Saturday, September 19
JACKSONVILLE
6 p.m.
Jax State
vs
Georgia Southern
Gamecocks Host Georgia Southern
9/18/2026 5:30:00 PM | Football
JACKSONVILLE—Jax State will look to home field advantage to get back on track when it hosts Georgia Southern Saturday night at AmFirst Stadium.
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The Gamecocks dropped a four-overtime game last week at Ohio despite outgaining the Bobcats by 185 yards and holding at least a 10-point lead at three different points in the game.
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"I was really proud of the effort of our players," said coach Charles Kelly. "We're not happy with the results, but I'm happy with the way they prepared."
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Quarterback Caden Creel passed for 265 yards and a touchdown and added 120 yards rushing on a career-high 29 carries with an additional touchdown. It was Creel's eighth game with 100 or more rushing yards which is second-most in program history among quarterbacks, trailing only Eli Jenkins.
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According to Pro Football Focus, Creel ranks third among Group of Six non-running backs in rushing yardage with 219.
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The passing game has recorded at least 200 yards in each of the last two games, marking the first time since the 2024 season the Gamecocks have had 200 or more passing yards in consecutive games.
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On defense, Jax State has held back-to-back opponents under 100 yards passing for the first time since joining the FBS ranks. The Gamecocks are currently 10th nationally in passing yards allowed per game at 117, and rank as third-best among Group of Six teams behind New Mexico (83.5) and Coastal Carolina (116.5).
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Georgia Southern is 1-1 after a 22-7 loss at Clemson despite forcing a pair of first quarter turnovers but failed to capitalize on them. The Eagles limited Clemson to an average of 4.7 yards per play over 74 total plays.
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"Defensively, I'm thoroughly impressed with what they've been able to do in a short time there," said Kelly. "They have good players up front, and have guys that can cover."
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Veteran quarterback Max Johnson was 27-of-47 passing for 244 yards with a touchdown. The Eagles are 27th nationally in passing yards per game at 297.5. Johnson is one of just 16 active FBS players with 50 or more career passing yards.
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"I have a ton of respect for Clay Helton and he does an incredible job of getting his team ready," said Kelly. "You can see his fingerprints all over them offensively."
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Kickoff is at 6 p.m. and tickets are still available at JaxStateSports.com/tickets. The game will air on ESPN+ and the Gamecock Sports Network.
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The Gamecocks dropped a four-overtime game last week at Ohio despite outgaining the Bobcats by 185 yards and holding at least a 10-point lead at three different points in the game.
Â
"I was really proud of the effort of our players," said coach Charles Kelly. "We're not happy with the results, but I'm happy with the way they prepared."
Â
Quarterback Caden Creel passed for 265 yards and a touchdown and added 120 yards rushing on a career-high 29 carries with an additional touchdown. It was Creel's eighth game with 100 or more rushing yards which is second-most in program history among quarterbacks, trailing only Eli Jenkins.
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According to Pro Football Focus, Creel ranks third among Group of Six non-running backs in rushing yardage with 219.
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The passing game has recorded at least 200 yards in each of the last two games, marking the first time since the 2024 season the Gamecocks have had 200 or more passing yards in consecutive games.
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On defense, Jax State has held back-to-back opponents under 100 yards passing for the first time since joining the FBS ranks. The Gamecocks are currently 10th nationally in passing yards allowed per game at 117, and rank as third-best among Group of Six teams behind New Mexico (83.5) and Coastal Carolina (116.5).
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Georgia Southern is 1-1 after a 22-7 loss at Clemson despite forcing a pair of first quarter turnovers but failed to capitalize on them. The Eagles limited Clemson to an average of 4.7 yards per play over 74 total plays.
Â
"Defensively, I'm thoroughly impressed with what they've been able to do in a short time there," said Kelly. "They have good players up front, and have guys that can cover."
Â
Veteran quarterback Max Johnson was 27-of-47 passing for 244 yards with a touchdown. The Eagles are 27th nationally in passing yards per game at 297.5. Johnson is one of just 16 active FBS players with 50 or more career passing yards.
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"I have a ton of respect for Clay Helton and he does an incredible job of getting his team ready," said Kelly. "You can see his fingerprints all over them offensively."
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Kickoff is at 6 p.m. and tickets are still available at JaxStateSports.com/tickets. The game will air on ESPN+ and the Gamecock Sports Network.
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Players Mentioned
QB
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