Why TC Taylor was so happy BJ Washington had huge pick-six in Jackson State win vs Bethune-Cookman
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Late in the fourth quarter against Bethune-Cookman, Jackson State football found itself in a familiar situation.
After Jackson State turned the ball over with 1:46 left, the Tigers’ defense was once again forced to produce a game-sealing stop at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium on Nov. 15.
That’s exactly what defensive back B.J. Washington did when he intercepted B-CU quarterback Cam’Ron Ransom and ran the ball 82 yards the other way for a touchdown with 14 seconds left.
The pick-six sealed the 28-13 win for Jackson State (8-2, 6-1 SWAC) over Bethune-Cookman (5-6, 4-3), moving the Tigers just one win away from securing their spot in the SWAC Championship game.
“I saw the ball pop up, and I saw green grass, and the only thing I thought was go.” Washington said. “Defense needed a stop. We was on the field for a long time, so somebody had to make a play to get us off the field.”
Prior to the interception, Bethune-Cookman had advanced the ball from their own 38-yard line to just outside the red zone. A touchdown and two-point conversion would have tied the game in the final moments.
Instead, Washington jumped in front of Javon Ross, the intended receiver, for his first interception of the season. It’s the second game in a row that Jackson State has scored on an interception return, and it was JSU’s third forced turnover of the game.
“We needed turnovers, (the defense) got it done,” coach T.C. Taylor said. “B.J. with a big interception. I thought he was going to get caught. I’ve been messing with him about his speed on that, but it really blew the game open.”
In addition to being happy that Washington secured JSU’s win, Taylor was also glad to see him make the critical play for personal reasons.
Washington suffered a season-ending injury in the 2023 season and has since worked his way back to being healthy as one of JSU’s top defensive backs in 2024 and 2025.
“I’m just happy for him to get that moment,” Taylor said. “10, 15 years down the road, that’ll never go (away). He’s going to always remember that play today in the Vet. … I was just happy for him to persevere again, to come through and fight back from that injury, and you see when he’s healthy, he’s a hell of a football player.”
Tia Reid covers Jackson State sports for the Clarion Ledger. Email her at treid@gannett.com and follow her on X @tiareid65.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson State’s BJ Washington has huge pick-six vs Bethune-Cookman
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