Kennesaw, GA – For the first half, the Jacksonville State Gamecocks and the Kennesaw State Owls fought beak to beak and claw to claw for an entertaining start to this contest. The Owls trailed 21-17 at the end of one half. However, in the second, the Gamecock s put up 42 more, and the Owls had no answers. Jacksonville State rudely welcomed Kennesaw State in their ConferenceUSA debut, 63-24.
Jacksonville State QB Tyler huff ran for 176 yards on 15 carries. He scored TDs from 6, 14 and 19 yards out. His longest jaunt went for 46 yards. In the air, he passed for 193 yards on 25 attempts. No TDs, but no INTs as well. Teammate RB Tre Steward carried 24 times for 134 yards and crossed the goal line four times. Three times he finished drives with one-yard runs. The eight rushing scores tied a Jacksonville State record accomplished twice in previous games.
Jacksonville State ready for take-off
The first half entertained. Stewart carried for 25 yards to the one for the game’s first score. Kennesaw State followed with Austin Welch’s 25-tyard FG by the end of the first. During the second period, KSU forced a turnover on downs at the 48. However, S Zechariah Poyser picked off his first of two Owl passes for the Gamecocks. A Stewart first down run and a 15-yard penalty put the Gamecocks on the KSU 20. Huff finished off the drive with a six-yard QB draw for a touchdown. JSU led, 14-3. JSU’s next drive started from its 21. Stewart carried this score over from the nine.
Before this game started to get out launched into a romp, Owl Qua Ashley took the ensuing kickoff and raced through Gamecocks for a 93-yard kickoff return. A fumble lost by the Gamecocks on their next possession put the Owls on their 33. They converted a third and eight at the 47 for a first down by Michael Benefield (17 carries for 112 yards, 1 TD) at the JSU 35. Benefield carried twice to get to the ten. On a third and goal, QB Davis Bryson rolled left to connect with his TE Carson Kent for a seven-yard TD pass with 1:49 left in the first. The Jacksonville Gamecocks marched down the field to the 16-yardline with 12 seconds remaining. On third down, the pass fell incomplete. Garrison Grippa’s 33-yard FG launched low and got blocked as time ran out. We looked forward to a competitive battle in the second half with Jacksonville State up, 21-17.
When we don’t care who wins, we just want competition
It didn’t turn out to be the game we had hoped for. Always like to see a competitive game. This one didn’t go that way. Jacksonville State drove to the 22. On fourth and one, Stewart picked up the first down. Huff faked a handoff to his back going right and ran a bootleg left for bootleg a 16-yard TD run. No defender challenged him. On the next KSU series, Poyser intercepted his second pass to take over from the JSU 35. Huff broke off for his longest run of the day for 46 yards. With 6:14 to play in the third, Stewart took in in from the one for a score to lead now, 35-17.
Kennesaw went three-and out on the next series. JSU started from the 32. On a third and six, they went down to the KSU 30 for a first down. Kennesaw could not halt the Jacksonville State running game that would total 384 rushing yards on this day. With :23 left in the third, Huff scored once again on a 19-yard draw play to extend the Gamecock lead, 42-17, over the Owls.
When you gotta go, you gotta go!
A full period remained to be played. It was getting late. I had an hour drive at least to the other side of Atlanta to a stay with friends there for an early start to tomorrow’s game between Auburn and Georgia in Athens. I figured; this one is over. Put it in the record books. It had been a long ride up from Troy this day after a game there the previous night. I must be getting old. Sitting in great seats right behind the KSU bench, I noted that the players on this latest of all FBS teams didn’t look very big. They had no depth – at least of a full-grown FBS program. They proved to have long way to go. As the FBS continues to expand, We have to ask: Are there enough players to go around for all 136 FBS teams to play for a national championship?” The easy answer is, “No.”
As expected, Jacksonville State marched on
On my way out of the stadium another cheer erupted. The Public Adress blared, “Jacksonville State interception return for a touchdown.” CB Jabari Mack took it back 30 yards for the score. I knew I had made the right move out at the right time. Didn’t want to watch another practice session.
As I left and maneuvered in and out of greater Atlanta traffic, Kennesaw added another score following a 68-yard drive on four plays. Benefield scored from the one. Stewart put up his third one-yard TD run following a 75-yard drive. I didn’t regret missing this fourth quarter scrimmage. It was long day. With 1:22 remaining as I was probably pulling into Charlie and Lynda Murren’s driveway, Mike Franklin scored on a 23-yard run. He sealed the deal for me to see my 133rd FBS team, 63-24.
Next time will be more competitive for KSU
If you can believe this, the next time the Owls play, they visit Middle Tennessee in Murfreesboro on a Tuesday, October 17. We’ll be there and even plan to tailgate beforehand with a few avid readers of my book, Fifty Years of Tailgate Tales: The Good, the Fun, and the Ugly. They’ve asked to meet me after reading about my fun, unique adventure.
This game should be more competitive. The Owls (0-5) will be playing the Blue Raiders, currently 1-4 before meeting Louisiana Tech on the road next Saturday. Jacksonville entertains New Mexico State (1-4, 0-2) this Wednesday night. And certainly, by now you’ve heard of Diego Pavia!
Sweet Home Alabama
Last season, he quarterbacked New Mexico State to their 9-win season and a big upset over Auburn, Alabama’s archrival. Well, just this past Saturday, he led Vanderbilt over Alabama in the biggest SEC upset ever, 40-35! As for Collegefootballfan.com, we just happened to leave this game this evening to go see Auburn play No. 4 Georgia fresh off the loss against No. 1 Alabama the previous week. Amazing how my life-long journey just winds around college football history. We can’t wait to see where the goal post tossed into the Cumberland River eventually ends up, somewhere in nearby Nashville!
-ed. by Steve Koreivo Member of Football Writers Association of America