LYNCHBURG, Va. – Jacksonville State wrapped up the non-conference portion of its 2016 schedule with a resounding road win over one of the most successful FCS programs of the past decade.
 
Eli Jenkins rushed for two touchdowns and threw two more as the third-ranked Gamecocks pounded Liberty 48-19 Saturday night at Williams Stadium. Jacksonville State's suffocating defense snuffed out the Flames by limiting them to only 181 yards, far below their season average of 336.
 
Roc Thomas added 114 yards, one touchdown on the ground and caught a TD pass as Jacksonville State improved to 3-1.
 
Jacksonville State amassed 563 total yards with Jenkins accounting for 345 himself (224 passing, 121 rushing).
 
"It was a quality, quality win," said Jacksonville State head coach John Grass. "It was a great performance in a lot of places."
 
Liberty (1-3) managed only 41 yards and was 0-for-10 on third-down conversions in the first 30 minutes.
 
Jacksonville State need 53 seconds to score after forcing the Flames into a three-and-out on the opening series. Jenkins was 3-for-3 on the quick drive, hitting a wide-open Thomas for a 51-yard touchdown pass just three minutes into the contest.
 
Connor Rouleau's extra point put the Gamecocks in front 7-0 at the 12:06 mark in the first quarter.
 
Liberty's only first-half highlight came on a 31-yard field goal by Alex Probert.
 
Another long three-play drive extended Jacksonville State's lead to 14-3 midway through the first. Jenkins ripped off his longest run of the season, a 76-yard sprint to the end zone, with 4:48 remaining in the quarter. It was the senior quarterback's longest run since an 83-yarder against Charleston Southern in last year's FCS playoffs.
 
Josh Barge, who earlier became the sixth player in Ohio Valley Conference history to surpass the 3,000-yard milestone for career receiving, returned a Liberty punt 75 yards for touchdown early in the second quarter. Barge became the first Gamecock to return a punt for a touchdown since Alan Bonner went 64 yards against Alabama A&M in 2009.
 
Jenkins scored on a one-yard sneak and Cade Stinnett's kick gave JSU a 27-3 halftime lead.
 
"They could not get anything going on offense. I thought it was just a great performance defensively," Grass said. "Offensively, we wanted more explosive plays and we got it. It was a night of explosive plays."
 
That explosiveness continued after Liberty had closed to within 27-10 entering the final quarter.
 
Thomas scored on a two-yard run one play after breaking free on a 57-yard scamper on the first play of the fourth. Shaq Davidson hauled in a 69-yard touchdown pass from Jenkins five minutes later, and reserve back Justice Owens broke loose on an 87-yard touchdown run to make the final 48-19 with 1:27 remaining.
 
Jacksonville State sacked Liberty's quarterbacks six times and intercepted two passes. The Flames managed only 44 yards on 36 rush attempts.
 
The Gamecocks begin their quest for a third straight OVC championship when they host Tennessee Tech on Oct. 8. Kickoff at The Snow is set for 1 p.m.

Jacksonville State Postgame Notes – Liberty University
September 24, 2016 • Williams Field • Lynchburg, Va.
- Captains for Jacksonville State: RB Josh Clemons, WR Anthony Johnson, SAF Selwyn Torbert and LB JaJuan Lee.
- Jacksonville State won the coin toss elected to defer to the second half. It marked the first time JSU has won the coin toss this season.
- Redshirt freshman defensive lineman Montrez Lang made his first career start.
- The Gamecocks improve to 3-0 in the series after winning the previous two meetings in 1981 and 1982 against then-Liberty Baptist.
- JSU is now 23-0 in regular season games against non-FBS opponents under John Grass.
- With his four receptions in the game, senior Josh Barge has now caught at least one pass in 42-straight games, extending his school record and drawing nearer to the OVC record of 44 set by Samford's Jeff Moore from 2004-07.
- With his 121 yards on 18 carries tonight, senior Eli Jenkins moves past Rondy Rogers (3,143 from 1999-02) into 4^th on the school's career rushing list. Jenkins now has 3,227.
- With his 121 rushing and 224 passing yards, Eli Jenkins has now thrown and ran for over 100 yards in a game seven times in his career.
- With his 121 rushing yards, Eli Jenkins now has 10 career 100-yard rushing games, passing Rondy Rogers for the fourth-most 100-yard games in school history.
- Roc Thomas' 51-yard touchdown reception on the Gamecocks' first drive was his first receiving TD as a Gamecock and the second of his career. His first was also a 51-yard catch against JSU while at Auburn on Sept. 12, 2015.
- With 111 yards tonight, Roc Thomas notched his second career 100-yard rushing game and his second in a row. He had 144 yards vs. Coastal Carolina last week.
- Jenkins' 76-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was the second-longest of his career behind an 83-yard run against Charleston Southern in the quarterfinals of the 2015 FCS Playoffs.
- Josh Barge's 75-yard punt return for a touchdown in the second quarter was JSU's first since Alan Bonner's 64-yard return for a score at Alabama A&M on Sept. 19, 2009.
- Redshirt-freshman safety Marlon Bridges' interception in the second quarter was the first of his career and JSU's second this season.
- Darius Jackson recorded 2.0 sacks in the game, pushing his career total to 15.5, third all-time and just 0.5 away from Chris Landrum, Sr., and Warren Blair's school record of 16.0.
- Josh Barge had 71 receiving yards in tonight's game, extending his school record to 3,063. He becomes the sixth player in OVC history to pass the 3,000-yard mark and moves past Harold Roberts (Austin Peay, 1967-70) for fifth on the league's all-time list.
- JSU moves to 29-0 in games with Eli Jenkins as the starting quarterback against non-FBS opponents during the regular season.
-Liberty's 44 rushing yards are the fewest rushing yards are the 10^th fewest rushing yards allowed by JSU in its Div. I history.
- Shaq Davidson's 69-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter was his first career TD reception.
- Junior Justice Owens recorded his first career carries in tonight's game and mad a splash. His final carry – an 87-yard touchdown run that was his first career score - gave him 93 yards on four carries. The 87-yard run is JSU's longest rush from scrimmage in the school's Division I history, breaking the previous record of 83 by Washaun Ealey (vs. EKU on 11/5/11) and Eli Jenkins (vs. Charleston Southern on 12/11/15).