Box Score

NEW ORLEANS – Jax State (9-4) won the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl on Saturday, 34-31, in overtime over Louisiana (6-7), to claim the program’s first-ever bowl win in its first FBS season. The Gamecocks overcame a pair of injuries to its quarterbacks, as well as four turnovers to come back to beat the Ragin’ Cajuns at the Caesar’s Superdome, thanks to a game-winning 27-yard field goal by freshman K Garrison Rippa.
 
Jax State, despite a pair of first half turnovers (a fumble that was returned for a touchdown and a pick-six, both by Louisiana DB Jalen Clark), fought back to get to halftime at 14-14. 
 
The Gamecocks, trailing 7-0 in the first quarter, marched 80 yards in 13 plays and 4:42 and capped off their drive with a one-yard touchdown run by TE Cole Fuller, who was lined up as a fullback, for his first career rushing touchdown.
 
After falling behind 14-7 following Clark’s pick-six, Jax State responded right before the close of the first half to tie things at 14 apiece. The Gamecocks went 75 yards in 14 plays, set up in part by a key third down conversion by backup QB Logan Smothers, who picked up nine yards on a draw when they needed eight. RB Ron Wiggins scored shortly thereafter on a seven-yard scamper to tie things up at 14-14 heading into the break. Wiggins finished with 126 yards on 27 carries with that touchdown.
 
Smothers remained in the game for an injured Zion Webb, and led a scoring drive right out of the break, as Jax State took a 17-14 lead after a Rippa 22-yard field goal, the first of his collegiate career.
 
The Ragin’ Cajuns took the lead back with their first offensive score of the game midway through the third quarter, as QB Chandler Fields scored on a one-yard keeper to make it 21-17. 
 
Jax State responded immediately with another touchdown drive, this time traveling 75 yards in eight plays and 2:54. Smothers got around the edge on a 10-yard touchdown run to put the Gamecocks back in front, 24-21 late in the third. Unfortunately for Jax State, however, Smothers was banged up on the play as he extended for the pylon. 
 
After a field goal tied things up for Louisiana, the Ragin’ Cajuns scored their third defensive touchdown of the game as Tyree Skipper picked off a Smothers pass and returned it 43 yards for a go-ahead touchdown with 5:32 to play in the fourth to give Louisiana a 31-24 lead.
 
Webb, who left due to injury in the first half returned and led a game-tying drive in the final two minutes to even things at 31-31. Webb connected with WR Perry Carter on fourth-and-three for an 18-yard scoring strike to tie things up. 
 
A Jax State defensive stop on the ensuing drive, highlighted by a Larry Worth sack, to force overtime. It marked just the third such game for a CUSA team this season, but Jax State’s second (a 35-28 win at Sam Houston on Sept. 28).
 
Webb, a seventh-year senior, finished 14-26 for 150 yards with that touchdown toss, as well as 70 yards on the ground on 16 carries. Carter hauled in four catches for 69 yards and that game-tying score. Defensively, Worth led the Gamecocks with 12 tackles, 2.0 TFL and that sack.
 
On the opening possession of overtime, Jax State’s defense forced a three-and-out and a 43-yard field goal try, and Louisiana’s Kenneth Almendares missed narrowly to the left. 
 
Jax State was then able to get the ball inside the 10, which set up the game-winning kick for Rippa, from 27 yards out to win it 34-31 and send the Gamecocks to their ninth win of the season.

Jax State ran 109 total plays offensively, amassing 526 yards of total offense in the win. The 109 plays ranks second-most in CUSA history, just six behind the record-holding Houston Cougars' 2012 performance against LA Tech on Sept. 8 (115).