Auburn avoids epic upset
Rallies to beat 47-point dog Jacksonville State in OT
AUBURN, Ala. — Just when Jacksonville State was minutes away from an upset quarterback Eli Jenkins said “would’ve shocked the world,” a shanked punt sidetracked the Gamecocks’ plans.
After leading No. 6 Auburn late in regulation, Jacksonville State, a 47-point underdog on America’s Line, lost to the Tigers, 27-20, in overtime on Saturday.
Troymaine Pope’s 5-yard touchdown run with less than 6 minutes remaining gave the Gamecocks a 20-13 lead. The 17-yard punt by Hamish MacInnes gave Auburn the ball in great field position at the Gamecocks 31 with 2 minutes remaining.
Melvin Ray’s leaping 10-yard catch in the right corner of the end zone with less than 1 minute remaining in regulation saved Auburn (2-0) from a stunning loss.
After Auburn’s ensuing kickoff went out of bounds, Jacksonville State still had 39 seconds to try to move from its own 35 into field goal range to win in regulation, but Gamecocks coach John Grass opted to take a knee to force overtime, giving Auburn more life.
Led by Jenkins, the Gamecocks had more total yards (438-401) and first downs (28-23). But the poor punt was the start of their undoing.
Jenkins completed 26 of 43 passes for 277 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He ran for 37 yards and said “Jacksonville State asserted itself today.”
Auburn struggled to keep up with Gonzalez, who caught eight passes for 101 yards, and Barge, who had 14 catches for 132 yards and a touchdown.
Peyton Barber’s 4-yard touchdown run in overtime gave Auburn the win. Jenkins couldn’t complete his last fourth-down pass for Barge in the extra period.
Jacksonville State (1-1) is the first Football Championship Subdivision team to take a ranked FBS team to overtime, but Grass said that’s no reason to celebrate.
“I don’t want to hear no moral victory stuff, for sure,” Grass said.
No FCS team has defeated a ranked FBS team since Aug. 31, 2013, when Eastern Washington beat No. 25 Oregon State 49-46. An Auburn loss would have compared with No. 5 Michigan’s loss to Appalachian State on Sept. 3, 2007. Jenkins compared the Gamecocks’ underdog bid to a tennis match in the U.S. Open.
“The odds were probably just like the tennis match with Serena Williams,” he said. “They were probably 3,000 to one. Nobody figured we would expand the game.”