RICHMOND, Ky. – The curtain came down on one of the greatest careers in Jacksonville State's storied football history in a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to longtime foe Eastern Kentucky Saturday afternoon. Zerrick Cooper, the Gamecocks' redshirt senior quarterback from Jonesboro, Ga., saw his last pass intended for PJ Wells fall incomplete in the second overtime as Eastern Kentucky claimed a 39-31 victory at Roy Kidd Stadium.
Cooper's last career touchdown pass as a Gamecock in the first OT period – 25 yards to Josh Samuel – had staked Jacksonville State to a 31-24 lead. The Colonels (7-4, 4-2 in AQ7) responded with a touchdown of their own to force a second extra period and then took the lead for good with a touchdown pass and two-point conversion.
"It was a great game," said Jacksonville State interim head coach Maxwell Thurmond. "I can't be prouder of those guys for how they fought. Everything they've been through, for them to fight until the very end, I couldn't be more proud. I know what they've been through and that's what makes this so tough."
Uriah West's 10-yard run with 46 seconds left in regulation put Jacksonville State (5-6, 3-3) in front 24-17. But Eastern Kentucky went 75 yards in six plays to force overtime with a 13-yard touchdown pass with two ticks remaining.
Cooper's place in the Jacksonville State record book includes these accolades:
74 – Career passing touchdowns, passing Ed Lett (61 from 1979-82) for most in school history
94 – Touchdowns responsible for (74 passing, 20 rushing), breaking Eli Jenkins' school-record of 89 from 2013-16
9,624 – Career passing yards, breaking Jenkins' record (7,652 from 2013-16) to become JSU's all-time leading passer and the first player in school history to throw for 8,000+ yards
10,532 – Career yards of total offense, second-most all-time behind Jenkins' school record of 11,448 yards
He finished with 251 yards on 16-of-30 passing with one interception.
The Gamecocks' offense drove inside Eastern Kentucky's twice in the opening quarter but came away with only three points.
JSU's first threat was snuffed out when the Colonels forced a fumble and recovered at their 17. The Gamecocks had received the opening kickoff and moved 58 yards in five plays before the turnover.
Alen Karajic knocked through a 26-yard field goal with 1:33 to in the first quarter as Jacksonville State got on the scoreboard first. Karajic's kick, his fifth of the season. culminated a 15-play, 83-yard drive.
Eastern Kentucky answered with two touchdowns in five minutes to build a 14-3 lead midway through the second quarter as quarterback Parker McKinney scored on a three-yard run and threw a 31-yard pass to Dak Allen.
Cooper connected with Josh Samuel on a 50-yard completion deep into EKU territory late in the first half. Facing fourth-and-goal with 38 seconds remaining, Samuel powered in from the two and Karajic tacked on the extra point to draw the Gamecocks to within 14-10.
A career-long 51-yard field goal by Patrick Nations put EKU in front by a touchdown, but West's season-best 43-yard run and subsequent six-yard touchdown run pulled the Gamecocks even with a couple ticks under six minutes left in the third.
Jacksonville State missed out on a scoring opportunity in the fourth quarter when Jaylen Swain stripped the football from McKinney and Ricky Samuel recovered at the Colonels 19. JSU's ensuing drive stalled at EKU's 11, but Thurmond eschewed a short field goal try on fourth-and-2. Cooper's pass intended for Isaiah Montgomery sailed high and the Colonels took over.
Jacksonville State has two games already announced for 2022.
The Gamecocks are slated to meet former Ohio Valley Conference rival Murray State on the road on Sept. 10, and will visit American Athletic Conference member Tulsa on Sept. 17.
Jacksonville State Postgame Notes – Eastern Kentucky
November 20, 2021 • Roy Kidd Stadium • Richmond, Ky.
- JSU Captains: Senior quarterback Zerrick Cooper, redshirt senior linebacker Umstead Sanders, redshirt senior defensive lineman Nahum Horton and redshirt junior offensive lineman Michael Shaddix
- Eastern Kentucky won the coin toss and elected to defer its option to the second half. It marked only the third time in 11 games this season the Gamecocks have failed to win the opening toss.
- Jacob Dennis, a 6-foot-6, 300-pound freshman from Lexington, Ohio, made his first career start at left guard
- Josh Samuel's 50-yard reception in the second quarter was the longest catch of the 2021 season for the redshirt junior running back and the second-longest of his JSU career. Samuel caught a 54-yard pass against Austin Peay last March.
- Samuel's 2-yard run late in the first half was his team-high sixth touchdown on the ground in 2021
- Uriah West also had his season-long run when he broke free on a 43-yard scamper in the third quarter. It was also the second-longest run of West's career. His six-yard touchdown run was his first of the year and career 12th.
- Freshman Jayson Jones' 28-yard third-quarter punt return was the longest by a Gamecock player since Demontez Terry's 42-yard return against Murray State on Nov. 4, 2017
- Redshirt freshman Ricky Samuel's fumble recovery in the fourth quarter was the first of his collegiate career. He later blocked a 50-yard Eastern Kentucky field goal attempt.
- This was Jacksonville State's first overtime game since the epic 60-52 loss to Kennesaw State in five overtimes on Nov. 17, 2018, at SunTrust (now Truist) Park in Atlanta
- JSU's streak of consecutive seasons finishing .500 or better ends at 18 with this year's 5-6 record. The Gamecocks had been tied with James Madison for the longest active streak in FCS.
- Freshman Yessman Green set a career high to lead the Gamecocks defense with 11 tackles.
- Jacksonville State lost its second straight to EKU and is now 10-8 all-time vs. the Colonels
