Box Score JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Josh Samuel ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns, Sean Brown caught two other scores and a ball-hawking Jacksonville State University defense helped the Gamecocks outlast Abilene Christian University 40-25 Saturday in JSU Stadium.
In another game for the Wildcats totaling nearly 900 yards of offense between the two teams, JSU 4-5 (2-2) took an early 14-0 lead, intercepted three passes and held off several rallies from ACU (4-5, 1-4) to break a two-game losing streak and earn its second win in the WAC/ASUN Challenge series.
ACU wide receiver
Kobe Clark moved into third place on the Wildcats' all-time pass reception list with a career-high 143 yards on six catches. One was a personal-best 86-yard scoring pass from quarterback
Peyton Mansell, the Abilene Christian quarterback who completed 20 of 29 passes for a career-best 301 yards and ran for two TDs.
Jacksonville State, which upset Florida State in its second game this season, announced this week a move to FBS and Conference USA, starting in 2023-24.
JSU's Southern hospitality on Burgess-Snow Field this afternoon was less than cordial, with the home team converting three Wildcat turnovers into 12 points and threatening to run away with the game in its early moments.
Mansell's second and eighth passes of the game were intercepted, with the first deflected and returned 52 yards for a TD by linebacker Markail Benton just 96 seconds into the game.
The pick-6 – just the first defensive TD allowed by ACU in 2021 – was followed by a solid drive from ACU that ended on the JSU 31-yard line when the Wildcats fell short on a fourth-down gamble. Jacksonville State struck right back with another TD, this time a 6-yard run by Josh Samuel that gave the Gamecocks a 14-0 advantage with 5:20 left in the quarter.
A second JSU interception, by cornerback Malik Feaster, came on the first play of ACU's third drive but the Wildcats forced the Gamecocks to turn the ball back over on downs at the Abilene Christian 31.
ACU moved downfield and opened its scoring the same way it did last week, with a field goal by
Blair Zepeda. This time his 24-yarder pulled the Wildcats closer, 14-3, just a little less than two minutes into the second quarter.
But on their ensuing drive, the Gamecocks restored their two-score lead on Senior Day with a 30-yard field goal by JSU freshman Alen Karajic.
The Wildcats responded with a gritty 64-yard drive late in the half, with Mansell scoring his fourth rushing TD of the season at the 1:40 mark. The drive was aided by passes of 26 yards to tight end
Remington Lutz and 17 yards to Clark, and a 20-yard scramble by Mansell. His 1-yard run pulled ACU to within one score, 17-10 with 100 seconds left in the quarter.
JSU closed the second quarter with a 21-yard field goal by Karajic with 10 seconds left, then opened the third quarter with its longest drive of the game, a 75-yarder it spanned in seven plays when quarterback Zerrick Cooper threw a 22-yard TD pass to tight end Sean Brown with 12:15 left that extended the Gamecock lead to 27-10.
ACU rallied with a 70-yard drive it covered in just six plays, including a 30-yard trick pass from Mansell to wide receiver
Alex Spadone, and 36 yards on the ground by Mansell. The redshirt sophomore's 15-yard sprint pulled the Wildcats to within 10 again, 27-17 with 7:12 remaining in the third quarter.
Samuel, however, scored his second rushing TD of the game on the first play of the fourth quarter, a 17-yarder that moved JSU ahead 34-17.
On the next drive, with JSU's Matt Laroche looking to be on his way to a long-distance scoring run, linebacker
Tory Hargrove punched the ball away from behind and cornerback
Ryan Stapp recovered at the Gamecock 1-yard line.
However, Mansell's third interception of the game on the ensuing drive put JSU in scoring position once again. On 4
th-and-5 deep in ACU territory, Cooper tossed another TD pass to Brown, this time a 15-yarder, to open a 40-17 lead with 6:44 left.
Clark's 86-yard catch-and-run TD from Mansell with 1:23 left to play closed out the scoring and featured a highlight-worthy straight-arm of a JSU defender before reaching the end zone.
JSU outgained ACU in total yards, 497-405. Each team was perfect in the red zone: ACU on its three tries and the Gamecocks on each of its five.
Mansell was ACU's leading rusher with 58 yards on 15 carries, and two TDs. Spadone caught four passes for 83 yards.
For JSU, Cooper completed 18 of 32 passes for 214 yards and two scores. Running back Uriah West added eight rushes for 76 yards and wide receiver P.J. Wells caught five passes for 87 yards.
The Wildcat defense was led by three linebackers:
Hunter Kier had nine tackles (four solo), plus eight each from Hargrove (five solo) and
Greg Green. Defensive backs Stapp and
Brian Bullock had seven tackles each.
ACU returns home next Saturday to host WAC member and longtime regional rival Tarleton State at Wildcat Stadium. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. CST on Anthony Field.
PLAYS THAT MATTERED
1Q – Markail Benton intercepted a pass from
Peyton Mansell and returned it 52 yards for a TD, and Alen Karajic's successful PAT kick put JSU on top, 7-0.
1Q – Josh Samuel ran 6 yards for a TD to put the Gamecocks ahead, 14-0. Scoring drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 3:27
2Q –
Blair Zepeda's 24-yard field goal drew ACU closer, 14-3, with 13:07 left. Scoring drive: 10 plays, 62 yards, 4:17
2Q – Alen Karajic's 30-yard field goal put JSU up, 17-3. Scoring drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 5:19
2Q –
Peyton Mansell's 1-yard run shortened JSU's lead to 17-10. Scoring drive: 11 plays, 64 yards, 6:01
2Q – Karajic's 21-yard field goal extended the Gamecock lead to 20-10 with 10 seconds left. Scoring drive: 12 plays, 63 yards, 5:19
3Q – Sean Brown caught a 22-yard TD pass from Zerrick Cooper with 12:15 left, putting JSU up, 27-10.
3Q – Mansell ran 14 yards for another TD to make the new score JSU 27, ACU 17 with 4:02 left. Scoring drive: 6 plays, 70 yards, 3:10
4Q – Samuel ran 17 yards for a TD to give JSU a 34-17 lead with 14:52 left. Scoring drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:10
4Q – Brown caught a 15-yard TD pass from Cooper to stretch the JSU lead to 40-17 with 6:44 on the clock. 7 plays, 39 yards, 2:49
4Q –
Kobe Clark caught an 86-yard TD pass from Mansell with 1:23 left to play and
Davion Johnson ran in the successful PAT to make the final score 40-25. Scoring drive: 2 plays, 86 yards, :47
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- JSU's defensive TD early in the game was its FCS-leading fifth of the season.
- Kobe Clark moved to No. 3 on ACU's career reception list with his performance today. He passed Josh Fink (188 from 2016-19) and trails only former NFL standout Taylor Gabriel (215 from 2010-13) and Jerale Badon (235 from 2004-07). Clark has 192 catches and another year of eligibility.
- Mansell's 301 yards passing and Clark's 143 yards in receptions were career single-game highs for each.
STAT CORNER
- Blair Zepeda is a perfect 31 for 31 on PAT kicks this season.
- After one quarter, JSU led in rushing yards (51-47), passing yards (63-59), total yards (114-106) and on the scoreboard (14-0). ACU led in first downs (7-5).
- At the half, JSU led in rushing yards (108-78), total yards (233-217) and on the scoreboard (20-10). ACU led in passing yards (139-125). Both teams had 13 first downs.Â
NOTABLE
- The Wildcats are playing in their 100th season in 2021. Abilene Christian did not play football from 1943-45 because of World War II.
- This was ACU's first time to play Jacksonville State, a former 18-year member of the Ohio Valley Conference that moved to the Atlantic Sun Conference this year. Its time in the ASUN will be a short-lived membership: The Gamecocks announced this week they will be moving to FBS and joining Conference USA in 2023-24.
- ACU has several notable wins over teams from Alabama: an 84-6 win over Concordia in 2012, 34-7 (1975) and 38-35 (2014) victories over Troy, and 22-16 in overtime over West Alabama. The second win over Troy was its first over an FBS opponent in 55 seasons, and the 2012 defeat of West Alabama was an NCAA Division II playoff game.
- The Wildcats and Gamecocks have big wins over one high-profile opponent in common. They each defeated Florida State in Tallahassee: ACU 20-7 in 1953 and 13-0 in 1954, and JSU 20-17 in its second game this season.
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