JACKSONVILLE – Jax State will host the 2025 Air National Guard Conference USA Championship Game, thanks to the reliable left leg of Garrison Rippa and a clutch second-half defensive effort against Western Kentucky on Saturday.
The Gamecocks (8-4, 7-1 in CUSA) overcame two double-digit deficits and Rippa calmly kicked a 28-yard field goal as time expired as Jax State stunned the Hilltoppers 37-34 to earn the right to host the CUSA Championship Game for the second straight year. The Gamecocks will host Kennesaw State at AmFirst Stadium next Friday at 6:05 p.m.
Jax State handed the Owls their first CUSA loss, 35-26, at home on Nov. 15.
"I just try to stick with what I know," said Rippa. "Three steps back, two steps to the right, and just bang it through. Coach Kelly puts us in that situation every week and having that atmosphere at practice and knowing the team's got my back helps put me at ease."
Deadlocked at 31-31 through three quarters, the Gamecocks and Hilltoppers exchanged field goals early in the final period before Jax State took over at its 39 with 4:18 left in regulation. Caden Creel steadily moved Jax State downfield, with key third-down completions to seniors Michael Pettway and Pearson Baldwin in their final regular season game at AmFirst Stadium that kept the game-winning drive alive.
"There's a reason why you play 60 minutes," said Jax State head coach Charles Kelly. "Coach (Clint) Trickett called an unbelievable game. In 35 years of coaching, that might be some of the best defensive adjustments at halftime that I've ever seen.
"I'm very proud of our team. Love their competitiveness and now we've got another opportunity to play."
Quarterback Caden Creel accounted for 347 scrimmage yards with two touchdown passes and a scoring run of 70 yards to open the second half. Cam Cook, the nation's leading rusher, added 137 yards on 25 carries with one touchdown run.
Each offense started the game with a seven-play scoring drive.
The Gamecocks struck first, receiving the opening kickoff and driving 75 yards as Caden Creel took to the air four times, including connections of 34 and 11 yards to Deondre Johnson. Cook swept into the end zone from 14 yards out one play later and Rippa's extra point staked Jax State to a 7-0 lead with less than three minutes elapsed.
Jax State found itself in a 21-7 hole – its largest deficit at home since the 2024 season opener vs. Coastal Carolina – as the Hilltoppers answered with successive touchdown drives of 66, 46 and 65 yards.
Western Kentucky (8-4, 6-2) capitalized on a fumble, recovering in Jax State territory. The Hilltoppers needed just four plays to cover 46 yards, taking the lead when La'Vell Wright punched in a one-yard touchdown run with 6:15 left in the first quarter.
The Gamecocks fought back by outscoring WKU 17-7 over the last 9½ minutes of the second quarter. Rippa kicked a 27-yard field goal to slice his team's deficit to 21-10, then Jax State linebacker Walker O'Steen intercepted a pass and returned it 37 yards deep into Hilltoppers' territory on the ensuing possession.
Creel tossed a two-yard TD pass to tight end Pearson Baldwin and Rippa tacked on another PAT to trim WKU's lead to four points (21-17) at the 6:18 mark.
Wright broke free for a 39-yard run up the middle, capping a nine-play, 90-yard Hilltoppers drive with 1:52 left before halftime. Jax State answered quickly, as Creel directed the Gamecocks down the field and connected with Johnson for a 22-yard touchdown pass with just 15 seconds remaining.
Rippa's extra point sent the Gamecocks to the locker room trailing 28-24. Western Kentucky outgained Jax State 236-233 in the first half.
Creel broke loose on a 70-yard TD run on a perfectly executed quarterback option as Jax State regained the lead with 11:22 to go in the third. Creel's second-longest run of the year and Rippa's PAT gave the Gamecocks a 31-28 advantage.
Tickets for Friday's 2025 Air National Guard Conference USA Championship Game will be available at JaxStateSports.com/CUSA25 beginning at 7 p.m.
Jax State Postgame Notes –Western Kentucky
November 29, 2025 • Burgess-Snow Field at AmFirst Stadium • Jacksonville, Ala.
· Jax State Captains: Senior quarterback Gavin Wimsatt, redshirt senior receiver Michael Pettway, redshirt senior tight end Pearson Baldwin and redshirt junior defensive lineman Darrell Prater.
· Jax State recognized 19 football players as part of Senior Day activities.
· Saturday's regular-season finale marked the first time since 1991-92 that Jax State has faced the same opponent three times in a span of less than 365 days (364 since the '24 regular-season finale at Western Kentucky). The Gamecocks played Mississippi College three times between Oct. 5, 1991, and Oct. 3, 1992 – also a span of 364 days with a leap year in 1992.
· This is the second year in a row the Gamecocks have finished the regular season 8-4.
· Cam Cook is the only FBS player this season with at least 1,500 yards rushing and 20 receptions. He has nine outings with 100+ rushing yards and a catch, the most by any FBS player.
· Six of the nine all-time meetings between Jax State and Western Kentucky have been decided by one possession.
· Cook moved into third place on Jax State's single-season rushing list with 1,581 yards. He needs 58 yards next Friday to pass Tre Stewart for second place.
· Jax State has had one play gain at least 40+ yards in seven consecutive games with Caden Creel's 70-yard run on a quarterback option in the third quarter.
· Creel has four consecutive games with at least 100 yards rushing and 100 yards passing. He had a career-high 204 yards passing against the Hilltoppers and added 143 on the ground.
· Deondre Johnson's 34-yard catch in the opening quarter marked the fifth straight game the redshirt sophomore has had a reception of 25 yards or more. He also caught a 25-yard pass from Creel early in the second quarter and added a 30-yard catch in the fourth quarter.
· The Gamecocks have now forced at least one turnover in all 12 games.
· Backup quarterback Gavin Wimsatt caught his second pass of the season, an 18-yard completion thrown by freshman receiver Gabe Glover. It was Glover's first career pass attempt.
· Linebacker Walker O'Steen made his third interception of the year when he picked off a deflected Western Kentucky pass in the second quarter and returned it 37 yards.
· The Gamecocks are 21-4 against CUSA opponents since joining the conference in 2023. Jax State has never lost back-to-back games vs. conference foes.
· Saturday was just the third time in program history that the Gamecocks have played on November 29. The two previous November 29th games came in the first round of the playoffs: at Division II Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo in 1980 and at FCS Western Kentucky in 2003.
· Jax State has won 11 straight games at AmFirst Stadium and 16 of its last 18 dating back to the start of the 2023 season. It's the longest home win streak since reeling off 14 wins in a row at AmFirst Stadium during the 2015-16 seasons.
· Jax State is 29-2 since 2022 when scoring 30 or more points. Since 2000, the Gamecocks are 140-16 when putting at least 30 points on the scoreboard.
· Jax State head coach Charles Kelly and Western Kentucky coach Tyson Helton were on the coaching staff together at Tennessee in 2018 when Kelly coached safeties and special teams and Helton served as the Vols' offensive coordinator.
