Rippa’s late heroics, clutch interception lift Gamecocks in CUSA thriller

Wednesday, October 7

Kennesaw, Ga.

6 p.m.

Jax State

4-2 , 2-0

Kennesaw State

1-4 , 0-1

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Jacksonville St.	0	14	7	6	27
Kennesaw St.	3	13	7	3	26

Photo by: Emily Kish / Jax State

Rippa’s late heroics, clutch interception lift Gamecocks in CUSA thriller

10/7/2026 10:40:00 PM | Football

Box Score

KENNESAW, Ga. – Jax State found a way to Rippa the hearts out of its fiercest Conference USA rival at Fifth Third Stadium Wednesday night.

Garrison Rippa booted a 33-yard field goal with 52 seconds remaining and Rob Billings IV snuffed out Kennesaw State's final rally with his first career interception as the Gamecocks (4-2, 2-0) defeated the Owls 27-26 in a league showdown featuring seven lead changes.

Big players produce big plays in big moments. Deondre Johnson checked all three boxes against Kennesaw State, using his 6-foot-8 frame to help deliver the key conference win.

Johnson had catches of 39, 35 and 22 yards from Caden Creel, all in the second half, as the Gamecocks erased a nine-point deficit over the game's last 15:26. Rippa's had field goals of 20 and 33 yards in the last 9½ minutes, the final one his fifth career game-winner.

"This game is going to put you in tough situations," said Jax State head coach Charles Kelly. "It's going to create adversity and how you handle adversity is how you move on. We do that year-round; we put the guys in the most adverse situation you can. You just can't do that on Saturdays, or Wednesday night. You've got to do it all the time."

Kennesaw State (1-4, 0-1) chewed up more than eight minutes after taking the opening kickoff and driving 73 yards in 15 plays. The Owls converted twice on third downs and took the first lead of the game, 3-0, via Daniel Kinney's 20-yard field goal at the 6:44 mark.

The Gamecocks erased the early deficit with a lengthy drive of their own. They moved 75 yards in 14 plays to consume the remaining time in the first quarter, with Creel completing five throws and Jalen Likely touching the ball seven times, catching two passes and running five times for 26 yards.

Creel finished off the first offensive series with a one-yard shovel pass to Jamill Williams at the 14:37 mark in the second. Garrison Rippa added the extra point to take a 7-3 lead.

Any momentum from the score was brief. Kennesaw State answered immediately with a 70-yard completion, the longest pass play allowed by Jax State this season, then reached the end zone two plays later on Rickie Collins' two-yard touchdown run. A missed PAT left the Owls in front 9-7.

Creel's 38-strike to tight end Luke Gilbert set up Jax State's go-ahead score with 4:30 remaining before halftime.

Creel finished off the quick four-play play drive by scrambling the final two yards for a touchdown. Rippa's second PAT of the night made it 14-9.

The lead changed hands for the fifth time in the opening half when Collins connected with Javon Rodgers from five yards out with 23 seconds left. The late touchdown sent Kennesaw State into the break with a 16-14 edge.

Down nine late in the third quarter, Jax State's offense got a spark when Creel hit Johnson on back-to-back completions of 22 and 35 yards to move deep into Owls territory. Likely rumbled the final three yards and Rippa booted his third PAT with 26 seconds to go in the third.

Johnson surpassed the 1,000-yard career receiving milestone with his four-catch, 112-yard performance.

Jax State has its shortest turnaround of the season – just six days – when it hosts Florida International in a nationally televised CUSA matchup Tuesday. Kickoff at AmFirst Stadium is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the contest will be televised on ESPNU.

The Panthers are 3-2 overall, 1-0 in CUSA and riding a two-game win streak.

Jax State Postgame Notes – Kennesaw State
October 7, 2026 • Fifth Third Bank Stadium (10,225) • Kennesaw, Ga.

Jax State Captains: Linebacker Aidan Thompson, wide receiver Ronnel Johnson, tight end David Alpers III
Jax State won the coin toss for the fourth time in six games this year and deferred its option to the second half. Kennesaw State had won the toss in its first four games.
The Gamecocks have recorded a rushing touchdown in 64 consecutive games, a streak that began immediately after a loss to Kennesaw State on October 2, 2021. It's 25 games more than the next-longest active streak across all Division I programs (Montana State with 39).
Caleb Nix's third-quarter interception was his second of the season and Jax State's first takeaway since the final play against Georgia Southern.
The Gamecocks are 23-5 against CUSA opponents since joining the conference in 2023. Jax State has never lost back-to-back games vs. conference foes.
Jax State's 12-1 'Weekday CUSA' record is the best in the league over the last four years. Has won 10 in a row, dating back to Oct. 10, 2023.
Garrison Rippa moves into sixth place all-time in career scoring with 260 points. The two field goals give him 45 in his career and move him closer to Gavin Hallford (2004-08) and Alen Karajic (2020-23), who are tied for the school career record with 49.
The Owls returned a Conor Donaghy punt for the first time this season in the second quarter, but the play resulted in a three-yard loss. Donaghy continued his strong season, with six of his 14 punts landing inside the opponents' 20-yard line.
Kennesaw State has scored at least 24 points in nine-straight regular season conference games, tied for the seventh-longest active streak in FBS.
The 86-mile distance from Jacksonville, Ala., to Kennesaw, Ga., is the shortest distance between current CUSA members. The next nearest CUSA rivalry is Middle Tennessee (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) and Western Kentucky (Bowling Green, Ky.) at 98 miles apart.
Jax State is 4-2 for the first time since 2019.
Scouts from the Green Bay Packers, New York Jets and Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders attended Wednesday's game, along with a Cure Bowl representative.
Freshman linebacker Jameson McCollough from Austell, Ga., made his first career start and tied for team lead with seven tackles, including one for loss.
Wide receiver Jamill Williams one-yard TD reception in the second quarter was his fifth of the season and first since a four-TD performance vs. Eastern Kentucky on September 5.
Jax State's defense has allowed a touchdown in the final minute of the first half in all five games vs. FBS opponents.
The Gamecocks committed a season-high 11 penalties for 93 yards. Kennesaw State was flagged 15 times for 137 yards.
Wednesday marked the first time since the 2024 Cure Bowl that the Gamecocks had four receivers with at least three receptions. Ten Jax State players caught at least one pass.