Jax State cruises past New Mexico State for third straight victory

Jacksonville State showed no signs of slowing down in its second game in five days.

The Gamecocks scored their third straight victory and another huge offensive performance with a 54-13 thrashing of Conference USA foe New Mexico State on Wednesday, rebounding from an 0-3 start to the season.

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The victory is the third straight Jax State has totaled at least six touchdowns, with the Gamecocks scoring a 44-7 win over Southern Miss on Sept. 21 and a 63-24 victory over Kennesaw State just five days ahead of Wednesday’s win in Jacksonville.

The victory was the first time Jax State has scored back-to-back 50-point wins since 2015 when the team had two huge victories in the FCS playoffs.

“I thought our defense was really outstanding in the first half,” Jax State coach Rich Rodriguez said. “Got some turnovers, and offensively, we had some plays and made some plays, but we had missed a couple too, and some wide-open touchdowns that maybe could have put the game up a little bit more early, but guys played hard.

“They continue to try to get better and better.”

Jax State had piled up a 33-6 lead at halftime after running back Tre Stewart totaled three touchdowns in the first half alone; he ran for two of 10 and 48 yards while taking a pass from Tyler Huff 32 yards for a touchdown.

The Limestone transfer finished with a season-high 150 total yards and three touchdowns in the win, now sitting at 11 total touchdowns.

Rodriguez has been incredibly impressed with how Stewart, who leads CUSA in rushing touchdowns, has improved in each game.

“We thought he had a chance to have the biggest upside than maybe even some of the freshmen,” Rodriguez said. “He’s an extremely hard worker, and he’s getting a great feel for what we do. Even catching a touchdown pass, I mean, that’s a hard catch. You’re wide open and all that kind of stuff.

“He and Tyler Huff are two guys that weren’t here in the spring, that just got here in the summer, and really just had to camp to work. So I’d expect them to keep getting better.”

Huff had another strong game for the Gamecocks at quarterback, finishing his night 11-for-18 with 196 passing yards and two touchdowns, racking up 58 yards and a touchdown on the ground; he didn’t play in the fourth quarter.

Jax State also got into the end zone on a 28-yard rushing touchdown from Georgia transfer Andrew Paul, a 5-yard touchdown reception from Brock Rechsteiner and a 72-yard rushing touchdown from quarterback Logan Smothers.

The defense saw 25 different players finish with at least one tackle, with Jawaun Campbell totaling 1.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble and a sack, which forced a safety.

Four different players had a pass breakup, while sophomore Travis Franklin, Jr. capped off the defense’s efforts with an interception as time expired.

“They work really hard and they’re slowly understanding a little bit better,” Rodriguez said. “I think as the season goes along, we’re finding out, at least I am, too, what our guys do best and what we can tell in practice. When you get in a game and a quarterback is live and everything is live, I get better ‘Okay, these are the plays that our guys do the best.’ We’re figuring that out every week as well.”

Jax State (3-3, 2-0 CUSA) will have a bye week before hosting Middle Tennessee State on Oct. 23.