Jacksonville, AL – With Jax State’s Gamecocks striving to get the winning score late, a pick-6 gives South Carolina’s Gamecocks a wake-up call.
By Joe Medley
Odds indicated that South Carolina’s Gamecocks scored 15.5 points more that jax state’s Gamecocks. The scoreboard indicated 10 points better 38-28.
Realistically, Jax State sat 17 yards from the goal line with just two minutes left in this ‘Cock fight.
There was never a moment that the second team in Conference America’s standings, in the inaugural Football Bowl Subdivision season, appeared to be less impressive than the lower-half SEC team playing on its field.
Jax State crowed Saturday and decreased Williams-Brice Stadium to boos then exhales of relief.
The contrail you can see at the top of the sky belongs to Rich Rodriguez’s signature shot, bouncing from plane to space shuttle’s orbit while Shane Beamer watches the worm’s turn in the ever-disrupting state in South Carolina next week.
Jax State’s Gamecocks were able to do that because the home crowd’s eyesor that of ESPNU’s watching audience — weren’t able to be able to see a 10-point win.
They watched a of competitiveness, from start to end.
They watched the Jax State’s Zion Webb leave the game after the 300-pound defensive lineman fell on his right shoulder. He would return to throw an 84-yard dime Perry Carter to put the Gamecocks ahead 28-21 at 5:05 of the final quarter.
They had a game that was 28-28 at the end of the fourth.
In the Jax State’s Football Championship Subdivision existence, Jax State coaches would deny phrases like “moral victory” as they planted the hope seeds that would allow fans to dwell in their feelings and be content.
The Jax State team’s record was 7-3 during its first FBS season, Rodriguez sounded off his style of grumpiness. It’s true that he lost his and alter ego however, nothing about Saturday’s celebration in Columbia stated that Jax State made the most of a bleak circumstance.
RichRod’s team should’ve been victorious, but only a linebacker slicing through the red-zone wheel route and after which he redirected an 88-yard peck-6 prevented finally a field goal attempt to tie the official Chicken Bowl.
“We played hard,” Rodriguez told Jax State the radio station “Voice” Mike Parris following the game. “You aren’t able to make those types of mistakes, errors in coaching or play-related mistakes in the wrong moment.”
Then, when Stone Blanton stoned Jax State in a game that South Carolina’s Gamecocks clearly sniffed Jax State’s ‘Cocks’ game were able to get the home players’ heads snapping in pruning shears
A month and a half after Liberty destroyed Jax State’s whiteout State’s white “AKC” helmets were in the process of regaining their glory.
Up until Blanton’s long sideline strut Jax State looked at least an upper-half SEC team against an inferior half SEC team. Are we to call them Gamecocks? the second best team in Alabama?
Throw this game into the Jax State’s long-running FBS debut as we begin to taste the Gamecocks’ spot within the hierarchy of pecking orders.
Game details
A chronological overview of the way that Jax State’s 38-28 defeat against South Carolina shook out:
FIRST Quarter
Tonka Hemingway’s 2 yard run starts scoring around 11:07. Drive: 5 plays, 62 yards, 2:38: SOUTH CAROLINA 7, JAX STATE 0
Jax State is the line on Zion Webb’s 15-yard touchdown pass towards Sean Brown at 3:44. Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 2:26. 7 JAX STATE SOUTH Carolina 7
The 1-yard run by Spencer Rattler retakes an advantage for South Carolina at 2:03. The pass from Rattler’s 52 yards for Xavier Legette set it up. Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 1:41. SOUTH CAROLINA 14 JAX STATE 7.
SECOND QARTER
-Anwar Lewis’ 4-yard run draws Jax State even again. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 2:47. JAZ STATE 14 SOUTH CAROLINA 14
Zion Webb suffers an injury to his shoulder following T.J. Sanders falls him and substitute Logan Smothers fumbles to set the stage for South Carolina’s decisive touchdown. Rattler to Legette 5 yards. Drive: 4 plays, 49 yards, 0:30. SOUTH CAROLINA 21 JAX STATE 14,
THIRD QARTER
Jax State is even in the second half, thanks to Smothers his 13-yard TD throw to Brown. Drive:8 plays, 73 yards, 3:02. 21 JAX STATE SOUTH CAROLINA 21
Webb is back in the game, he throws an in-depth TD passing for Perry Carter … 54 yards. Alen Karajic’s kick is great which means that Jax State leads. Just before that, Jamari Jemison scored the PBU on a similar kick by Rattler on the fourth on the clock: JAX STATE 28, SOUTH CAROLINA 21
The contrail that is visible that is visible in the skies represents Rich Rodriguez’s share in a space-shuttle course. The black helmets of the white are currently on the redemption track while Mike Parris is on Classic Call Alert.
Boos are heard at Williams-Brice Stadium. Consider the South Carolina state South Carolina as a land of football discontent.
Tie game … Rattler deep to Legette 65 yards at 1:29. When you’re in doubt, head to the player Jax State can’t cover. Drive: 1 plays, 65 yards, 0:11. 28 JAX STATE SOUTH CAROLINA 28
Fourth Quarter
The Jaguars were in the process of moving however Ron Wiggins stripped of the ball. South Carolina recovers at its 45.
Jax State’s defense stops the offense by putting its back against the goal line, forcing a Mitch Jeter field goal in the 5:51 minute mark. SOUTH Carolina 31 JAX STATE 28,
Webb placed a ball there where it was needed to be and P.J. Wells made a one-handed diving catch along to the line … 29, yards from South Carolina’s fifteen-yard line with just 2:40 left.
Stone Blanton scored an 88-yard touchdown to give South Carolina a two-score lead with just 2:02 left. A great play. Blanton was lined into the middle and took the wheel route, and then undercut the pass. It’s impossible that Webb would have seen him when the receiver split open. Webb was also struck when the receiver throw. SOUTH CAROLINA 38 JAX STATE 28,
The scoreboard reads 10-points lead. However, the reality is that Jax State was driving for the possible go-ahead goal in the final two minutes of play.
-Smothers into QB Then a different routing jump results in an interception.
Final: Jax State falls at South Carolina, 38-28.
