Miracle finish makes Gamecocks bowl-eligible again
RUSTON, La. – Tyler Huff threw it.
Cam Vaughn caught it.
Both players can now take their rightful places in Jax State football lore, alongside names like Cooper and Philyaw-Johnson.
Huff’s 49-yard Hail Mary pass as time expired in regulation was snatched out of the air by Vaughn in the end zone behind Louisiana Tech defenders, pulling Jax State into a tie with no time remaining on the clock to send the game to overtime.
Tre Stewart scored on an 11-yard run in the extra period as Jax State pulled off a miraculous 44-37 victory over the Bulldogs at soggy Joe Aillet Stadium on Saturday afternoon, and in doing so became the first program in 26 years to qualify for a bowl trip in each of its first two FBS seasons.
But the Gamecocks’ sixth straight victory has them laser-focused on a more important postseason appearance: the Conference USA title game on Friday, Dec. 6, at the home of the regular season champion. Jax State (6-3, 5-0 CUSA) maintained its spot atop the league standings with three games remaining, including a showdown at CUSA co-leader Western Kentucky on Nov. 30.
“Obviously we were very fortunate,” said Jax State head coach Rich Rodriguez. “You’ve got to have a lot of luck involved. I thought Tyler made a great throw and Cam Vaughn continues to impress.
“I’m really proud of the guys. Louisiana Tech out-coached us, but we made just enough plays at the end to win. We were fortunate to win this, but you’ve got to keep playing until the last play and we did.”
The most heart-stopping finish since the Gamecocks stunned Florida State on a similar Hail Mary in 2021 wasn’t decided until J-Rock Swain sacked Bulldogs quarterback Evan Bullock on fourth-and-one in overtime, setting off a raucous celebration on the visitors’ sideline.
Stewart became only the second Jax State back to eclipse 100 yards in five straight games after rushing for 166 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries, the most by a Gamecock since 2013.
The Gamecocks received the opening kickoff and set the tone with 17-play, 75-yard drive that produced six first downs and took more than six minutes off the clock. Andrew Paul bullied into the end zone with a one-yard TD run and Garrison Rippa added the extra point to stake Jax State to a 7-0 lead.
Jax State stretched the lead to 21-7 midway through the second quarter after touchdown runs by Stewart and Huff. Vaughn later caught a 31-yard TD pass from Huff.
Louisiana Tech reeled off 23 unanswered points after trailing 28-14 with under five minutes to go in the second quarter.
Fred Perry led all defensive players with 14 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss. Antonio Carter had 11 stops, while Swain finished with 2.5 tackles for loss, including the game-clincher.
Jax State returns home next Saturday to host Florida International (3-6, 2-3), which will be the Panthers’ first game since Oct. 29. Kickoff at AmFirst Stadium is set for 1 p.m. with television coverage on ESPN+.
Jacksonville State Head Coach
Rich Rodriguez
October 30, 2024
The LA Tech Game
On the Resilience of the Team:
“We played so poorly in the second half, and then we were just dead in the water. And yet our defense played well enough to give us a chance. Our offense wasn’t doing anything in the second half. And then finally, at the end of the game, Tyler put a couple nice drives together, and then what are you gonna say about the Hail Mary? We practice it, but you gotta have a little bit of luck. But it worked out. He was in the perfect spot in the end zone. It was a perfect ball thrown. He had enough protection, and then we have to go to overtime to finish it. So I like the way our guys battle with a lot of things. We gotta learn. We gotta get better. But any win, especially any win on the road, we’ll take it.”
On Overcoming the Late Deficit:
I think we just relaxed and played. I think we played with a sense of urgency, which was better, and then sometimes just kind of like milling around, and that ain’t who we are anyway. You know, we got the first half. We played with tempo, and it was good. So I’ve got to do a better job coaching. We got a lot of things we got to clean up, but, you know, we’ll learn from this and move on.
On Being Bowl Eligible For the Second Time in as Many Years:
We’re at a great place.I think our guys have the right kind of culture, and we’ve got players that play really hard, and love each other and I’m fortunate to have a good staff as well.”
Jax State Postgame Notes – Louisiana Tech
November 9, 2024 Joe Aillet Stadium Ruston, La.
• Jax State Captains: redshirt senior offensive lineman Clay Webb, redshirt junior receiver Michael Pettway and redshirt senior defensive lineman Ricky Samuel.
• Louisiana Tech won the opening coin toss and deferred to the second half, marking the second game in a row Jax State’s opponent won the toss.
• Tre Stewart surpassed the 100-yard mark for the fifth consecutive game, the second-longest streak in Jax State history. Clay Green holds the school record with seven straight 100-yard performances in 2005.
• Stewart’s 34 rushing attempts were the most by a Jax State player since DeMarcus James ran 35 times for 206 yards and three touchdowns vs. Southeast Missouri on Nov. 13, 2013.
• Stewart now ranks fourth on Jax State’s single-season rushing touchdown list with 17. He will tie Troymaine Pope (2015) and Oscar Bonds (2004) with two more rushing TDs.
• Jax State is now 12-9 all-time in overtime games and 7-4 in OT on the road.
• The victory over Louisiana Tech gives Jax State its first six-game win streak in a calendar year since 2017. The Gamecocks won three straight to end the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, then four in a row to start the Spring 2021 schedule.
• The Gamecocks have scored 161 points in the second half over their last seven games.
• Head coach Rich Rodriguez is now 21-1 when the Gamecocks score 30 points or more. Rodriguez is 4-2 in November games as the Gamecocks’ head coach.
• Jax State is 1-1 all-time at Joe Aillet Stadium and now leads the all-time series 2-1.
