Creel leads Jacksonville State past Middle Tennessee 23-13 in CUSA opener

Jacksonville State fell behind Middle Tennessee in the third quarter, then scored 13 unanswered points to win 23-13 Saturday at AmFirst Stadium. Caden Creel ran for a touchdown, threw the go-ahead score to Deondre Johnson and led an offense that gained 517 yards. The Gamecocks improved to 3-2 and opened Conference USA play with a victory. Middle Tennessee fell to 2-2.

Garrison Rippa gave Jacksonville State the first points on a 27-yard field goal. Creel scored from one yard out in the second quarter to make it 10-0. Middle Tennessee responded late in the half when Roman Gagliano found Cam’ron Lacy for a five-yard touchdown. The Blue Raiders then took a 13-10 lead early in the third on Gagliano’s 32-yard pass to Markus Allen. Their two-point run failed, leaving a three-point margin.

Jacksonville State did not need long to erase it. Rippa made a 31-yard field goal with 5:43 left in the third quarter. Creel connected with Johnson for a 38-yard touchdown a little more than four minutes later, putting the Gamecocks back ahead 20-13. Rippa added a 29-yard field goal with 2:46 remaining in the fourth. The live ESPN scoring record shows no further points, giving Jacksonville State the final 10-point margin.

Creel’s passing line was 19 completions in 27 attempts for 241 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. His work on the ground was just as consequential: 119 yards on 12 carries and a one-yard score. Jacksonville State rushed for 276 yards and produced 517 total, compared with Middle Tennessee’s 319. The Gamecocks made 25 first downs and held the ball for 32:38. Those figures show why they had enough opportunities to recover from both the late first-half touchdown and the third-quarter deficit.

Middle Tennessee moved the ball more effectively through the air. Gagliano completed 18 of 28 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns. Antonio Martin ran for 106 yards on 17 carries, and Lacy caught six passes for 88 yards and a score. The Blue Raiders did not turn the ball over, while Jacksonville State committed two giveaways. The home team’s stronger overall yardage and second-half scoring, rather than a turnover advantage, made the difference.

The Jacksonville State team preview identified this as the Gamecocks’ CUSA opener after a 2-2 nonconference start. Saturday’s win provides a league result and a clear response to going behind. It does not justify reading more into the season than one game. The scoring sequence and statistics above come from the verified final record; no unconfirmed injury or coaching explanation has been inserted.