 38 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns through the air while adding one touchdown on the ground. After the game, he stated in his post-game press conference, “We had a chip on our shoulder. We know we didn’t play up to our standard in week 1.” Alabama has now won 3 consecutive games since falling to Florida State in week 1.
Diego Pavia: “I want to be the best version of me for those kids that only go to one game”
No. 20 Vanderbilt put on a show against Georgia State last night in a rematch game, winning 70-21. It’s the most points the Commodores have scored in a game since 1918. With the victory, Vanderbilt is 4-0 for the 1st time since 2008. Star quarterback Diego Pavia led the way for an explosive offensive attack, completing 18 of 24 of his passes for 245 yards and one touchdown through the air, while leading the team in rushing with 86 yards on the ground and one touchdown. He discussed the motivation behind his performance and why he gives his all, regardless of the opponent, during his post-game press conference.
“I always think that no matter who you play, there’s always going to be one kid last time seeing you. I don’t come from a lot of money, so I remember going to one game, and that was my only impression. I want to be the best version of me for those kids that only go to one game”. (Via: Vanderbilt Athletics)
FIU Beats FAU For 1st Time Since 2016
Under 1st-year head coach Willie Simmons, the FIU Panthers are setting new standards early in this 2025 season. For the 1st time since 2016, Florida International defeated rival Florida Atlantic in the Shula Bowl, 38-28 in front of the Panther faithful at Pitbull Stadium in Miami, Florida. FAU led 21-17 at halftime, before FIU turned up the intensity in the third quarter. Coach Simmons’ squad scored 21 points unanswered in the third quarter, which put the game out of reach. FIU was led by the QB & RB duo of Keyone Jenkins and Kejon Owens in the victory. Jenkins completed 18 of 24 of his passes for 184 yards and 1 touchdown through the air, while rushing for 43 yards and 1 touchdown on the ground. Owens rushed for 173 yards and 2 touchdowns on 19 carries, averaging 9.1 yards per carry. The Panthers improved to 2-1 on the season and will start conference play next week against Delaware at home on September 20.
Delaware State Picks Up 1st Win Of DeSean Jackson Era
Delayed but not denied was the theme of Delaware State's 37-32 victory over UAlbany last night. In his home opener in Dover, Delaware, Hornets head coach DeSean Jackson experienced a weather delay just like his former team, Philadelphia faced on Thursday night against the Dallas Cowboys; similar to the Eagles, DSU ultimately emerged victorious. Sacramento State transfer quarterback Kaiden Bennett led the way for Delaware State with a gutsy performance. He completed 17 of 27 of his passes for 171 yards, and rushed for 96 yards and 3 touchdowns; including the go-ahead score with 34 seconds remaining in the game. The Hornets improved to 1-1, following the 1st victory of the Coach DeSean Jackson era.
Prairie View Wins Thriller Over TSU In Tremaine Jackson’s Debut
The Labor Day Classic took place last night in Houston, Texas, at the home of the Texas Southern Tigers, a city and school Prairie View A&M head coach Tremaine Jackson is extremely familiar with. Jackson is a native of H-Town and played for Texas Southern as a defensive tackle during the 2002-03 seasons. A lot has changed since his playing days. He’s coming off a 2024 season where he led Valdosta State to the NCAA Division II National Championship Game as the school’s head coach. His success at the D2 level caught the attention of TSU’s rival, Prairie View A&M, which decided to hire him as its head coach this past December. On August 30, 2025, Coach Jackson returned to his hometown to face off against his former school in the Labor Day Classic, for his debut game on his birthday. His homecoming was one to remember as the Prairie View A&M Panthers won a thriller on the final play of the game. With two seconds remaining in the game, PV trailed TSU 21-16 before Panthers quarterback Cameron Peters found Rodny Ojo in the end zone for a walk-off touchdown. Coach Jackson won his 1st game as a Division 1 head coach with a final score of 22-21.
Alabama State’s Andrew Body Shines In Loss At UAB
Earlier this week during Alabama State’s weekly media presser, quarterback Andrew Body stated, “it's time to put the show on display," in response to a question about his return to the field, following a season-ending shoulder injury he suffered in 2024. On Thursday night in Birmingham, Alabama, Body kept his word and more, by putting on an absolute clinic in the Hornets’ 52-42 loss against UAB. He completed 75% of his passes (18/24), throwing for 312 yards, and totaling 5 touchdowns (4 passing and 1 rushing). At one point in the game, Alabama State had a 28-17 lead early in the 3rd quarter. His performance was one of the best individual efforts in recent history, from an HBCU player facing off against an FBS team.
About Body
The redshirt junior is a native of Corpus Christi, Texas, where he left an unforgettable mark in high school. Body’s name is in the record books, ranking 3rd all-time in Texas High School passing yards with an impressive 13,000 yards, according to his bio on Alabama State’s team website. He started his college career at Texas Southern as a class of 2021 signee, where he played for 3 seasons. During his time at TSU, he threw for 2,839 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 887 yards and 6 touchdowns. Body transferred to Alabama State in 2024, but only played in one game last season due to injury. After his performance against UAB, Alabama State fans are excited about Body leading the way in 2025.
Photo Credit: Alabama State Athletics
NCCU’s Chris Mosley Named 2025 MEAC/SWAC Challenge MVP
The North Carolina Central Eagles ran the ball effectively in their dominant 31-14 MEAC/SWAC Challenge win over the Southern Jaguars last night. It all started with the exceptional performance of NCCU running back Chris Mosley, who was named the MVP of the game. He rushed for a career-high 174 yards and 1 touchdown, on just 15 carries, averaging 11.4 yards per carry. The Fort Worth, Texas, native started his college career on the JUCO level at Cisco College in Cisco, Texas, before transferring to NCCU in 2022. Before the 2025 season, Mosley had a reserve role in the Eagles' running back room, accumulating 502 rushing yards and 9 total touchdowns across the past three seasons. The redshirt senior let the entire world know during the Eagles’ national televised game on ABC yesterday that he’s ready to lead the charge, after exploding for a 49-yard touchdown run to retake the lead in the second quarter, which ignited a fire on NCCU’s sideline, and they never looked back. During the Eagles’ post-game conference, Mosley stated, “My main focus in that running back room was just being electric, giving those guys energy, showing them that we here, we came to play, and I think I did that”.
Photo by: Doug Burt/NCCU Athletics