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JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Kick-off returns for touchdowns in the first half by junior Davin Walker and senior Bobby Washington helped spark a 31-20 win for the Eastern Kentucky University football team over host Jacksonville State Saturday afternoon at Paul Snow Memorial Stadium. The Colonels improve to 2-2 overall and 1-0 in Ohio Valley Conference action while the Gamecocks fall to 1-3 and 0-1.
Trailing 10-0 midway through the first quarter, Walker returned a JSU kick-off 95 yards straight up the middle of the field to cut the deficit to three points.
Jacksonville State responded on its next drive, moving the ball inside the Colonel five-yard line thanks to a 66-yard scamper by Daniel Jackson. The Gamecocks tried to find the end zone by running the ball, but senior Antwaun Molden pounced on a fumble on the four-yard line giving the ball back to the EKU offense.
Looking for a spark on offense, redshirt freshman Cody Watts entered the game for the first time this season as the Colonel quarterback. Three plays and 96 yards later, Eastern was in the end zone and took the lead for the first time, 14-10. The Colonels ran the ball on all three plays including the finale, a 76-yard run by Washington.
The back-and-forth game continued in the second quarter when a bobbled snap by punter Benton Kuszmaul allowed Jacksonville State to take over on downs at the Colonel 18-yard line. Quarterback Cedric Johnson escaped the EKU rush on second down and went untouched into the end zone to put JSU back on top, 17-14.
Washington then gave the lead back to Eastern for good when he returned the ensuing kick-off 94 yards for a touchdown. Eastern Kentucky’s 21-17 advantage held up at halftime thanks in part to two missed Gamecock field goals, including a 27-yard attempt with less than a minute remaining in the period.
Jacksonville State threatened to go back on top early in the third quarter by converting three long third-down situations and reaching the Eastern red zone. However, the EKU defense held to force a 33-yard field goal, making the score, 21-20.
The start of the fourth quarter saw Eastern Kentucky put together its first true long offensive drive of the contest. The Colonels converted a 3rd-and-9 behind a 12-yard pass from junior Allan Holland to freshman Evan Cromer. Watts came back into the game at quarterback and netted a 20-yard rush to give EKU a 1st-and-goal. Holland capped the drive with a six-yard naked bootleg around the left end to extend the cushion to eight with 13:32 remaining, 28-20.
Eastern’s defense stopped Jacksonville State on the next two possessions before Holland found sophomore Garnett Phelps for a 46-yard pass to ignite another EKU scoring drive. Following the long pass, senior Mark Dunn ran for 23 yards to set up a 28-yard Taylor Long field goal with 4:37 left to make the score, 31-20.
Jacksonville State made one last push to close the gap, but junior Brandon Gathof intercepted a pass in the end zone with 2:59 remaining to seal the Colonel victory.
Eastern Kentucky returns home next weekend to host Samford as part of Family Weekend. The Colonels and Bulldogs will kick off on Saturday, Sept. 29, at 3 p.m.
NOTES
--Senior Benton Kuszmaul tied a career best with a 61-yard punt in the first quarter.
--The Colonels move to 18-2 under head coach Danny Hope when winning the turnover battle. EKU finished +2 in the turnover margin against Jacksonville State.
--The Gamecocks had not allowed a kick-off return for a touchdown since moving up to Division I football in 1992.
--After allowing 220 yards rushing in the first half, the EKU defense held the Gamecocks to just 48 yards on the ground in the second half.
--Senior Bobby Washington tallied his second 100-yard rushing performance of the season. He finished with 110 yards on the ground on 10 carries.
--Junior Davin Walker last returned a kick-off for a touchdown in November 2006 against Murray State.
--Jacksonville State had forced a turnover in 12 straight games until today.
