JACKSONVILLE – Fourth-ranked Jacksonville State survived a visit from No. 17 Coastal Carolina on Saturday, escaping a wild one at Burgess-Snow Field with a 27-26 win.
 
The Chanticleers (2-1) led in the fourth quarter and had their chances late, but an impressive offensive performance led by Eli Jenkins, Roc Thomas and a stingy rush defense were the difference for the Gamecocks (2-1) in front of 18,892 fans.
 
That defense held a potent CCU rushing attack that hadn't been limited to less than 100 yards in a game since 2013 to 42 yards on 35 carries. It was the lowest rushing total by the Chanticleers since the 2011 season and the 11th-fewest rushing yards allowed by JSU in its Division I history. The Chanticleers' 1.2 yards per carry was the sixth-lowest average against a Division I Gamecock front.
 
Jax State stopped CCU in the backfield 10 times, thanks to 2.5 tackles for loss each by E.J. Moss and Darius Jackson. Jackson had two sacks to move into fourth in JSU history with 13.5 in his career, while his 30 career tackles for a loss rank him third in school history.
 
On the other side of the ball, Jenkins led the offense once again. The senior signal caller ran 20 times for 111 yards and a score while throwing for 248 yards and two scores on 18-for-34 passing. His third-straight game with over 200 yards passing gives him 6,271 yards in his career, third-most in school history, while his ninth career 100-yard game made him the fifth player in school history with 3,000 rushing yards in a career.
 
He and Thomas led an offensive attack that ran for 286 yards and racked up 534 total yards. Thomas recorded his first collegiate 100-yard game with a game-high 144 on 25 carries.
 
Sophomore Krenwick Sanders led JSU with five receptions, while five Gamecocks had two apiece. Sophomore Demontez Terry had the big ones, hauling in a 44-yard touchdown pass and a 40-yard scoring pass from Jenkins. In just his second career game, the Birmingham native increases his career total to three catches with two scores.
 
The Chanticleers couldn't get things going on the ground, where they averaged 270 yards in their first two games. All-American De'Angelo Henderson was held to 48 yards on 20 carries, forcing his team to go to the air for success.

 
Four quarterbacks saw action for CCU, with starter Josh Stilley going down with an injury in the second quarter. He led a 306-yard attack with 132 yards and a touchdown on 7-for-10 passing.
 
JSU had the first opportunity of the game, but Cade Stinnett's attempt from 41 yards found the outstretched hand of Coastal's Osharmar Abercrombie to set up CCU with its first possession.
 
The Chanticleers avoided disaster on that drive, recovering a fumble and getting the fortune of two drive-extending penalties that set up a 49-yard field goal by Ryan Granger that grazed the top of the crossbar and gave the Chanticleers a 3-0 lead.
 
JSU answered on the next possession, when Jenkins found Terry over the middle for a 44-yard touchdown pass. That gave Jax State a 7-0 lead with just under six minutes left in the opening quarter.
 
Big plays turned the table for Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers got a 72-yard scoring pass from Stilley to Bruce Mapp on a busted coverage and a blocked punt that rolled through the end zone for a safety to give them a 12-7 lead early in the second quarter.
 
The Gamecocks reclaimed the lead right before the half, thanks to a four-play drive that spanned 72 yards. The rally was capped by an 11-yard touchdown run by Josh Clemons and was set up by a 32-yard pass from Jenkins to Josh Barge, whose two grabs in the game extended his streak of consecutive games with a reception to a school-record 41.
 
CCU struck first in the second half, taking advantage of a short field set up by a 17-yard Dean Kelly punt. The Chanticleers took it 40 yards in three plays, the last a four-yard scoring run by Henderson that cut JSU's lead to two. The Gamecocks stopped the attempt to tie on a two-point conversion, stuffing Abercrombie at the one and keeping the 20-18 lead on the scoreboard.
 
They did reclaim the lead early in the fourth quarter, when Tyler Keane found Laquay Brown from nine-yards out and then tossed to Chris Jones on the conversion to make it a 26-20 CCU lead.
 
That's when JSU's offense went to work. Jenkins and Thomas orchestrated an 11-play drive that spanned 87 yards and ate almost four minutes of clock. Jenkins threw for 32 yards and ran for 50 on that possession, including a 14-yard scamper that put JSU ahead for good, 27-26, with 6:44 to play.

Jenkins rushes for a JSU touchdown! PAT is good, putting the Gamecocks up 27-26 with 6:44 to go in the game. pic.twitter.com/6hsL3FP9tb

— Jax State Athletics (@JSUGamecocks) September 17, 2016

 
Coastal had three possessions the rest of the way, but the JSU defense refused to break. The Chanticleers got inside the JSU 40 twice, but a Jackson fumble recovery on the first and a sack by the junior on the last sandwiched a missed 50-yard field goal attempt that preserved the game.
 
JSU wraps up its non-conference slate next week on the road at Liberty. Kickoff in Lynchburg, Va., is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.


Jacksonville State Postgame Notes – Coastal Carolina
September 17, 2016 • Burgess-Snow Field • Jacksonville, Ala.
- Captains for Jacksonville State: WR Josh Barge, OL Kyron Samuels, CB Reggie Hall and DE Darius Jackson.
- Jacksonville State lost the coin toss and Coastal Carolina elected to defer to the second half. The Gamecocks have lost all three tosses to start the season.
- Josh Clemons, a redshirt-senior, earned the first start of his Jacksonville State career.
- Jacksonville State's first touchdown of the day marked the first career touchdown reception for redshirt sophomore Demontez Terry on only his second career reception.
- In just his second career game, Terry finished with two catches for 84 receiving yards and two touchdowns — all of which are new career-highs for the redshirt sophomore.
- For the first time this season, redshirt senior Josh Barge dressed and played in a game after sitting out the first two games.
- Coastal Carolina's safety in the second quarter was the first time the Gamecocks had given up a safety since September 14, 2013 against North Alabama.
- During the first half, JSU had both a field goal and punt blocked. It was the first time the Gamecocks had a field goal blocked since Oct. 25, 2014 against Tennessee Tech, and first punt blocked since Sept. 5, 2015 at Chattanooga.
- Quarterback Eli Jenkins made connections with nine different receivers Saturday, marking the first time JSU has hit nine different receivers since Oct. 24, 2015 at Austin Peay.
- By finishing with 248 passing yards, it's the first time Eli Jenkins has had three straight 200-yard passing games since the last three games of the 2014 season: 288 against EIU, 200 against SEMO and 253 against Sam Houston State.
- With Roc Thomas and Eli Jenkins going over the century mark on the ground, it marks the first time Jacksonville State has had two 100-yard rushers in a game since Dec. 11, 2015 when Troymaine Pope (250) and Jenkins (195) accomplished it against Charleston Southern.
- JSU moves to 28-0 in games with Eli Jenkins as the starting quarterback against non-FBS opponents during the regular season.
- Eli Jenkins, by finishing with 111 rushing yards, becomes just the fifth player in Jacksonville State history with over 3,000 rushing yards in a career.
- Krenwick Sanders finished with a new career-high five catches.
- With his 3.5 tackles for a loss, Darius Jackson moves into third all-time at JSU with 30.0 tackles for a loss, passing up Rodney Garrott (28.5) and ranking one behind second-place Warren Blair (32.0). He has now totaled 112 total yards in tackles for losses, moving him up to fifth all-time at JSU behind Rodney Garrott (116).
- Darius Jackson also collected two sacks, bumping his career-total to 13.5. He is now fourth in JSU history behind Mark Word (14.5).
- By holding Coastal Carolina to 42 yards, it's the second time this season the JSU defense has held its opponent to under 100 rushing yards. It's the 64th time JSU has done such since moving to the Division I level in 1995.
- Coastal Carolina's 48 rushing yards is the 11th-fewest rushing yards JSU has allowed in its Division I history, and CCU's 1.2 yards-per-carry is the sixth-lowest - JSU has allowed in Division I history.
- With the win, Jacksonville State earns its first win over a ranked, non-conference - opponent at home during the regular season since joining the FCS ranks.
- Josh Barge extended his school-record streak of consecutive games played with a catch to 41 after finishing with two catches.
- Running back Roc Thomas finished with 144 rushing yards on 25 carries. It's the first time the transfer has gone over the century mark during his collegiate career.
- Under John Grass, Jacksonville State is now 9-2 against ranked opponents.
 
Jacksonville State Postgame Quotes – Coastal Carolina
September 17, 2016 • Burgess-Snow Field • Jacksonville, Ala.

Head Coach John Grass
Thoughts on the game
"This was a bizarre game. It was just about as bizarre as the ending. We had chances during the game to put it away, but we just didn't do that. Really, Coastal Carolina is the second FBS team we've played. They've moved up to 75 scholarships and join the Sun Belt next year. You can tell they're a really talented team. Not many teams in the country have won as many games in the last few years as they have, so they're a really good, quality opponent."
 
On Darius Jackson's performance
"His first step is really good. He can pick them up and put them down. He had a great day. A lot of times he's going to get double-teamed and leave a (running) back on him. You have to know where he's at in your protection. He was able to get there several times today and just played good."
 
On the defense:
"I thought our front seven played tremendous. To be honest with you, I don't think they could've played much better. To hold a team of that caliber to 42 yards rushing, and basically make them one-dimensional, is what we try to make folks do. We did a great job today. I thought we dominated the line of scrimmage and played well up front."
 
Darius Jackson, defensive end, R-Jr.
On getting the game-ending sack
"It just gave us another opportunity to make a play and it was just my turn to make a play. Coastal Carolina's offensive line is good, and we shut down their running back, so they went to the pass. Our coach told us to pin our ears back and get after the quarterback."
 
Roc Thomas, running back, Jr.
On his performance
"I feel pretty good. The offensive line blocked well, like they always do, so I have to give them all the credit. If it wasn't for them, or Eli Jenkins handing the ball off, I probably wouldn't get one yard. It just feels great having my first 100-yard game in college."
 
Eli Jenkins, quarterback, R-Sr.
On final drive
"I wish we would've been able to do that all game. We played well when we are going fast and spreading the ball around, and that's what we did on that drive. We were just pushing, pushing and pushing it. They couldn't stop our tempo. All game they couldn't stop our tempo. The only time they really stopped us was when we were backed up because of bad plays or bad penalties."
 
Demontez Terry, wide receiver, R-So.
On his performance
"Eli Jenkins and I are from Birmingham, and we are both hard workers. We sort of have this connection. The coaches were just calling the right plays. On the second touchdown, Josh Barge called that play, so I have to give thanks to him for that one."