JACKSONVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Quarterbacks Caden Creel and Cam Cook combined to rush for 252 yards and three touchdowns, powering Jacksonville State to a 35-26 victory over Kennesaw State on Saturday night in a Conference USA showdown.
The Gamecocks (7-3, 6-0) have used a five-game win streak to move a game ahead of the field. The Owls (7-3, 5-1) fall a half-game behind second-place Western Kentucky.
Amari Odom scored on a 1-yard run at the end of a 14-play drive, giving Kennesaw State the lead. Creel answered with an 18-yard touchdown run to tie the game 7-all after the first quarter.
Daniel Kinney’s 43-yard field goal gave the Owls a 10-7 lead with 4:33 left before halftime. However, Cook scored on a 6-yard run less than two minutes later, and Gavin Wimsatt fired a 62-yard touchdown pass to Deondre Johnson with 4 seconds left in the half on his only pass attempt, putting the Gamecocks ahead 22-10.
In the third quarter, Garrison Rippa stretched the lead to 15 points with a 32-yard field goal. Creel then scored on a 15-yard run to extend the advantage to 32-13 with 10:30 remaining in the game.
Kennesaw State’s backup quarterback Dexter Williams II connected with Clayton Coppock for a 10-yard touchdown, then scored on a 9-yard run at 3:22, cutting the Owls’ deficit to 32-26.
Jacksonville State ran all but 20 seconds off the clock before Rippa kicked a short field goal to seal the victory.
Creel completed 8 of 13 passes for 137 yards and rushed 14 times for 127 more. Cook carried 27 times for 132 yards. Johnson totaled 112 yards on two catches.
Odom and Williams combined to complete 27 of 44 passes for 362 yards, but Odom threw three interceptions and Williams had one.
The win extends Jacksonville State’s lead atop Conference USA as both teams look ahead to the remainder of the season.
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