Box Score Final Statistics | PDF Version

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. – Behind 35-13 in the middle of the third quarter, the Southeast Missouri State football team nearly pulled an improbable comeback but fell 42-34 to Jacksonville State Saturday afternoon in Jacksonville, Ala.
 
The comeback came on the heels of DeMichael Jackson's career-high 183 yards and two touchdowns and a halftime quarterback swap that saw Kyle Snyder score two second-half touchdowns.
 
Southeast scored 21 unanswered points and threatened to score in its final possession but ultimately ran out of clock and plays.
 
The Redhawks end their season 3-9 overall, 2-6 in the OVC. Jacksonville State improved to 9-3, 5-3.
 
On the opening drive of the game, Jacksonville State traveled 62 yards on seven plays to score the opening touchdown. DaMarcus James carried the ball into the end zone on a fourth-and-1.
 
On the Redhawks initial drive, Jackson ran off with a 42-yard touchdown run. Ryan McCrum's point failed, giving the Gamecocks the 7-6 lead.
 
Jackson took the handoff on the 42-yard line and cut to the right side of the field and sprinted into the end zone.
 
Traveling 75 yards in just 2:37, JSU answered immediately with a 7-yard touchdown from the feet of quarterback Eli Jenkins.
 
Not allowing Southeast to move the ball on the next possession, Jacksonville used 3 plays to travel 82 yards for James to score his second touchdown of the afternoon and the 21-6 Jacksonville State lead.
 
On the ensuing Redhawks possession and facing a fourth-and-4, quarterback Scott Lathrop threw a pass to Spencer Davis who was able to get his hands on the ball. However, Jermaine Hough jolted the ball free and gave JSU possession.
 
Jacksonville State faced fourth-and-inches at the Southeast 49-yard line. The Redhawks defense came up big with a stop and gained excellent field position.
 
Southeast was unable to use the field position to its advantage with a three-and-out. Jacksonville then traveled 74 yards on 10 plays to allow James to score his second rushing touchdown of the game. James score led to the 28-6 halftime score.
 
"We just gave them too many points in the first half," Southeast head coach Tony Samuel said. "I felt we had a couple of opportunities, two touchdowns that we could have got that we didn't."
 
Receiving the kickoff in the second half, Southeast traveled 75 yards on 14 plays to set up Snyder for a 1-yard touchdown run.  With McCrum's point-after, JSU led 28-13.
 
The Gamecocks scored on their next two drives, both from the feet of Troymaine Pope. He scored on a 21-yard rush and a 3-yard attempt to give Jacksonville State a 42-13 lead.
 
Just seven seconds into the fourth quarter, Jackson ran the ball 32 yards to start a streak of 21 unanswered points for the Redhawks. Jackson's run brought the score to 42-20.
 
"They were pushing each other," Samuel said of the Redhawks as they started the fourth quarter. "They played hard in the third quarter but Jacksonville kept answering.
 
"Our offense turned it up like I have expected and dreamed of them doing."
 
With the defense making a stand, Southeast took over on its own 12-yard line to begin an eight play, 88-yard drive that ended with Snyder galloping into the end zone from four yards out.
 
With Jacksonville State marching downfield, Eriq Moore leaped up to intercept the pass of Eli Jenkins and nearly return it for a pick-six. However, he was brought down at the 4-yard line.
 
That set up Ron Coleman, who had four rushing touchdowns a week ago at Austin Peay, to plunge into the end zone from the half-yard line. The score made it a one-possession game at 42-34 with 7:41 remaining.
 
After a pooch kick set up Jacksonville on its own 30-yard line, the Gamecocks tried to run as much clock as possible with 7:41 remaining in the game.
 
Facing a third and 15, Jenkins completed a 29-yard pass to Josh Barge for not only a first down but also put Jacksonville State into field goal range.
 
With the Southeast defense holding a wall, it forced JSU to kick a field goal to make it a two-possession game with just less than three minutes remaining. However, Griffin Thomas' kick went wide left giving Southeast the chance it needed.
 
With Snyder making the calls under center, he ran the two-minute drill as time kept winding down. Facing a fourth and 10 from Jacksonville State's 24-yard line, Snyder completed the pass to Peter Lloyd who fell just half a yard short of the first down.
 
JSU took over on downs and used one last snap to ice the game.
 
Jackson's 183 yards is the fourth-straight game and fifth out of the last six that he has run for 100 yards or more. Lewis Washington joined Jackson with over 100 yards as he ran for 111, including a long of 28 yards.
 
"I thought DeMichael and Lewis really moved the ball well," Samuel said. "I thought DeMichael has turned it up all season.
 
"Lewis ran like the Lewis Washington that we hope he will be. Those two really did a great job."
 
DaMarcus James ran the ball 35 times for the Gamecocks totaling 206 yards while Jenkins had 134 yards rushing and 147 yards passing.
 
Defensively Tim Hamm-Bey led the squad with eight tackles including two for loss. Ron Davis and Moore each totaled seven.