| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JVST | 20 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 41 |
| TNST | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
Jacksonville State clinches OVC title, routs Tennessee State
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Zerrick Cooper threw three touchdown passes to help Jacksonville State clinch its fifth-straight Ohio Valley Conference title with a 41-14 rout of Tennessee State on Saturday.
Jacksonville State (8-2, 7-1) is the first team in conference history to win five-straight titles. The Gamecocks have beaten Tennessee State (3-5, 2-4) in eight of the last nine meetings and are 5-0 against the Tigers in Nashville.
Jacksonville State, ranked eighth in the FCS Top 25 poll, travels to second-ranked Kennesaw State (9-1) next Saturday.
Cooper completed all three of his scoring passes on consecutive possessions. Jamari Hester caught two touchdown passes and Josh Pearson had one. Michael Matthews' 16-yard touchdown run gave the Gamecocks a 27-7 halftime lead.
Jalen Choice and Yul Gowdy each had a pick-6 in the fourth quarter for Jacksonville State.
Shawn McColley and Te'kendrick Roberson had touchdown runs for Tennessee State. Micheal Hughes was 15-of-29 passing for 164 yards and threw three interceptions.
Game Information
2023 Conference USA Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 8-0 | 13-1 |
| New Mexico State | 7-1 | 10-5 |
| Jacksonville State | 6-2 | 9-4 |
| Western Kentucky | 5-3 | 8-5 |
| Middle Tennessee | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Louisiana Tech | 2-6 | 3-9 |
| Sam Houston | 2-6 | 3-9 |
| UTEP | 2-6 | 3-9 |
| Florida International | 1-7 | 4-8 |
2023 Big South-OVC Association Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Gardner-Webb | 5-1 | 7-5 |
| UT Martin | 5-1 | 8-3 |
| Eastern Illinois | 4-2 | 8-3 |
| Bryant | 4-2 | 6-5 |
| Southeast Missouri State | 3-3 | 4-7 |
| Tennessee Tech | 2-4 | 4-7 |
| Robert Morris | 2-4 | 4-7 |
| Charleston Southern | 2-4 | 4-7 |
| Tennessee State | 2-4 | 6-5 |
| Lindenwood | 1-5 | 3-7 |
NCAAF News