Jacksonville State opened the floodgates early and never let up, blasting Florida International 63-42 in a game that was over by halftime and somehow still ended with 105 combined points. The Gamecocks, now 5-0 in their last five and a perfect 4-0 in CUSA play, are barreling toward a conference title with all gas, no brakes.
From the jump, it was a clinic. QB Tyler Huff threw a simple crossing route to Michael Pettway that turned into a 70-yard highlight reel after a couple of filthy moves—first blood, three plays in. FIU blinked and suddenly it was 21-0. Huff stayed locked in, finishing 25-of-30 for 422 yards and five total touchdowns (four passing, one rushing). Tre Stewart added another workmanlike gem—13 rushes for 86 yards and 2 TDs on the ground, plus a 69-yard receiving score.
But this game was a blowout wrapped in chaos. Jax State’s defense shut the door early with a pick-six from Geimere Latimore and a fourth-down stop that had FIU grasping at air. Pettway, meanwhile, cooked up another All-NDL performance—10 catches for 180 yards and 3 touchdowns. He even bounced back from a fumble with a WR-option TD that looked straight out of a playbook drawn in crayon and dreams.
By the time Jax State was up 42-7 late in the second quarter, NDL league bylaws basically considered it a mercy rule. But because Coach Znicol doesn’t believe in boring, things still got weird. FIU ripped off a 71-yard touchdown run, then picked off a deep shot from Huff that should’ve been burned immediately. FIU tried to claw back with two third-quarter scores, cutting the lead to 14, but every time they made a dent, the Gamecocks fired right back.
Defensively, Fred Perry did what he always does—10 tackles and constant disruption. Derek Carter added 9 tackles, 2 TFLs, and a pick. And Darrell Prater introduced himself to the backfield with five sacks, reminding everyone that Jax State has heat on both sides of the ball.
Despite a couple late scores from FIU—including a garbage-time TD with 34 seconds left—the game was never really in question. Jax State’s offense racked up 546 total yards and went a perfect 7-for-7 on third down. That’s efficiency you print out and hang in the locker room.
With Louisiana Tech already in the rearview and sitting two games back in the CUSA standings, Jacksonville State essentially controls its own destiny. Next up: Sam Houston State and Western Kentucky—two matchups that, if handled, could've and should've locked up a spot in the NDL Playoffs if it wasn't for that bad 1st-game-in-the-NDL-loss in Week 1.
This team’s making a serious run—and if these Gamecocks don’t start showing up on a few ballots, someone’s clearly confusing them with the other Gamecocks—and the other Jacksonville.
CONNECT WITH US ONLINE:
WHOS ONLINE:
uf83198 and 8 Guests in the last 5 minutes Legend: NDL Admin | Conference Commish | Media Team | NDL Coaches
NDL Hall of Fame:
659 Coaches Newest Member: Shotty_mac90
HOME
Live
Discord