JACKSONVILLE – Jax State ramped up the defensive intensity against Delaware Wednesday evening to extend its home winning streak to nine and remain unbeaten in Conference USA.

Cam Cook, the nation's top rusher, ran for 117 yards and three touchdowns and Jax State's defense forced turnovers that led to two quick scores as the Gamecocks held on to defeat the Fightin' Blue Hens 38-25 before a crowd of 16,884 at AmFirst Stadium. Jax State improved to 4-3 overall and 3-0 in CUSA.

"I was proud of our guys for competing for 60 minutes. We didn't play perfect by any means, but that was a good football team on the other side," said Jax State head coach Charles Kelly. "Our whole slogan this week was 'Do Your Job.' When you do your job and you don't worry about the results, good things are going to happen and that's what we've got to keep on doing."

The Gamecocks' defense forced a key early turnover on Delaware's second series for a 7-0 lead. Travis Franklin Jr. forced a fumble after a Blue Hens' completion and linebacker Walker O'Steen scooped up the loose football and returned it 27 yards to Delaware's 11.

Cook then found the end zone from six yards away and Garrison Rippa, the hero of Jax State's previous game at Sam Houston, added the extra point with 9:27 remaining in the first quarter.

Another Blue Hens' miscue after a completed pass extended Jax State's lead to 14-0 early in the second quarter.

Linebacker Mac Sanders stripped the ball from Delaware's Jake Thaw after a short completion and safety Caleb Nix returned the fumble 45 yards for a touchdown with 10:37 to go in the second quarter. Nix's return was the longest for a score by a Jax State defensive player since Nicario Harper's 55-yard fumble return vs. Stephen F. Austin in 2021.

Jax State tacked on another touchdown less than 2½ minutes later to extend its lead. Caden Creel, making his second career start at quarterback, moved the Gamecocks 48 yards in only three plays, finishing off the drive with a 23-yard strike to wide receiver Brock Rechsteiner at the 8:16 mark.

Rechsteiner's fourth receiving TD of the year and Rippa's third extra point pushed the Gamecocks' lead to 21-0.

Creel passed for 116 yards and ran 12 times for 57 yards.

Jax State carried a 21-6 lead into the locker room at halftime despite being outgained 199-193 by the Fightin' Blue Hens (3-3, 1-2).

Cook found the end zone twice in the third quarter as Jax State built a 35-6 lead. He broke loose for a 66-yard jaunt deep into Delaware territory, then capped the eight-play, 81-yard drive with a one-yard TD run with 8:44 left in the third.

Cook later added a two-yard run for his second career three-touchdown game and first with the Gamecocks.

Sanders led the Gamecocks with nine stops with 1½ tackles for loss. Cornerback RJ Rainer contributed a career-best five solo tackles.

Jax State has an open date next week. The Gamecocks return to action on Wednesday, October 29, to face Middle Tennessee (1-5, 0-2), which is off this week before visiting Delaware next Wednesday.

Kickoff at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium in Murfreesboro, Tenn. is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN2 – Jax State's third straight national TV appearance.

Jax State Postgame Notes – Delaware
October 15, 2025 • Burgess-Snow Field at AmFirst Stadium • Jacksonville, Ala.

• Jax State Captains: Redshirt senior receiver Michael Pettway, redshirt senior tight end Preston Baldwin, redshirt sophomore kicker Garrison Rippa, redshirt junior defensive lineman Darrell Prater.
• Jax State won the opening toss and deferred its option to the second half, the fifth time it has won the toss in seven games and first time at home.
• Jax State has won nine straight games at AmFirst Stadium and 14 of its last 16 dating back to the start of the 2023 season.
• Cam Cook, who entered the night as the leading rusher in FBS, added 117 yards vs. the Fightin' Blue Hens and now stands 138 yards shy of moving past Boyce Callahan (1,087 yards in 1972) for 10^th place on the single-season rushing list.
• Rippa, who also missed kicks of 54 and 46 yards, needs one more field goal to move into a tie for ninth place on Jax State's all-time career field goals list, tying Connor Rouleau (2013-16) and Rocky Riddle (1976-79) with 28.
• Rippa's second career 52-yard kick in the fourth quarter ties Griffin Thomas (2013 vs. Eastern Kentucky) and Steven Lee (2003 vs. Murray State) for the longest field goal in program history. He now owns four of the 11 longest field goals in Jax State history.
• Linebacker Walker O'Steen's first-quarter fumble recovery was the first of his career. The 27-yard return was the second-longest of the season, one yard shy of Chase Alexander's 28-yard return at Georgia Southern.
• Safety Caleb Nix's 45-yard fumble return for a TD was the first by a Gamecock defender since Curley Young Jr. returned one for 26 yards against Middle Tennessee on Oct. 4, 2023.
• Jax State, which saw its streak of games with multiple rushing touchdowns end at 11 in the season opener at UCF, rushed for three TDs against Delaware and now has 20 in its past six games.
• Jawaun Campbell, a 282-pound defensive lineman, lined up in the backfield and took a direct snap in the third quarter but was stopped for no gain on his first career rushing attempt.
• The Gamecocks are 9-1 all-time during "Weekday CUSA" games.
• Redshirt freshman running back Jalen Likely finished with a career-best 42 yards on three carries, including a 34-yard run in the third quarter.
• Games played on October 15 have been good for the Gamecocks. Over the past six decades, Jax State is 8-1 on this date while averaging 35.7 ppg. in those games.
• Jax State is 4-3 for the second consecutive season.
• Wednesday's broadcast on ESPN marked the fifth year in a row that Jax State has appeared in a game on the network's flagship channel. This was Delaware's first regular-season appearance on the Worldwide Leader since a 2008 game at No. 8 Maryland.
• Seven different players had at least three carries for the Gamecocks.
• The Gamecocks are off to a 3-0 start in Conference USA for the second straight year.
• Jax State has averaged 42.6 ppg in its last seven games in the month of October.
• Delaware, fellow CUSA member Middle Tennessee (Blue Raiders), Duke (Blue Devils) and Creighton (Bluejays) are the only NCAA Division I athletic programs with "Blue" as part of their nicknames.