FINAL STATS  |  PHOTO GALLERY

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Something about facing Tennessee Tech brings out the best in Jacksonville State's defense.

Backup quarterback Kyle West threw for two touchdowns and DaMarcus James ran 126 yards and a score as the Gamecocks pounded Tennessee Tech 34-14 Saturday afternoon at Tucker Stadium.

Jacksonville State's defense limited the Golden Eagles to only 280 yards of total offense, marking the third straight game in the series they have been held to less than 300 yards.

"We had a really good day defensively," said head coach Bill Clark. "The defense played great and the offense did what they were supposed to.

"We probably took some educated risks, which is what we want to do," added Clark.  "That's how (the defense) is supposed to look. I'm just really proud of the way our guys played – they worked their butts off for two weeks."

West, a redshirt sophomore, entered the game in the second quarter after an injury to starter Eli Jenkins and was 11-of-17 for 138 yards without an interception. He tossed a 35-yard TD pass to Earl Calloway in the second quarter – the first of his JSU career – and added a 26-yarder to Anthony Johnson in the fourth.

"Kyle West does exactly what you want a backup quarterback to do … he stays prepared," said Clark.

Griffin Thomas contributed two field goals and now has 18 in 2013, tying him for second-most in school history in a season. Thomas extended his streak of games with at least two field goals to seven.

Punter Hamish MacInnes also etched his name in the Jacksonville State record book with a wind-aided 86-yard punt during the third quarter. MacInnes' kick broke a Zach Walden's 2006 school record of 81 yards and is the longest among Football Championship Subdivision punters this season.

Jacksonville State improved to 6-2 and 2-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference. Tennessee Tech fell to 3-6 and 0-5.

The Gamecocks' efficient passing attack helped them establish a 24-7 lead at halftime.

Jenkins and West were a combined 12-of-16 for 182 yards and one touchdown. West, who entered the game after Jenkins was shaken up in the second quarter, completed all four of his first-half passes for 69 yards, including his first career touchdown, a 35-yarder to freshman Earl Calloway.

Jacksonville State pierced together a methodical 15-play, 80-yard scoring drive on its second possession of the game.

Jenkins completed five passes for 47 yards on the drive as JSU marched from its 20 to Tennessee Tech's 16. He then scrambled for 10 yards to the 6 and ran into the end zone on the next play with 4:10 left in the first quarter.

Thomas' 44-yard field goal and the West-to-Calloway touchdown pass staked the Gamecocks to 17-0.

James finished off a six-play, 58-yard scoring drive that consumed only one minute with a 6-yard run. Thomas' PAT made it 24-7 with 59 seconds left in the half.

Jacksonville State travels to Clarksville, Tenn., next week for an OVC matchup against winless Austin Peay.


POSTGAME NOTES
- Captains for the Gamecocks: junior DL Caleb Lawrence, junior RB DaMarcus James and junior LB Ben Endress. JSU has had no non-senior captains prior to today.
- TTU won the toss and deferred to the second half.
- The Gamecocks failed to score on thier first possession after scoring on the first drive in each of the last two games. JSU has scored on the first drive twice in eight games this season.
- Jermaine Hough forced a fumble on TTU's first possession, the first forced fumble of his career.
- Kyle West's 35-yard TD pass to Earl Calloway was the sophomore's first career TD pass and Calloway's first career TD catch. It was just the second catch of Calloway's career and his first for positive yardage.
- Calloway becomes the fourth Gamecock to catch a touchdown pass this year, while West becomes the second JSU QB to throw a TD pass.
- Jerry Slota's seven-yard reception in the third quarter was his second career catch. His only previous reception was a four-yard TD catch vs. TTU in 2011.
- The Gamecocks scored on all three trips into the Red Zone in the game and have now scored on each of their last 18 trips to the Red Zone, dating back to their last five trips at Georgia State on Sept. 21.
- With his 126 rushing yards today, DaMarcus James now has nine career 100-yard games and four this season. Today was his third 100-yard game in his last four games.
- With his one touchdown run today, DaMarcus James now has 12 this season tying him with Mike Hobson (1975) and Clay Green (2005) for 10th most in a season in school history and ties Green for fourth in JSU's Division I history.
- Eli Jenkins' 6-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was the third of his career and gave JSU the first points of the game for the third-straight week and the fourths time this season.
- RB DaMarcus James' 36-yard completion to Anthony Johnson in the first quarter made him the seventh different Gamecock and the fourth non-QB to attempt a pass for JSU this season.
- Hamish MacInnes' 86-yard punt breaks Zach Walden's school record of 81 yards, also set at Tennessee Tech in 2006.
- MacInnes' 86-yard punt is the longest in FCS play this year and is just the third of 80 yards or longer this season (81 - Darcy Williamson: Jackson State, 80 - Ryan Belden: San Diego).
- Kedrick Wolfe recorded the first interception of his career in the third quarter, the sixth JSU interception this year.
- Kyle West's 138 yards passing is a career high and joining him with Max Shortell as the only two Gamecocks with 100-yard passing games this season. West's previous high was 41 yards, which he has done twice.
- Anthony Johnson's 26-yard touchdown reception from a Kyle West pass in teh fourth quarter was his second career scoring catch and his first since the season opener at
Alabama State.
- Anthony Johnson's 89 receiving yards is a new career high.
- Jax State now has a 61-22 record against OVC opponents since joining the league in 2003, which is the highest winning percentage of any school in the league.
- The 2013 Gamecock senior class now has a four-year record of 28-14.

JSU BY THE NUMBERS
2 - Touchdown passes by Kyle West today, the first JSU non-starter to throw multiple TD passes since Max Shortell at Alabama State in the season opener.

4 - Non-QBs that have attempted a pass for JSU this season after DaMarcus James' 36-yd pass to A. Johnson in the 1st quarter.

5 - Consecutive games in which DaMarcus James has run for at least one touchdown.

7 - Straight games PK Griffin Thomas has made two or more field goals

10 - Scoring drives this season of 1:00 or less by JSU's offense after one today.

11 - Rushing touchdowns by DaMarcus James in the last four games.

12 - Rushing touchdowns by James this season, tying him for 10th in school history and fourth in D-I history for TDS in a season.

18 - Field goals Griffin Thomas has made this season, second-most in a season in school history behind Gavin Hallford's 22 in 2007.

18 - Field goals made by the Gamecocks this season, second-most in school history by a team in a single season.

18 - consecutive trips to the Red Zone in which JSU has scored, dating back to its last five trips at GSU on Sept. 21.

79 - Points scored by Griffin Thomas this year, adding to his career high.

86 - Yard punt by Hamish MacInnes in the 3rd quarter, a new school record and the longest by any FCS player this season.

280 - Total yards by Tennessee Tech's offense, the third-straight year the Golden Eagles have failed to gain 300 yards aginst the JSU defense.