Tennessee State’s defensive coordinator Cedric Thornton isn’t leaving any room for doubt. Appearing on The Uproar Radio Show, Thornton flat-out guaranteed his team will beat Jackson State in their season opener on August 29. Not just hopeful. Not confident. Guaranteed.
“It is non-negotiable that we going to lose this game,” Thornton said. “We are not losing this game. I don’t care what I got to do.”
He doubled down. Hard.
“We will not lose this game. I told the whole team that. Get it out your feelings — whatever you think, whatever you thought. We will not lose this game.”
The rivalry between these two HBCU programs runs deep, and Thornton’s comments just poured gas on the fire. The game kicks off at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville at 7:30 p.m., and it’s the renewal of a matchup that fans on both sides have circled for months.
The Quarterback Problem
A lot of that confidence from Thornton will have to back up against Jackson State quarterback Jared Lockhart. The kid is a problem. A freshman last season, Lockhart took over after Jacobian Morgan got hurt against Grambling State in the Las Vegas HBCU Classic and never really looked back. He played in seven games, started five, and threw for 1,187 yards with eight touchdowns and three picks. He completed 67.3 percent of his passes. He also ran for 189 yards and three more scores. That earned him SWAC Co-Freshman of the Year honors, and he made the preseason All-SWAC team this year.
Thornton knows what he’s dealing with. He called Lockhart a “big kid” at around 205 pounds and noted his favorite move: pushing the ball deep.
“He like throwing the deep ball. He ain’t as accurate all the time, but he got a big arm.”
Then Thornton added a detail that might hint at the defensive game plan. Lockhart, he said, doesn’t protect himself when he runs.
“He don’t like to slide. He don’t like to get down… that might not be good.”
It reads like a warning. Tennessee State’s defense will be looking for hits, especially if Lockhart tries to extend plays. That could get interesting fast.
Why This Matters Beyond August
This isn’t just one game. It’s a measuring stick for both programs early in the season. Tennessee State wants to establish itself as a contender in the OVC and on the national HBCU stage. Jackson State, coming off a solid season that featured a young quarterback who grew up fast, wants to prove last year wasn’t a fluke.
Guarantees in college football are risky. Especially when the other side has a quarterback who can burn you with his arm and his legs. But Thornton isn’t backing down. His players have heard the message. Now we see if they can deliver.
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