No. 23 Lumberjacks Edged by Gamecocks in Ranked Bout in Jacksonville, 28-24

Saturday, October 9

Jacksonville, AL

3:00 PM

Stephen F. Austin

3-3 , 1-1

#24 Jacksonville State

3-3 , 0-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

SFA

Jacksonville St.

No. 23 Lumberjacks Edged by Gamecocks in Ranked Bout in Jacksonville, 28-24

10/9/2021 6:26:00 PM | Football

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, ALA. – The No. 23 SFA Football team battled through a rough start and injuries in Saturday's ranked bout against No. 24 Jacksonville State, but was undone by a late touchdown from the hosts, falling 28-24. With the result, SFA moves to 3-3 on the season and 1-2 in WAC/ASUN play.

Trae Self finished with 305 yards passing on 26-47 attempts, notching his eighth career 300-yard passing game. He also threw for a pair of touchdowns and rushed for 22 yards on six caries. Xavier Gipson led all SFA receivers with 84 yards on eight catches, while Quentyvian Borders notched six receptions for 62 yards and Jeremiah Miller hauled in three ctahces for 77 yards. Korbyn White carried the ball 13 times for 55 yards and a score, while also recording three ctahces for 20 yards.

After shaking off one of the worst possible starts to a game, in which a pair of unlucky turnovers spotted the home side a 14-0 lead, SFA showed some signs of life on the defensive end, forcing a turnover on downs with JSU marching towards the endzone. Trae Self and the offense then took over, and long completions by Self to Quentyvian Borders and Jeremiah Miller, the latter a 55-yard catch and run for a touchdown, helped SFA cut the lead in half and get back into the game with 2:53 remaining in the first quarter.

After trailing 21-7 at the halftime intermission, SFA replicated the formula that led to their opening score to open the third, as the SFA defense held firm to force a JSU three and out. Four plays and 62 yards later, SFA was in the endzone again, this time on a 31-yard touchdown strike from Self to Thompson to trim the lead to 21-14.

A 12-play, 65-yard drive in the third quarter stalled out at the JSU three-yard line, as the 'Jacks opted to try for a touchdown on 4^th-and-goal instead of attempting a field goal. Fortunately for the 'Jacks, a fumble by the Gamecocks on the resulting possession was recovered by Myles Heard, setting up a short field which the 'Jacks turned into a score. Korbyn White's 10-yard rushing score put the finishing touches on the 6-play, 51-yard drive, which tied the game up at 21-21 after a Chris Campos extra point.

The 'Jacks would take their first lead of the game on a 30-yard field goal by Campos after marching downfield on the strength of a 12-play, 56-yard drive that burned up 5:24 of game time and left 5:48 on the clock in the game's final quarter.

Jacksonville State would answer with a 10-play drive into Lumberjack territory, scoring on a four-yard scamper by QB Zerrick Cooper with 1:53 left to play in the contest to take the late 28-24 lead. On SFA's ensuing possession, Self was intercepted at SFA's 38-yard line, allowing the Gamecocks to run out the remaining game clock.