Box Score FINAL STATS l
PHOTO GALLERY
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Jacksonville State's attempt to knock off its second Southeastern Conference foe in as many seasons fell short with a 38-14 loss at Kentucky on Saturday at Commonwealth Stadium.
JSU had its four-game winning streak snapped and moves to 5-2 overall on the season, but remains undefeataed with a 3-0 OVC mark. UK (3-4) returned to the win column after dropping its last four games.
The Wildcats' defense scored the game's first points on Martavius Neloms' 40-yard fumble return with 3:33 in the opening period to take the early lead. The UK offense took note and scored on its next three possessions to post a 24-7 halftime lead en route to the win.
The Wildcats took advantage of three Jax State turnovers as all three turnovers accounted for 21 points for UK.
UK's La'Rod King caught his first of two touchdowns early in the second quarter with a 29-yard catch to extend the Wildcats' lead to 14-0. UK added to its lead after quarterback Morgan Newton took it in from one-yard out with 6:05 left in the half.
JSU got on the board after putting together a nine-play, 79 yard drive as quarterback
Coty Blanchard connected with
Alan Bonner for a 22-yard TD strike with 2:22 left before halftime. The scoring play was Bonner's first receiving touchdown of the season at the 10th of his career.
UK tacked on a 27-yard field goal as the opening half came to a close to build a 24-7 lead at the intermission.
After a scoreless third period, the Wildcat defense set up another scoring opportunity after UK's Danny Trevathan pick off a Blanchard pass and returned it to the Gamecock six yard line. UK opened the final period with King's catch in the endzone.
Freshman Gabriel Chambers put the final points of the game for Jax State, returning the ensuing kick off with a 99-yard return. The return ranks fourth all-time in JSU history and also ties for the fourth longest return in FCS this season.
UK added its final points of the contest with a nine-yard run with 6:40 remaining. The Wildcat offense finished with 445 yards of total offense, while JSU was limited to just 270 yards of production.
Junior
Washaun Ealey turned in his fourth-straight game with 100-plus rushing yards. The last Gamecock to rush for over 100 yards in four straight games was Clay Green in 2005. Blanchard finished with 112 yards through the air, marking his seventh-consecutive game with 100 or more yards passing.
Defensively for JSU, freshman
Pierre Warren was credited with a pair of fumble recoveries in the contest. The last time a Gamecock recovered a pair of fumbles was
Jawaan Booker in 2009 against Florida State.
Rashad Smith led JSU in tackles with nine on the day, including a pair of stops for a loss.
After four weeks away from Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium, the Gamecocks return home on Saturday, Oct. 29, hosting Ohio Valley Conference rival Tennessee Tech in a key league game. Kickoff for the Homecoming contest is set for 3 p.m. and tickets are available by calling the JSU Athletic Ticket Office at 256-782-8499.
POST-GAME NOTES
- Captains for the Gamecocks: senior RB
Calvin Middleton, junior DB
Brooks Robinson, senior DE
Jamison Wadley.
-Kentucky wins the toss and elects to receive. JSU will kickoff and defend the east end.
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Pierre Warren recovered his first career fumble with 9:41 left in the first quarter for the Gamecocks ... Warren added another fumble recovery in the 4th quarter.
- The last time a JSU player had a pair of fumble recoveries was Jawann Booker posted two at Florida State in 2009.
- Jax State finished the non-conference portion of the schedule at 1-2 on the season.
- UK's Martavius Neloms returns a fumble 41 yards for a UK touchdown with 3:33 left in the first quarter. It was the first time an opponent has returned a fumble for a TD against JSU since EKU on Nov. 4, 2010 when Robert Knowles returned a fumble 34 yards.
- The Gamecocks have now scored in 119 consecutive games, which is the longest active streak in the Ohio Valley Conference.
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Washaun Ealey finished with 120 yards to become the first Gamecock to rush for 100-yards or more in four striaght games since Clay Green in 2005. Ealey rushed for 124 at Austin Peay, 143 yards vs Murray State, and 155 yards vs Eastern Illinois.
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Alan Bonner caught a 22-yard touchdown pass with 2:28 left in the second quarter. It was the first touchdown reception for Bonner this season and the 10th of his career.
- JSU has five touchdown passes of longer than 20 yards this season after Blanchard connected with
Alan Bonner in the second quarter.
- Gabriel Chambers returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, which ties for the fourth longest return in school history. It also tied for the fourth longest kickoff return in FCS this season.
- Chambers' 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was the first KO returned for a TD since
Alan Bonner returned a KO 92 yards vs Murray State on Oct. 2, 2010.
- JSU head coach Jack Crowe wore a pink sweater in today's game in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness.
-The Gamecocks four-game winning streak was snapped today.
- Saturday's crowd of 54,098 was the third largest crowd to watch the Gamecocks play. The largest ever crowd to see the Gamecocks was 71,420 at Florida State on Sept. 12, 2009.
- The last time JSU gave up 300-or more rushing yards was at Georgia Tech on Sept. 5, 2009. JSU allowed 340 rushing yards today on 55 attempts.
- JSU is now 4-14 all-time against schools from the FBS and 0-1 all-time vs Kentucky in football
- JSU had a streak of four consecutive 400-yards of total offense snapped today after JSU finished with 270 yards of total offense against the Wildcats.
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Coty Blanchard has thrown a touchdown pass is four of his last five games.
- The last time JSU was 5-2 on the season was during the 2008 season.