Mason Pickett-Hicks rushes for 210 yards and 2 TDs to lead South Carolina State by Florida A&M 31-13

Mason Pickett-Hicks rushed for 210 yards and two touchdowns to lead South Carolina State past Florida A&M 31-13 in the Orange Blossom ClassicByThe Associated PressSeptember 6, 2026, 8:58 PMMIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Mason Pickett-Hicks rushed for 210 yards and two touchdowns to lead South Carolina State past Florida A&M 31-13 on Sunday in the Orange Blossom Classic.Two plays after the game resumed following a lightning delay in the first quarter, Pickett-Hicks went untouched through the line and raced for a 58-yard touchdown. Pickett-Hicks added a 32-yard touchdown early in the third for a 28-6 lead. SC State outgained FAMU 479-161, including 292 yards on the ground. Pickett-Hicks, who carried it just 17 times for a 12.4 average, recorded SC State's first 200-yard rushing game since Jawarn Howell's 283 against Howard in 2023. Keely Watson was 10-of-17 passing for 168 yards with two interceptions for SC State (2-0), which is ranked No. 21 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll.Isaiah Knowles and Dustin Fletcher combined to complete 13 of 30 passes for 162 yards for Florida A&M (1-1).Popular ReadsSC State: Returns home to play Virginia State next Saturday. FAMU: Plays at No. 7 Miami on Thursday. ___Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here. Visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here.Sponsored Content by Taboola