Georgia Southern lets early lead slip away in 31-27 loss to Jacksonville State
JACKSONVILLE, Ala. —
Georgia Southern built a 17-point lead but failed to score in the fourth quarter as Jacksonville State rallied for a 31-27 victory Saturday night at AmFirst Stadium.
Caleb Nix returned a punt 75 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 8:16 remaining, giving the Gamecocks their first lead. Freshman Tristan Lyles secured the comeback by intercepting Georgia Southern quarterback Max Johnson at the Jacksonville State 15-yard line late in the game.
Georgia Southern (1-2) controlled much of the first half. Tripp Bryant opened the scoring with a 22-yard field goal before Weston Bryan rushed for three touchdowns, helping the Eagles take a 24-10 advantage into halftime.
Jacksonville State (2-2) began its comeback with a methodical 13-play, 75-yard drive to open the second half. Caden Creel completed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Deondre Johnson, cutting Georgia Southern’s lead to seven.
Bryant’s 43-yard field goal gave the Eagles a 27-17 advantage entering the fourth quarter, but Georgia Southern did not score again.
Lucas Farrington pulled Jacksonville State within three on a 26-yard touchdown run with 11:17 remaining. After the Gamecocks forced a punt, Nix broke free for the decisive return. It was Jacksonville State’s first punt-return touchdown since 2016.
Georgia Southern outgained Jacksonville State 369-302 and held the ball for more than 36 minutes. The Eagles also converted 10 of 17 third-down attempts but came away empty on their final trip into the red zone.
Johnson completed 23 of 33 passes for 187 yards with one interception. David Mbadinga led Georgia Southern’s rushing attack with 103 yards on 18 carries and caught five passes for 40 yards. Bryan finished with 27 yards and three touchdowns on six attempts.
Creel completed 17 of 24 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns. Jacksonville State scored 21 second-half points after managing 21 rushing yards before halftime.
The loss was Georgia Southern’s second straight following a 22-7 defeat at Clemson. The Eagles return home to face Houston on Sept. 26 at Paulson Stadium.