KENNESAW, Ga. – Jax State gave rival Kennesaw State a rude welcome to Conference USA by piling up a season-best 577 yards in a 63-24 rout of the Owls Friday night at Fifth-Third Stadium.
 
Tre Stewart and Tyler Huff combined for seven rushing touchdowns and the Gamecocks (2-3) capitalized on three interceptions – two by safety Zechariah Poyser and another that Jabari Mack returned for a touchdown – to bust open a tight game in the second half. It was the first time Jax State had multiple players rush for at least three touchdowns in the same game since 2015.
 
Stewart's four rushing touchdown made him the first Jax State player to perform the feat since Eli Jenkins ran for four TDs vs. UT Martin on Nov. 19, 2016. The Gamecocks set season highs for points (56), plays (78), first downs (31), rushing yards (384) and total yards against the Owls (0-5, 0-1).
 
Huff had scoring runs of six, 14 and 19 yards and ended up with a career-high 176 yards on 15 carries. His 176 yards were the fifth-most by a quarterback in CUSA history. Huff added 193 yards through the air by completing 16-of-25 passes.
 
The Gamecocks beat Kennesaw State for the second straight time by scoring touchdowns on all five of their second-half possessions and adding another score on Mack's interception return.
 
"I thought Tyler Huff was fantastic. That guy is a warrior," said Jax State head coach Rich Rodriguez. "There was no panic at halftime.  When you have 31 first downs, you're usually controlling the tempo and I thought we did in the second half. It's a conference win on the road and I'm happy to get the win."
 
Stewart had three touchdown runs of one yard plus a nine-yarder. Mike Franklin scored his first Jax State touchdown on a 23-yard run for the game's final points.
 
Jax State led 21-17 at halftime after outgaining the Owls 282-125. The Gamecocks had a 34-yard Garrison Rippa field goal taken off the scoreboard due to a penalty and Rippa's next try from five yards further away was blocked as time expired in the half.
 
The Gamecocks struck quickly after forcing Kennesaw State to punt to begin the game.
 
Stewart got Jax State into Owls territory with a 25-yard run on first down, and later added back-to-back gains of 10 and 16 yards. He added his fifth touchdown this season with a 1-yard run and Rippa kicked the extra point to put the Gamecocks in front 7-0 with 10:54 remaining in the first quarter. Stewart gained 52 yards on the opening series.
 
Kennesaw State got on the scoreboard later in the first quarter when its 62-yard drive stalled and Austin Welch came on to kick a 25-yard field goal at the 3:57.
 
A facemask penalty against the Owls nullified a Jax State fumble and kept alive the Gamecocks' next scoring drive. Huff ran for six yards into the red zone, then scored three plays later to finish off the eight-play drive. Rippa's PAT extended the visitors' lead to 14-3.
 
The lead became 21-3, Jax State's biggest of the half, when Stewart put the finishing touches on a six-play, 78-yard drive with a 9-yard TD run at the 7:08 mark in the second quarter. Huff was 4-for-4 passing for 65 yards on the drive, including consecutive completions of 14 and 26 yards to Cam Vaughn.
 
But the Owls clawed back with two touchdowns in a five-minute span, the first coming on a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
 
Linebacker Ky'won McCray had a career-best 10 tackles with one pass breakup and one tackle for loss. Antonio Carter also contributed 10 tackles, four of those solo stops.
 
Jax State has its shortest turnaround of the season as it hosts New Mexico State in a nationally televised CUSA matchup on Wednesday. Kickoff at AmFirst Stadium is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
 
 
Jacksonville State Head Coach Rich Rodriguez
October 4, 2024
The Kennesaw State Game  
On Kennesaw's Momentum at Halftime:
We made some critical errors in the second quarter that allowed them to come back into the game and got their fans into it but there was no panic at halftime, we just had to relax a little bit. I thought the kay was coming out in the second half and getting some drives again. I just noticed we had 31 first downs and when you get 31 first downs you're usually controlling the tempo.
 
On Tyler Huff:
 I thought Tyler Huff was fantastic. That guy is such a warrior, he plays his tail off and he led the way right there and our guys battled up front.
 
On Tre Stewart:
They're both faster than you think but both have a knack to get as many yards as they can.
 
Quarterback Tyler Huff
On the Success of the Run Game:
We kept them honest with the RPOs, bubbles, and hitches which kept them from bringing everyone down.
 
 
Jax State Postgame Notes – Kennesaw State
October 4, 2024 • Fifth Third Bank Stadium • Kennesaw, Ga.

• Jax State Captains: Redshirt senior offensive lineman Clay Webb, senior defensive lineman J-Rock Swain, redshirt senior Sean Brown
• JSU won the coin toss and chose to defer its option. It marked the fourth time in five games the Gamecocks won the toss.
• Head coach Rich Rodriguez improved to 183-128-2 and is now 3-0 in conference openers with the Gamecocks.
• The Gamecocks improved to 17-1 under Rodriguez when scoring 30 points or more.
• Jax State's 63 points were its most since a 71-0 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 8, 2018.
• The eight rushing TDs by the Gamecocks tied a school record, also set vs. Mississippi Valley State.
• Jax State's offense scored on its opening possession for the third consecutive game, with Stewart producing the Gamecocks' first points via a touchdown run for the third straight week.
• Safety Zechariah Poyser's interception in the second quarter was his second of the season. He added his third in the third quarter when he snatched a pass from away KSU receiver Qua Ashley. Poyser became the first Jax State defender with multiple interceptions in a game since Traco Williams had two vs. Eastern Illinois on Oct. 12, 2019.
• Eight players caught passes for the Gamecocks.
• Kennesaw State's 93-yard return in the second quarter was the first time Jax State had allowed a TD on a kickoff return since Mercer ran the opening kick back 100 yards on Oct. 10, 2020.
• The Homecoming win over Southern Miss on Sept. 28 was the last Saturday game day for Jax State in 49 days. The Gamecocks will have played on a Friday night, three Wednesdays and had two open dates before traveling to Louisiana Tech on Saturday, Nov. 9.
• The 85-mile distance between Jacksonville, Ala., and Kennesaw, Ga., is the second-shortest trip among current CUSA members. UTEP and New Mexico State (Las Cruces, N.M.) are located just 40 miles apart, but the Miners have announced they're leaving CUSA for the Mountain West Conference in July 2026.