Jacksonville, AL – Move up nets Jax State Oklahoma-based traveler who added the ‘Friendliest Campus in the South’ to his 15-year list of FBS campus visits
Jax State moved up to Football Bowl Subdivision hoping to land on more proverbial radars, but who knew that moving up would land the “Friendliest Campus In The South” on travel bucket lists.
Bill Lawter, wearing his closest approximation of a red button-up shirt to go with his black, Oklahoma State cap, checked one off Saturday.
The 78-year-old former tax attorney for Conoco and sometimes travel partner J.B. Parsons, 73, a retired Conoco financial analyst, attended Jax State’s victory over East Tennessee State on Saturday.
It marked FBS campus visit No. 126 for Lawter and came as part of a swing that included UAB on Thursday night and would’ve included Georgia Tech on Friday, had Tech played Louisville in the Ramblin’ Wreck’s home stadium.
No neutral venues like Meredes Benz Stadium, Lawter said. That’s an unwritten rule in this bucket-list pursuit. It must be the genuine home stadium.
He and Parsons caught Burgess-Snow Field in a construction phase, with the Loring and Debbie White Football Complex standing as a beam-and-concrete skeleton.
It only enhanced Lawter’s latest FBS experience.
“Clearly, Jacksonville State cares about what they’re doing,” he said. “They’re making improvements. They’re trying to position themselves to hold their own in Conference USA.”
Lawter’s travels originate from his home in Ponca CIty, Okla., a town of nearly 25,000 people and named after a local Native American tribe. Parsons lives in Bixby and used to live in Ponca City.
As the crow flies, they watched football nearly seven-and-a-half hours from home Saturday.
Assuming Lawter reaches his FBS travel goal, he’ll experience 134 of what he counts as 136 FBS campuses. That includes Idaho, which dropped down to Football Championship Subdivision after his visit, and Kennesaw State, which moves up in 2024.
Why won’t Lawter visit all FBS campuses? He’s been to Hawai’i four times and sees no reason to fly there just for a football game.
“If I happen to be in Hawai’i when it’s football season, then I’ll go,” he said.
He has no plans to attend a game in Norman, Okla.
“I’m not going to go to the University of Oklahoma, because I don’t like the bastards,” he said. “My daughter is trying to talk me into it. She went to SMU, and next weekend, they play in Oklahoma.”
The inspiration for Lawter’s bucket list started once upon a good year for Oklahoma State. He decided to follow the team to Texas Tech, Texas, Missouri and Iowa State. He went to Iowa State solo and dressed in OSU orange but “fell into” local hospitality.
Invited to tour the new indoor practice facility, Lawter saw tables set up to feed dignitaries.
“We go walking in like we own the place, and it was obvious that we shouldn’t be in there,” he said. “Sure enough, after about a minute, some Iowa State official with all of these badges comes over, shaking his finger at us,
“He said, ‘Nobody is allowed in here unless they’re eating, so we got in line and started eating.”
The experience prompted Lawter to wonder aloud to Sue, his wife of 50 years. What if he went places with “no dog in the hunt.”
That started the bucket list, and bucket-list travels started at LSU. Locals saw his Oklahoma tag and offered him Jack Daniels to go with his Coke.
He wound up meeting and eating with 30 people, and his travels became about meeting people.
“I got hooked and said, I’m going to see how many of these I can do,” he said. “After a certain part, I said, ‘I realized that maybe I can do all of them.’”
Jax State is No. 129.
“They have buildings on the campus that are sort of homogenous in their architectural style,” Lawter said. “It gives more of a campus atmosphere, and Jacksonville State has that.
“It’s pretty, with the rolling hills and stuff like that. The stadium isn’t as big as some, but that doesn’t make any difference to me. It’s fun.”
Lawter said he and Parons enjoyed UAB but consider Jax State’s club level “far superior.”
Game updates
–East Tennessee State to receive the opening kickoff.
FIRST QUARTER
–Logan Smothers starts at QB for Jax State. After two handoffs, his first pass of the season is incomplete. Jax State goes three-out.
–ETSU drives to within first and goal at the 8, but Jax State’s defense holds. Ewan Johnson hits the short field goal, and the Bucs lead the Gamecocks 3-0 at 9:18.
–Smothers back for Jax State’s second possession. A holding penalty on Ron Wiggins set the Gamecocks back. Smothers underthrew a quick out to Perry Carter then completed a dump off to Wiggins for a short gain on third and long.
–Jax State D forces a three-out, and ETSU will punt from its 14.
–Smothers hits a medium slant for 22 yards to Jamarye Joiner. A few players later, Smothers hits Sterling Galban on a deep cross for a 24-yard TD pass. Alen Karajic’s PAT good, and Jax State leads 7-3 at 3:20. Scoring drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 2:01.
–Jax State’s Kekoura Tarnue gets a tipped-ball interception and returns 14 yards to ETSU’s 10. Sets up Wiggins’ 10-yard TD run. Karajic’s PAT puts Jax State up 14-3 at 1:49.
–JSU’s Devin Baldwin called for roughing the passer and targeting after hitting ETSU QB Tyler Riddell. Targeting confirmed on review, so Baldwin out the rest of the game. ETSU completed the pass, then add the penalty to Jax State’s 29.
SECOND QUARTER
–Jax State’s D stops the threat, and a delay penalty takes ETSU out of field goal range. Nate Brackett pins Jax State at its 5.
–Zion Webb in at QB for Jax State, 7:04. Throws a deep slant for Carter. Had it been in stride, would’ve been a big play, but ETSU safety Sheldon Arnold able to break it up. Smothers back in at QB and caps the drive with a 2-yard TD zone-read keep. Karajic’s kick makes it 21-3, Jax State, ate 4:06.
–Jax State gets the ball back with 1:32 left, gets into position for a 54-yard field goal. Timeout, ETSU at 0:04. Karajic has the distance but missed wide right.
Jax State leads ETSU 21-3.
HALFTIME
THIRD QUARTER
–Catching up on things after doing an interview here in the press box. Jax State now leads 42-3 at 7:12. Jax State’s three third-quarter TDs include Malik Jackson’s 42-yard run, Smothers’ 3-yard run and J’Wan Evans’ 2-yard run. Fumble recoveries set up the last two scores, which came on drives of 23 and 32 yards.
–A Jalen Bustamante interception and 18-yard return spots Jax State at ETSU’s 24. The Gamecocks have second down and seven at the 11 as the quarter ends.
FOURTH QUARTER
— Evans with a 2-yard TD run, and Jax State leads ETSU 49-3 at 13:54.
FINAL: Jax State wins 49-3.
Here is a link for game statistics.
