PHOTO GALLERY

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Nothing came easy for almost three quarters against a fired-up Eastern Illinois squad Saturday afternoon.
 
Jacksonville State, ranked No. 1 in both FCS polls for the first time, got its offense in gear after halftime to defeat the Panthers 24-3 at O'Brien Field, site of the Gamecocks' last Ohio Valley Conference loss in 2013.
 
JSU's 15th straight conference win establishes a school record.
 
"This is probably the No. 2 team in the conference," a relieved Jacksonville State head coach John Grass said. "It's a big win. It takes a little bit of pressure off, but we want to win out."
 
Eli Jenkins connected with Dalton Screws on a 43-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter, and the defense made the lead stand as Jacksonville State (8-1, 6-0) moved one more step closer to an OVC title.
 
Screws' spectacular touchdown catch in the back of the end zone – the longest reception of his career – broke open what had been a defensive slugfest. Jacksonville State saw its school-record streak of games with a least 400 total yards end at 19 with 385 yards against the Panthers.
 
Jacksonville State, which entered the game ranked second nationally in total defense at 259.9 yards per game, limited Eastern Illinois (5-4, 5-1) to 239.
 
The Gamecocks reeled off 21 points in 4 minutes, 12 seconds, the knockout blow coming when linebacker Dawson Wells intercepted a pass by Eastern Illinois quarterback Jalen Whitlow and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown with 11 minutes remaining. Wells' second pick-six in two games extended JSU's lead to 24-3.
 
Following a scoreless first quarter, Nick Bruno kicked a 23-yard field goal to put Eastern Illinois ahead 3-0 at the 14:12 mark in the second quarter to complete a 16-play, 91-yard drive. 
 
Connor Rouleau answered with a 23-yard field goal with 15 seconds left before halftime to pull Jacksonville State even at 3-3. The three points marked the fewest Jacksonville State has scored in any first half since being blanked by Big Ten power Michigan State in the 2014 season opener.
 
Troymaine Pope ran for a game-high 114 yards on 21 carries. His 10-yard sweep around right end early the fourth quarter capped a 59-yard scoring drive and Rouleau's extra point pushed the lead to 17-3.
Pope's 114 yards ties him for the fourth-most career 100-yard performances with eight.
 
Wells, one of three Gamecocks credited with eight tackles, stepped in front of Whitlow's first down pass seconds later and rumbled 35 yards for a touchdown, just a week after returning an interception 48 yards for a score against Eastern Kentucky.
 
A win next week against Southeast Missouri will clinch the Gamecocks' second consecutive OVC title. Kickoff at Burgess-Snow Field is set for 1 p.m.

POSTGAME NOTES
- Captains for the Gamecocks: Senior LB Dawson Wells, Senior WR Josh Barge, Senior S DeBarriaus Miller and Junior OL Nick Johnson.
- Jacksonville State won the toss and deferred to the second half. The Gamecocks have won the toss in every game (8-1) except at UTM but has kicked off in every game.
- The Gamecocks are now 7-6 all-time against the Panthers. The Gamecocks have won two in a row and are 4-3 in Charleston.
- The Gamecocks have won 15-straight games against OVC opponents and 19-straight regular season games against non-FBS foes. JSU's last non-FBS loss in the regular season and OVC loss came at Eastern Illinois on Nov. 16, 2013.
- John Grass improves to 18-3 as Jacksonville State's head coach, extending the best start as a head coach in JSU history.
- With 385 yards in the game, the Gamecocks failed to gain 400 yards for the first time in 20 games. It snapped a school-record 19-straight games with at least 400 yards and was the first time the Gamecocks didn't gain 400 yards since the 2014 season opener at Michigan State.
- The Gamecocks have now scored in 149 consecutive games against non-FBS opponents, a streak that started on the first game of the 2001 season. JSU's lone shutout during the streak was a 23-0 loss at No. 7 Florida on Nov. 17, 2012.
- The Gamecocks failed to score a touchdown on their opening drive for the first time since missing a field goal on the opening possession of the Tennessee State game on Sept. 19. JSU had scored a touchdown on its first possession in its last five games.
- JSU failed to score in the first quarter for the first time since playing a scoreless opening quarter vs. Tennessee State on Sept. 19. It was the third time (TSU and Auburn) JSU has been held scoreless in the opening quarter this season.
- Brandon Bender's block punt was the first of his career and the Gamecocks' second this season. Markis Merrill blocked one vs. Mississippi Valley State on Oct. 3.
- Josh Barge has caught at least one pass in 34 consecutive games, extending his school record that was set last week against Eastern Kentucky. The previous record was 32-sraight games by Taurean Rhetta from 2004-07.
- Dalton Screws' 43-yard touchdown catch late in the third quarter was the longest reception of his career and the longest scoring pass by JSU this season. It was his third career touchdown catch and his second in 2015.
- Screws' 89 receiving yards in the game are a career high, better than his previous high of 58 vs. Murray State on Sept. 28, 2013.
- Troymaine Pope's 114 rushing yards gave him his fourth 100-yard rushing game this season and the eighth of his career. He ties Washaun Ealey for the fourth-most 100-yard rushing games in school history.
-Troymaine Pope now has 2,465 career rushing yards, passing David Gulledge for sixth on the school's career rushing list.
- Troymaine Pope's 10-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was his 23rd career touchdown run, passing Reginald Goodloe and Oscar Bonds for ninth-most in school history.
- Jacksonville State scored 21 points in a 4:12 span, turning a 3-3 tie into a 24-3 lead.
- With his three catches in the game, Josh Barge runs his season total to 61, passing Donald Young (60 in 1977) in second place and one away from Ronald Bonner's school record of 62 catches in 1997.
- With his 242 yards of total offense in the game (149 passing, 93 rushing), Eli Jenkins now has 6,641 yards in his career, 133 away from Ed Lett (6,774 from 1979-82) in second place on JSU's career total offense list.
- Eli Jenkins has recorded 2,233 yards of total offense this season, moving him into ninth on the schools single-season total offense list.
 - JSU is now 24-0 in regular season games against non-FBS opponents when Eli Jenkins starts.