Ohio rallies to stun Gamecocks in four-OT thriller

Saturday, September 12

Athens, Ohio

5 p.m.

Jax State

1-2 , 0-0

Ohio

1-1 , 0-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	OT	OT	OT	OT	Final F
Jacksonville St.	7	10	7	0	0	3	0	0	27
Ohio	0	14	0	10	0	3	0	2	29

Photo by: Emily Kish / Jax State

9/12/2026 9:10:00 PM | Football

Box Score

ATHENS, Ohio – Only one visitor to Ohio University's Peden Stadium since 2022 had emerged victorious prior to Saturday night.

Jax State came as close as any opponent to becoming just the second to accomplish the feat, falling to the Bobcats 29-27 in quadruple overtime before a crowd of 21,037 in a rematch of the 2024 StaffDNA Cure Bowl. Ohio converted a two-point conversion in the fourth overtime period, then stopped the Gamecocks a half-yard shy of the goal line.

Ohio, which had never led, clawed back to tie the contest at 24 with a 90-yard, 18-play march that culminated with a one-yard touchdown with 1:34 remaining in regulation.

Jax State (1-2) calmly moved to the Bobcats' 20 as time wound down, but Garrison Rippa's 37-yard attempt as time expired sailed wide right to send the game to overtime.

The final margin was the Bobcats' only lead.

"I give them a lot of credit. They made the plays that they had to," said Jax State head coach Charles Kelly. "You can't give teams second opportunities and we did that tonight. I think we've got a good football team, but when you go on the road you can't have those mistakes."

The Gamecocks outgained OU 447-262.

For the second week in a row, the Gamecocks pieced together a 13-play drive to claim the early lead.

Quarterback Caden Creel did much of the damage with his legs, running seven times on the opening series as Jax State's offense converted three times on third down.

Creel completed the 6½-minute march by scrambling eight yards untouched to the end zone with 4:54 remaining in the first quarter. Rippa's extra point made it 7-0 after Creel's second rushing TD of the season.

Tight end Luke Gilbert, a sophomore from Pisgah, hauled in a touchdown pass for the second consecutive game, beating a Bobcats defender on his way to an 82-yard score with 14:36 remaining in the second quarter. The touchdown was the longest pass of Creel's career, and Rippa's PAT gave Jax State a 14-0 lead.

The Bobcats (1-1) sliced that deficit in half by responding with a 13-play scoring drive of their own, converting 4-of-5 third downs. An eight-yard touchdown pass drew OU to within 14-7 with 7:28 to go before halftime.

Fortune smiled on the Gamecocks when Rippa lined up for a 46-yard field goal late in the second quarter.

Holder Carter Lewis, a backup punter, mishandled the snap, but quickly regained composure and completed a seven-yard throw to Angel Toombs, a defensive lineman in the game as a blocker on the kicking team.

The first-down pass kept the drive alive, but Jax State ended up settling for Rippa's 22-yard field goal, his first of the year. The Gamecocks had a pair of touchdowns nullified by penalties on the series.

Ohio struck back in a flash, taking the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown with 44 seconds left to swing the momentum and pull within 17-14.

Jax State outgained the Bobcats 262-91 through the first 30 minutes. Creel accounted for 242 scrimmage yards, rushing for 59 yards while completing 9-of-12 for 183 more.

The Gamecocks stormed out of the locker room after halftime to extend their lead to double digits.

Creel directed a clock-consuming 14-play, 73-yard drive that took nearly seven minutes. Kristian Lando took a pitch from Creel and rumbled the last four yards for the touchdown. Rippa tacked on the PAT to again stretch Jax State's lead to double digits, 24-14.

The Gamecocks are back at AmFirst Stadium the second time next Saturday to host Sun Belt Conference foe Georgia Southern. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.

Jax State Postgame Notes – Ohio
September 12, 2026 • Peden Stadium (21,037) • Athens, Ohio

JSU Captains: Wide receiver Jamill Williams, defensive tackle Khurtiss Perry, punter Conor Donaghy
Ohio won the opening coin toss and opted to receive the kickoff. It was the first time in three games Jax State did not win the toss.
This marks the first time the Gamecocks ever played a football game in the Buckeye State
Ohio currently claims the second-longest active home winning streak in FBS football (14 games), second only to defending national champion Indiana (17 games)
Luke Gilbert, who scored on a 24-yard pass from Creel a week earlier against Eastern Kentucky, became the first Jax State tight end to catch touchdowns in consecutive games since Sean Brown snagged scores against FIU and South Carolina in 2023.
The Bobcats are the third program from the state of Ohio that the Gamecocks have faced. Jax State lost twice at home to Central State in 1993-94 and to Youngstown State at AmFirst Stadium in the 2016 FCS playoffs.
Ohio is the second Mid-American Conference opponent the Gamecocks have ever met, having split a home-and-home series with Eastern Michigan in 2023-24. Jax State has announced a two-game series at current MAC member Buffalo in 2028 and at AmFirst Stadium in 2031.
Jax State saw its FBS-leading streak of 19 consecutive games with at least one turnover end. The streak dated back to November 30, 2024
Ohio is one of only two programs that face FBS teams from the state of Alabama in consecutive weeks. The Bobcats travel to Mobile next Saturday to take on South Alabama. The only other program is Georgia – which travels to Alabama on Oct. 10 and hosts Auburn on Oct. 17.
Freshman quarterback Donovan Moorhead is the only Ohio native on Jax State's 2026 roster. His father is Joe Moorhead, head coach of Ohio's MAC rival, Akron.
Ohio's 98-yard kickoff return with 44 seconds left in the first half was the first by an opponent since Georgia Southern scored on a 95-yard return on Sept. 13, 2025.
Rippa's 38^th and 39^th career field goals move him closer to Gavin Hallford (2004-08) and Alen Karajic (2020-23), who are tied for the school career record with 49.
Jawaun Campbell's field goal block to conclude the first half was Jax State's first since blocking a kick at Austin Peay on Oct. 29, 2022. Marc Woods also blocked a game winning field goal attempt in the first overtime.
Kristian Lando's third-quarter rushing TD was the second of his career.
Carter Lewis' only previous career pass came in high school while he was the kicker at Mobile Christian. That pass was also a completion.
Creel's 14-yard reception in the third quarter on a throwback from wide receiver Jamill Williams was his second career catch. He caught a deflected pass from himself for a four-yard gain at Sam Houston on Oct. 9, 2025.
The four-overtime game was the second-longest in Jax history, trailing only the five-OT loss to Kennesaw State at Atlanta's SunTrust Park in 2018.