JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — Jacksonville State welcomed Southeastern Louisiana out of the Southland Conference for a non-conference clash on Homecoming. Both teams came into the game top-25 in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in scoring offenses, each averaging over 33 points per game.
Southeastern’s 3-3 mark on the year and 1-1 record in Southland play might’ve dropped them under Jax State fans’ radars, but two of those losses were on the road at Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents (9/3 at Louisiana-Lafayette and 9/2 at Florida Atlantic) and over the course of the next three weeks, they won out, including an upset of fourth-ranked Incarnate Word. The win streak earned them a spot in the FCS top-25.
Celebrating their own homecoming, the Lions played their second Southland game against Texas A&M-Commerce (also, funnily enough, nicknamed the Lions). The catfight was a three-point game with 4:22 remaining before TAMU-Commerce would bleed the clock and win 31-28.
So, after a bye week, the Lions made the trip to Burgess-Snow Field looking to get back in the win column, get above .500 and spoil the Gamecocks’ homecoming.
It took a little while for each team to warm up, as they traded punts on each of their first two possessions and stayed scoreless after the first quarter.
But Southeastern got down the field at the start of the second period. Cephus Johnson III was one of two quarterbacks the Lions would rotate in. His six-yard throw across the middle to Jessie Britt was the first score of the game. It capped off a 12-play drive that went 80 yards.
Next drive, JSU went to the ground for their most explosive run of the game. Anwar Lewis took an inside handoff and dashed outside for a 53-yard touchdown. Gamecocks tied it up with the successful point-after. Lewis’ run would be the ‘Cocks’ longest of the game.
SELA would tack on two field goals to go up 13-7, the latter of which was set up by a fake punt that tight end Bauer Sharp took a direct snap for and burst down the field for 55 yards. That would be the Lions’ longest ground gain on a single play.
The Gamecocks take only four plays to respond. Quarterback Zion Webb made his longest pass attempt of the game when he hurled it down the right sideline to Ahmad Edwards who hauled in the touchdown. It was a 64-yard catch that he did nearly half the work on, with 30 or so yards after the catch. That grab was one of just two Edwards would collect in the game. He’d finish with 72 receiving yards.
That touchdown was one of two the ‘Cocks would score in the second period and the final time they would have the lead.
While neither team score in the third quarter, the second half was dominated by SELA. The visiting team would tack 216 yards in the final two frames compared to the home team’s 37. JSU wouldn’t achieve a single yard in the fourth quarter.
SELA took control of the game in the fourth when an athletic pitch-and-catch by Johnson and tight end Ivan Drobocky in the back right corner of the endzone put the Lions ahead.
But they weren’t done. Lions setup for a two-point conversion and got creative. Johnson took the snap but had a double handoff - the infamous flea-flicker move. Receiver Gage Larvadain would up with it, rolled to his left along the far sideline and, with his left hand, threw a soft overhead pass to Johnson who was wide open in the back left corner of the endzone. That made it 24-14 with five minutes to go.
Lions put the exclamation point on this one after another unsuccessful JSU drive. Runningback Carlos Washington, Jr. took a direct snap from two-yards out, went left and scored. He was one of at least five different Lions to receive a snap in what a varied offensive showing. A successful point-after gave us our final score, 31-14.
With the win, SELA improved to 4-3 overall. This was their first win against non-conference foes and their first on the road. They’ll be back in Southland Conference play next week at McNeese State.
Jacksonville State drops to 6-2 on the year after suffering their first loss at home. They’ll be back in action next week at ASUN opponent Austin Peay. The game is slated for 3 p.m. from Fortera Stadium Clarksville, Tenn. The game can be seen on ESPN+. AP, who will come into the game off a bye, was ranked No. 24 in this week’s FCS top-25.