Jacksonville, AL – Jax State Huffs its way to victory over Sam Houston State, then puffs in victory while celebrating chance to play host to Conference USA title game.
By Joe Medley
Jax State 21, SHSU 11
Jacksonville State beat Sam Houston State 21-11 on Saturday, wearing all-black uniforms with CUSA patches, playing in a stadium with a title sponsor, with new turf and a brand-spanking-new field house at AmFirst Stadium’s west end.
Gamecocks’ head coach Rich Rodriguez, who has three “Power 5” stops to his credit, surprised them with cigars, and they returned to Burgess-Snow Field for a victory puff after securing a berth in the CUSA championship game.
Update: factor in Western Kentucky’s loss to Liberty on Saturday, and Jax State will play host to the CUSA title game on Dec. 6 at 6:06 p.m.
As all of this played out Saturday, it was striking to recall the last time Jax State played Sam Houston State on the same field.
Actually, it was the artist formerly known as JSU that won their FCS semifinal 62-10 on that memorable December day in 2015. The program’s recent move up to FBS came with rebranding, so call the Gamecocks Jax State.
That old turf now serves as The Marching Southerners’ practice field, a block away on campus.
When Jax State, ahem, JSU beat the brakes off of Sam Houston State in 2015, the Gamecocks did it in red-on-red uniforms.
Those Gamecocks also had digital-camouflage alternate uniforms that blushed even the most gimmicky of gimmick hounds.
No camo to be found in the Gamecocks’ extensive closet of uniform combinations now.
About all that JSU’s FCS high-water mark and Jax State’s most recent FBS high-water mark have in common was beating Sam Houston State on home turf.
That came with a sweetener, via Sam Houston State coach K.C. Keeler.
“We all had a chip on our shoulder this week,” Jax State quarterback Tyler Huff said following the Gamecocks’ eighth consecutive victory after an 0-3 start. “Sam Houston’s head coach had some words to say about us, not in a disrespectful way, but saying we should be 5-5, that we should’ve lost the last two games.”
Indeed, Jax State’s last two victories required a “Hail Mary” pass to force overtime at Louisiana Tech and nervous moments in a 34-31 victory over Florida International, but that wasn’t even the best part of the bulletin-board material that partly field Jax State on Saturday.
“Saying that we only score style points, and that kind of stuff, we all took that to heart,” Huff said. “I was telling Coach Rod at the end, ‘Let’s air it out. Let’s go score and show them ‘style points.’”
Rodriguez kept it conservative, and Huff kept coming at Sam Houston state with 30 rushes for a career-high 177 yards.
Tailback Tre Stewart, who has 1,345 yards rushing this season, had a relative day off with 99 yards as Huff pulled and powered his way to touchdown runs of three, 38 and seven yards.
Huff and Stewart have spent this season taking Jax State fans back to their days as JSU fans in 2015, with the zone-read combination of Eli Jenkins and Troymaine Pope scared the style points out of opponents.
Both quarterback and tailback could go 80 yards back then. Both could house their FCS competition.
Huff and Stewart just go and go and go for the 2024 version of Jax State, and the Gamecocks Huffed their way to victory over Sam Houston State this time.
Then the Gamecocks puffed their way to satisfaction, knowing that they don’t even have to win next week at Western Kentucky to play host to the CUSA title game.
Nine years after hosting three FCS playoff games, Jax State will host an FBS conference’s title game.
A lot happened between Sam Houston State in 2015 and Sam Houston State in 2024, a lot that makes Jax State’s current state so much more remarkable. A program that had a losing record in its final FCS playoff-eligible season, and fired the coach who took the Gamecocks to their FCS zenith, now counts a bowl victory and a conference-final hosting rights to his credits in two FBS seasons.
It’s not supposed to happen this way, but the Gamecocks Huffed, puffed and blew what we all used to know as transition normalcy down.
Game updates
–Kickoff, 11 a.m.
–Sam Houston State wins the toss, defers to second half. Jax State to receive opening kickoff.
FIRST QUARTER
–The Gamecocks drive down the field, and QB Tyler Huff scores on a 3-yard RPO. Garrison Rippa’s PAT is good at 9:45. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 5:15. JAX STATE 7, SHSU 0
SECOND QUARTER
–SHSU gets on the board with Christian Pavon’s 34-yard field goal. Drive: 9 plays, 41 yards, 4:53. JAX STATE 7, SHSU 3
–Huff keeps for a 38-yard TD run at 5:14, and Rippa hits the PAT. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:58. JAX STATE 14, SHSU 3
THIRD QUARTER
–SHSU gets on the board on its opening drive of the second half. Hunter Watson keeps for a 21-yard TD run, also keeps for the conversion at 8:16. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 6:37. JAX STATE 14, SHSU 11
–After SHSU recovers a Flip Rudolph fumble on a punt return at Jax State’s 14, Fred Perry and Jawaun Campbell combine for a third-down sack. Povon misses a 37-yard field–goal try.
FOURTH QUARTER
–Huff keeps for a 7-yard TD run, and Rippa boots the PAT at 11:31. Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 6:07. Key play: Huff-to-Sean Brown for 22 yards to convert a key third down and get Jax State into the red zone. JAX STATE 21, SHSU 11
FINAL: Jax State defeats Sam Houston State 21-11 for the Gamecocks’; eighth consecutive victory, clinches a spot in the CUSA championship game. Coupled with Western Kentucky’s 38-21 loss to Liberty on Saturday, the Gamecocks’ victory clinched the right to play host to the CUSA title game Dec. 6 at 6:06 p.m.
