Huntsville, TX – Jax State rallies to force overtime, beating Sam Houston State on the road to win four times in their first FBS season at 2-0 in CUSA
Logan Smothers’ 28-yard touchdown pass to Perry Carter and conversion pass to Quinton Lane with 13 seconds remaining in regulation triggered overtime as Jax State turned a 14-point deficit into a victory of 35-28 against Sam Houston State on Thursday.
The win helped lift the Gamecocks to 4-1 during their inaugural Football Bowl Subdivision season and 22-0 in their debut season as a member of Conference USA.
The win is two decades after they were defeated 42-7 to Sam Houston State. They were both Football Championship Subdivision programs then. Today, both are brand new FBS programs, and Conference USA members.
The game on Thursday was their second match after Jax State beat Sam Houston State at 62-10 in their 2015 FCS playoffs.
Smothers’ touchdown pass of 24 yards towards Sean Brown in the first overtime was decisive.
The game-tying drive spanned 75 yards in just eight plays and the clock was 58 seconds. Smothers had a perfect 8-for-6 for 75 yards in the drive.
“Were you bored?” Jax State head coach Rich Rodriguez said. “To make numerous mistakes, then recover to win a game with this kind of success is really impressive.
“The final drive was spectacular. Logan Smothers had a phenomenal drive, and our wideouts and skill players did a fantastic job in the final minute. It showed a lot of determination and of heart for our players.”
The defense of Jax State was able to stop the game at Sam Houston State’s overtime game. On fourth down, and nine minutes from the Gamecocks 24 Fred Perry hurried Keegan Shoemaker’s incomplete pass to Jay Rockwell.
Smothers was successful on 16 out of his 28 passes for three touchdowns and 197 yards and a 31-yard touchdown throw for Michael Pettway at 8:32 of the third quarter. The majority the Jax State’s yards passing came during the second half, when the Gamecocks fought back from a deficit of 21-7 at halftime.
Malik Jackson rushed for 129 yards, with an impressive 26-yard touchdown in the opening quarter.
