Cam Cook led Jacksonville state to a dramatic 24-21 comeback victory over Middle Tennessee on Wednesday evening as he ensured the victory with a go-ahead touchdown in the final moments.
A 4-yard scoring run by Cook with 4.29 remaining gave the Gamecocks an unbeatable lead, and two late Blue Raider drives were thwarted by the Gamecock defense. Jacksonville State became 5-3 and 4-0 in Conference USA with the win, and they kept in step with Kennesaw State (6-2, 4-0) at the top of the standings.
All on the fourth quarter was momentum swings. The offensive against Jacksonville State was alive, the first three possessions of the time yielded the goal. The rally was initiated by Kicker Garrison Rippa hitting a 47-yard field goal and quarterback Caden Creel connected with Deondre Johnson on a 30-yard TD which was not overturned on video review that showed Johnson had his left foot in bounds.
Cook then topped the comeback by his touchdown run. He ended the night with 21-carry 105-yard performance that set the stage of the balanced Jacksonville State attack.
Creel played well in the center of the field and got 13 out of 19 passes that made 139 yards and a single score. Johnson was the breakout star, receiving four passes to the tune of 131 yards and two goals, which were almost quadrupled on the season.
The struggles were extended into a sixth consecutive defeat in case of Middle Tennessee (1-7, 0-4). The quarterback Nicholas Vattiato had 235 yards, two scores and one interception with Jekail Middlebrook playing a bright side as he had a rushing and a receiving score and ended up with a total of 107 total yards.
Although it began well, MTSU was unable to get over midfield in the last two plays, with the defense of Jacksonville State stiffening at a bad time.
The Gamecocks have three consecutive victories which have given them a lot of momentum in the game of conference USA. Their ability to balance an offense with their endurance in late games is catching the eye of many and should Cook and Johnson continue to deliver at the right moment, Jacksonville State will find itself in the middle of the title race even in November.
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