JACKSONVILLE – Brandon Bender came up with the biggest defensive play of Jacksonville State's season, Eli Jenkins capitalized on No. 7 Chattanooga's only turnover and the top-ranked Gamecocks are going to the FCS quarterfinals for the second time in three years.
 
Jenkins sprinted 14 yards for the game-winning touchdown in the first overtime as Jacksonville State (11-1) upended Southern Conference champion Chattanooga 41-35 before a Burgess-Snow Field crowd of 21,452 in Saturday's second-round playoff matchup.
 
Jacksonville State will host No. 8 Charleston Southern in next week's quarterfinals. The game date and time for the JSU-Charleston Southern matchup were expected to be announced later Saturday night.
 
"That was just a classic game," said Jacksonville State head coach John Grass. "These were two great teams, two really good programs.
 
"I take my hat off to our guys for finding a way to win down the stretch when our backs were against the wall."
 
Chattanooga ended its season at 9-4. The Gamecocks beat the Mocs 23-20 in the season opener.
 
Troymaine Pope rushed for 234 yards – the second-highest single-game total in school history – and three touchdowns while Jenkins added 195 yards on the ground. Jenkins also contributed 208 through the air, accounting for 403 scrimmage yards, third-most in a game in JSU history.
 
But it was an interception by Bender, a senior safety from McCalla, which kept the Gamecocks' championship dreams intact.
 
Jacksonville State won the coin toss in overtime and elected to start on defense. On the Mocs' third play, Bender leaped and picked off a pass by UTC quarterback Jacob Huesman in the end zone, giving the Gamecocks possession at the 25 for their first series.
 
"Earlier in the game, they got us with a throwback to the tight end, and that really triggered in my mind because I knew something like that coming again, it was too wide-open (the first time). The play as set up way too nice, so we just talked about it on the sideline that we knew it was coming again in the red zone."
 
Jenkins finished off the Mocs quickly.
 
The junior quarterback rushed for 11 yards on first down, then eluded a couple of would-be tacklers and sprinted left to the end zone, setting off a raucous celebration in the stands and on the Jacksonville State sideline.
 
Things looked bleak for the hosts after Chattanooga scored 28 points in a 22-minute span, taking a 35-28 lead with 8:35 left in regulation on a 39-yard pass from backup quarterback Alejandro Bennifield to Huesman.
 
It was the first time Jacksonville State had trailed since falling behind 3-0 at Eastern Illinois on Nov. 7.
 
Jacksonville State, however, struck quickly to pull even at 35-35 when Pope broke free for his longest career run, a 75-yarder burst to cap a three-play drive. Connor Rouleau's extra drive tied it with 4:40 remaining.
 
The Gamecocks trailed 7-0 after Huesman ran in from the 1 with 35 seconds left in the first quarter to cap a 91-yard UTC drive.
 
Jacksonville State responded with three second-quarter touchdowns for a 21-7 advantage.
 
Jenkins had touchdowns run of 5 and 10 yards sandwiched around Pope's first touchdown, a 5-yarder.
 
Jacksonville State's 640 total yards were the fourth-highest offensive output in history, and marked the third time this season the Gamecocks had gone over 600 yards.



 
 

JACKSONVILLE STATE POSTGAME NOTES – NCAA SECOND ROUND PLAYOFFS

• JSU captains: senior defensive end Chris Landrum Sr., senior tight end Spencer Goffigan, senior running back Troymaine Pope and senior defensive lineman Devaunte Sigler
• Jacksonville State won the toss and elected to defer to the second half. It's the 10th time this season the Gamecocks have won the toss. JSU is 8-1 when winning the toss this season.
• After Chattanooga scored the game's first touchdown during the first quarter, it marked the first time Jacksonville State has trailed since falling behind 3-0 at Eastern Illinois on Nov. 7, 2015.
• The 7-0 deficit for Jacksonville State after the first quarter is the largest deficit the Gamecocks have faced after the first quarter since trailing 10-3 after one at Chattanooga to open the season.
• Junior quarterback Eli Jenkins finished with 208 passing yards and became just the fifth quarterback in school history to throw for 5,000 yards during his career and now has 5,150 career yards.
• After rushing for three touchdowns during the game, Jax State quarterback Eli Jenkins has now found the end zone 25 times on his career. The mark is good enough for seventh best in school history.
• Eli Jenkins rushed for 195 yards on 24 carries, which sets a new career-high in rushing yards for the junior quarterback, while the 24 carries ties his career-high.
• JSU has outscored UTC 21-7 during the second quarter and has now outscored its opponents 164-40 in the second quarter. As a matter of fact, JSU has outscored the opponents 112-30  over the last eight games.
• Troymaine Pope's fourth quarter rushing touchdown was the 29^th of his career, which puts him fifth all-time in school history.
• Troymaine Pope finished with 234 rushing yards, which moves him passed Boyce Callahan for fourth all-time in Jacksonville State single-season history. The performance is the third-best rushing performance in school history.
• JSU is now 11-0 when Troymaine Pope rushes for 100 yards during a game. The Gamecocks are also 6-0 when quarterback Eli Jenkins throws for and runs for 100 yards during a game.
• With a nine-yard sack during the third quarter, senior defensive end Chris Landrum passed Devin Phillips (2005-07) for the JSU school record in career yards from tackles for a loss with 143 career yards, passing the old record of 136.
• Eli Jenkins finished with 403 yards of total offense (208 passing, 195 rushing). He's now 52 yards shy of Montressa Kirby's school record for total offense.
• The Jax State offense finished with 640 yards, which is the fourth-best offensive game in school history. It's the third time the Gamecocks have gone over 600 yards of total offense during the 2015 season.
• Wide receiver Ruben Gonzalez finished with 101 yards on five receptions, his fourth career 100-yard receiving game.
• Jacksonville State now has an all-time record of 8-6 in overtime games and is 1-1 this season.

Jacksonville State Post-Game Quotes
John Grass
 
Opening statement:
"That was just a classic game. You know it was a quarterfinal, semi-final type game. These were two great teams, two really good programs. The last two times we've played them it has come down to the wire. You knew they were going to play well and we knew we were going to play well. We played well enough to win. Every time we thought we had the game in hand, they'd come back and make plays. We had it a two-score game in the second quarter, thought it was going to be a good thing going into halftime, but they came back on two explosive plays and now we're sitting there with a one-score game at halftime. I take my hat off to our guys for finding a way to win this game down the stretch when our backs were against the wall. Chattanooga has a good team and we knew we were going to get a great effort out of them.
 
Ruben Gonzalez
On being back in action
"I'm so happy to be back. I'm happy to be back with my team. I'm with them every day. My rehab process was a little tough, which made me think 'why me,' but I just fought through adversity and I'm here today."
 
Eli Jenkins
On offense during overtime
"They were great calls. They were the same plays we've been running all game. The coaches came together and made two great calls. I just followed my blocks. I have to give a big shout out to the offensive line and receivers for blocking on the outside. I just followed my blocks and got into the end zone."
 
Brandon Bender
On interception in overtime
"Earlier in the game, they got us with a throwback to the tight end and that really triggered in my mind, because I knew something like that was going again, it was too wide open. The play was set up way too nice, so we just talked about it on the sideline that we knew it was coming again in the red zone. It was my job to have the back out of the backfield. I felt bad, because I missed the interception on the first play of the game, but I kept playing and knew God was going to bless me with another opportunity."