Jacksonville, AL – After concerning 0-3 start, Jax State finds strut, continues 3-0 answer with 54-13 ‘whiteout’ of New Mexico State at AmFirst Stadium.

Instant take: Jax State 54, New Mexico State 13

Jacksonville State’s football season appears to have settled into an Oreo.

There was the crunchy 0-3 start, complete with ugly routs at the hands of Coastal Carolina and Louisville.

The Gamecocks’ 54-13 “whiteout” of New Mexico State on Wednesday appears to confirm a creamy center, with routs of Southern Miss, Kennesaw State and the Aggies.

They’ve roared into Conference USA play with a 2-0 start.

Then comes more potential crunch, with the toughest part of Jax State’s CUSA schedule loaded in the season’s back half.

The last half will determine whether this season ends like the Gamecocks’ triumphant 2023, with a bowl or something better. Dare they dream of a milk-dip CUSA title?

Who knows, but Jax State is devouring CUSA’s lower half like a league contender should.

New Mexico State came into AmFirst Stadium with will Wednesday and took a 3-0 lead on Abraham Montano’s 53-yard field goal at 8:16 of the first quarter.

Jax State crushed the Aggies’ will and wound up leading 33-6 at halftime.

Tre Stewart’s 48-yard touchdown run at 1:25 of the second quarter and Tyler Huff’s 2-yard keeper for a score at 0:20, after Jawaun Campbell strip-sacked NMSU’s Santino Marucci and J-Rock Swain recovered the fumble, turned the Marching Southerners into the night’s climactic act.

Lots of folks went home joyful from the band’s halftime “Joy” routine, and secure in yet another blowout victory.

In balance with an ugly 0-3 start that made fans question whether 2023 was lightning in a bottle,  the Gamecocks turned the ugly on their opposition to reach 3-3.

It begs the question: how could the Gamecocks look so bad to start the season then look so good?

“The simple answer is, there wasn’t anything different,” Jax State coach Rich Rodriguez said. “It was just doing the same stuff and not panicking.”

Welcome to college football’s new normal, where rosters get major makeovers from one year to the next. Jax State started this season with 60 new players, eight new starters on defense and a new defensive coordinator.

It took a few games to figure things out.

They took beatings from Coastal and Louisville, a top-level Group of 5 team and a Power 4 conference contender.

Jax State’s current look started to take form when quarterback Tyler Huff gained footing in the Louisville game.

The Gamecocks lost a game they should’ve won at Eastern Michigan. That loss in double-overtime will be the game of greatest regret, if Jax State doesn’t go bowling somewhere.

They should be 4-2, but they’re 3-3 with struggling Middle Tennessee State next and then a gauntlet that includes Liberty (4-0), Sam Houston State (5-1) and Western Kentucky (3–2) in the season’s second half.

The season’s second half will answer a lot, but at least Jax State made it a question again. That’s an upgrade from the “welp” that was an 0-3 start.

The team that lost its first two games by a combined score of 104-41 has won its last three 161-44. The Gamecocks put up 50-plus points in back-to-back games for the first time since the 2015 FCS playoffs.

Over the past three games, Jax State beat up on teams that have a combined one victory, and Wednesday’s visitor was not the New Mexico State of Diego Pavia and Jerry Kill. Last year’s head coach/quarterback battery that helped the Aggies beat Jax State in Las Cruces spent Saturday helping Vanderbilt beat Alabama.

This year’s Aggies were part of the creamy center of Jax State’s Oreo season. We’ll learn how legit the Gamecocks have become when they reach the next crunchy bite.

For now, a team that swallowed disappointment through three games, savors every bite of success. Just not too much.

“After the first three games, there was probably a lot of negative talk,” Rodriguez said. “We didn’t really pay attention to that.

“Now, there’s a little bit more positive talk, and it’s like Coach (Nick) Saban said … ‘rat poison.’ We’re not worried about that. I still think there’s another step or two we can take.”

Game updates

–Kickoff 6:30 p.m.
–Jax State to receive opening kickoff.

FIRST QUARTER

–Fair catch, Jax State to start at its 25.
Drive stalls at NMSU 24, and Garrison Rippa misses a 41-yard field goal wide right. Flag on the play.

–NMSU starts on its 24.
Aggies have success running the ball, then stall after three passes. Credit Jax State coverage for being there on double-reverse pass attempt. Abraham Montano hits a 53-yard field goal at 8:16. Drive: 7 plays, 41, 3:01. NMSU 3, JAX STATE 0

–Touchback, Jax State starts on its 25
Huff bubble screen to Michael Pettway goes 55 yards to the NMSU 10, setting up Tre Stewart’s 10-yard TD run at 6:37. Rippa’s PAT is good. Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:39. JAX STATE 7, NMSU 3

–NMSU starts on its 18.
Jax State forces a 3-out, punt.

–Flip Rudolph”s short return sets up Jax State at its 33.
After NMSU called for DPI, but drive stalls. Jack Dawson punt downed at NMSU 2.

–NMSU takes over at its 2.
Jax State stuffs Mike Washington for a loss on third and 1, and George Ebberle punts. Downed at Aggies’ 46.

–Jax State to start on NMSU’s 46.
Tyler Huff’s deep ball to Pettway yanked out of his hands at the goal line, and Dawson punt downed at the NMSU 1.

SECOND QUARTER

–NMSU starts at its 1.
Seth McGowan stuffed by Jawaun Campbell for an apparent safety. Play under review. Safety stands at 14:51. JAX STATE 9, NMSU 3

–Pettway returns 35 yards, and Jax State starts at its 45.
Stewart breaks wide open on a wheel route, and Huff hits him for a 32-yard TD pass. Rippa’s PAT is good at 12:10. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 2:32. JAX STATE 16, NMSU 3.

–NMSU takes over on its 23.
Aggies get to Jax State 22, fumble. Looked like they tried to pull a direct snap while the QB was signaling to the sideline. Travis Franklin recovers at Jax State 28. NMSU running back Monte Watkins is down, and medical staff on the field with immobilizing board and stretcher. Watkins is rolled off of the field. Helmet still on.

–Jax State takes over on its 28.
Jax State goes 3-out, punts.

–NMSU’s TJ Pride makes the fair catch at Aggies’ 33.
NMSU QB Santino Marucci crushed after pass. Flags fly. Roughing and targeting called on Fred Perry. Play is under review. Marucci hit his head on the turf. Targeting confirmed. Perry ejected. Jax State intercepted the pass, but no go after the penalty. Parker Awad in at QB for NMSU. Montano hits 41-yard field goal. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 3:08. JAX STATE 16, NMSU 6

–Touchback, Jax State to start at its 25.
Huff hits a 43-yard bomb to Cam Vaughn to the NMSU 11. … OL Clay Webb hobbled after the next play, limps off field. … After a holding penalty move and a sack of Huff move Jax State back, Rippa hits a 45-yard field goal at 2:51. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 2:29. JAX STATE 19, NMSU 6

–Touchback, NMSU starts at its 25.
Marucci back in at QB. … Aggies get one first down, but Jax State forces punt at 1:45.

–Rudolph’s short return spots Jax State at its 18.
Webb not on the field with offense. … Stewart breaks a 48-yard TD run. Rippa kick good at 1:25.JAX STATE 26, NMSU 6

–After Jax State’s Campbell sacks Marucci and forces a fumble, which J-Rock Swain recovers, Huff carries for a 2-yard TD run. Rippa PAT good at 0:20. JAX STATE 33, NMSU 6

THIRD QUARTER

–Jax State opens the second half like it closed the first half … Andrew Paul with a 28-yard TD run. Rippa’s kick is good at 9:42. JAX STATE 40, NMSU 6

–Huff throws a 5-yard touchdown pass to Brock Rechsteiner and Rippa’s PAT extends the lead at 3:45. 7 plays, 33 yards, 4:03. JAX STATE 47, NMSU 6

FOURTH QUARTER

–Logan Smothers keeps for a 73-yard TD run at 14:46. Rippa adds the PAT. JAX STATE 54, NMSU 6

–Awad throws a 21-yard TD pass to PJ Johnson. Montano’s PAT is good at 10:37. JAX STATE 54, NMSU 13