• Interactive Bracket
SATURDAY'S SCORES
@#1 Jacksonville State 41, #7 Chattanooga 35 (OT)
JACKSONVILLE STATE 41, CHATTANOOGA 35 (OT)
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. - Brandon Bender came up with the biggest defensive play of Jacksonville State's season, Eli Jenkins capitalized on No. 7 Chattanooga's only turnover and the top-ranked Gamecocks are going to the FCS quarterfinals for the second time in three years.
Jenkins sprinted 14 yards for the game-winning touchdown in the first overtime as Jacksonville State (11-1) upended Southern Conference champion Chattanooga 41-35 before a Burgess-Snow Field crowd of 21,452 in Saturday's second-round playoff matchup.
Jacksonville State will host No. 8 Charleston Southern in next week's quarterfinals.
"That was just a classic game," said Jacksonville State head coach John Grass. "These were two great teams, two really good programs.
"I take my hat off to our guys for finding a way to win down the stretch when our backs were against the wall."
Chattanooga ended its season at 9-4. The Gamecocks beat the Mocs 23-20 in the season opener.
Troymaine Pope rushed for 234 yards – the second-highest single-game total in school history – and three touchdowns while Jenkins added 195 yards on the ground. Jenkins also contributed 208 through the air, accounting for 403 scrimmage yards, third-most in a game in JSU history.
But it was an interception by Bender, a senior safety from McCalla, which kept the Gamecocks' championship dreams intact.
Jacksonville State won the coin toss in overtime and elected to start on defense. On the Mocs' third play, Bender leaped and picked off a pass by UTC quarterback Jacob Huesman in the end zone, giving the Gamecocks possession at the 25 for their first series.
"Earlier in the game, they got us with a throwback to the tight end, and that really triggered in my mind because I knew something like that coming again, it was too wide-open (the first time). The play as set up way too nice, so we just talked about it on the sideline that we knew it was coming again in the red zone."
Jenkins finished off the Mocs quickly.
The junior quarterback rushed for 11 yards on first down, then eluded a couple of would-be tacklers and sprinted left to the end zone, setting off a raucous celebration in the stands and on the Jacksonville State sideline.
Things looked bleak for the hosts after Chattanooga scored 28 points in a 22-minute span, taking a 35-28 lead with 8:35 left in regulation on a 39-yard pass from backup quarterback Alejandro Bennifield to Huesman.
It was the first time Jacksonville State had trailed since falling behind 3-0 at Eastern Illinois on Nov. 7.
Jacksonville State, however, struck quickly to pull even at 35-35 when Pope broke free for his longest career run, a 75-yarder burst to cap a three-play drive. Connor Rouleau's extra drive tied it with 4:40 remaining.
The Gamecocks trailed 7-0 after Huesman ran in from the 1 with 35 seconds left in the first quarter to cap a 91-yard UTC drive.
Jacksonville State responded with three second-quarter touchdowns for a 21-7 advantage.
Jenkins had touchdowns run of 5 and 10 yards sandwiched around Pope's first touchdown, a 5-yarder.
Jacksonville State's 640 total yards were the fourth-highest offensive output in history, and marked the third time this season the Gamecocks had gone over 600 yards.