HOUSTON – Garrison Rippa calmly kicked a career-long 52-yard field goal as time ran out as Jax State escaped from Shell Energy Stadium with a 29-27 victory over winless Sam Houston Thursday night to stay unbeaten in Conference USA action.

Rippa's field goal – Jax State's first walk-off winner since his 27-yarder in overtime won the 2023 New Orleans Bowl – came on the heels of Cam Cook's career-high 218 yards on the ground. It marked the first time Sam Houston had allowed a 200-yard rusher since 2018.

The Gamecocks (3-3, 2-0 in CUSA) had fought back from a fourth-quarter deficit only to see the Bearkats (0-6, 0-3) go ahead on a 19-yard touchdown pass with 52 seconds. But Jax State, working from the no-huddle, quickly moved from its 17 to Sam Houston's 35 to set up Rippa's game-winner, which tied a school record for longest field goal.

"I was really just wanting to get a feel for where I wanted to hit the ball," said Rippa. "I'd made one from 55 in pregame so I was pretty confident I could make it."

Caden Creel, the redshirt sophomore quarterback from Fairhope, made his first career start and wasted little time staking Jax State to a first-quarter lead.

Creel had five runs and completed a pass as the Gamecocks went 59 yards in 10 plays on their first series. He finished off the early scoring march with a six-yard touchdown run on a quarterback keeper and Garrison Rippa tacked on the extra point for a 7-0 lead with 8:57 to go in the opening stanza.

Cook shook loose for a 73-yard jaunt on the last play of the first quarter to set up Jax State's next score. The drive stalled following Cook's long run and Rippa came on to kick a 30-yard field goal at the 14:01 mark for a 10-0 Jax State advantage.

An untimely turnover after being pinned at the 1 by a Sam Houston punt led to the Bearkats' first points. The Gamecocks fumbled on first down and Sam Houston recovered, then scored on a one-yard run with 10:13 to go before halftime.

The extra point sliced Jax State's lead to 10-7.

Cook capped Jax State's eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive with a two-yard touchdown run, extending the Gamecocks' lead to 17-7. He was instrumental throughout the possession, rushing five times for 45 yards, and sealed it with his sixth rushing touchdown of the year.

Jax State clung to a 17-14 halftime lead despite outgaining the Bearkats 291-123. The 14 points marked a season-high in the first half.

Sam Houston went ahead 21-17 in the third quarter before the Gamecocks fought back to take a 26-21 lead with Cook's second TD run, a seven-yarder with 10:34 remaining.

The Gamecocks' defense finished with a season-high in tackles for loss with eight and tied a season-best with four sacks. Linebacker Walker O'Steen had a season-high three tackles behind the line of scrimmage.

Jax State returns to the friendly confines of AmFirst Stadium for a nationally televised match-up vs. CUSA newcomer Delaware (3-2, 1-1). The tilt marks the second time the Blue Hens have played in the state of Alabama, the previous one coming in an FCS quarterfinal game in Jacksonville in the Spring 2021 season.

Kickoff on Preview Day is set for 6 p.m. with television coverage on ESPN2.

Jax State Postgame Notes – Sam Houston
October 9, 2025 • Shell Energy Stadium • Houston, Texas

• Jax State Captains: Junior RB Cam Cook, redshirt junior DE Emanuel Oyebadejo, senior safety Trevor Woods and redshirt junior RB Andrew Paul. Cook, Woods and Paul are Texas natives
• Jax State won the coin toss and deferred its option to the second half, the fourth time – all on the road – it has won the toss in six games.
• The Gamecocks improve to 8-6 all-time against Sam Houston, their former Southland and ASUN/WAC conference foe.
• Thursday's game vs. Sam Houston begins a string of three consecutive nationally televised games for the Gamecocks; the Oct. 15 home game against Delaware and Oct. 29 road game at Middle Tennessee will air on ESPN2.
• The Gamecocks are 8-1 all-time during "Weekday CUSA" games.
• Garrison Rippa had a 35-yard field goal try blocked late in the first quarter. Rippa's only missed FGs this season have been on blocked kicks – the first came at UCF in the season opener. Rippa made kicks of 30, 26 and 52 yards against Sam Houston and is now 10-for-12 on field goals.
• Rippa's game-winning 52-yard kick ties Griffin Thomas (2013 vs. Eastern Kentucky) and Steven Lee (2003 vs. Murray State) for the longest field goal in school history.
• Jax State and Sam Houston are two of only four programs to reach bowl eligibility within their first two seasons of moving up to the FBS level (joining James Madison in 2023 and Liberty in 2018).
• Tight end Pearson Baldwin was the Gamecocks' top receiver with five catches for 72 yards, including the two longest receptions of the night at 23 and 19 yards.
• Jax State has averaged 43.3 ppg in its last six games in the month of October.
• The Gamecocks are now 19-17 all-time vs. teams from the Lone Star State. Jax State returns to Texas on November 8 with its first trip to El Paso to face UTEP at the famed Sun Bowl.
• Jax State's record stands at 3-3 for second consecutive year.
• The Gamecocks – who have two bye weeks scheduled in October – play only three games in a span of 42 days from September 27-November 8. Jax State hosts Delaware on Wednesday and travels to Middle Tennessee on Wednesday, October 29.
• Jax State improves to 1-3 in road games this season and is 2-4 in its last six away from AmFirst Stadium.
• Thursday's CUSA game was played at 20,656-seat Shell Energy Stadium in Houston due to a $60 million renovation project currently underway at Sam Houston's Bowers Stadium in Huntsville, Texas. Shell Energy Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in downtown Houston that serves as the regular home of the Houston Dynamo FC and Houston Dash professional soccer teams and Texas Southern University football.
• Jax State's running back duo of Cook (Round Rock) and Paul (Fort Worth) are on the Watch List for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, which recognizes the top offensive football player in NCAA Division I with a connection to the state of Texas. Cook currently leads the nation in rushing with 832 yards rushing.