Jacksonville State Runs By Racers In Thursday Night Game

Thursday, October 5

Jacksonville, Ala.

5 p.m.

Murray State

Jacksonville State

Jacksonville State Runs By Racers In Thursday Night Game

10/5/2006 5:00:00 AM | Football

Murray State University's football team fell to Jacksonville State University, 49-17, tonight in Jacksonville, Ala. The Gamecocks (3-2, 3-1 OVC) scored three touchdowns in the first 16 minutes of play to build a 21-0 lead. The Racers (1-5, 0-3 OVC) allowed 261 yards on the ground and JSU had five scoring drives that lasted three plays or less.

Zach Barnard attempted 46 passes against JSU. The redshirt freshman completed 24 of his throws for 252 yards and one touchdown. A pair of true freshman running backs received all of the work in the absence of senior Chad Cook. Josh Jones rushed for 57 yards on nine carries. Charlie Jordan picked up 50 yards on 11 carries.

Jacksonville State's Clay Green rushed for 105 yards on 14 carries and scored three times. Zeine Raynodd finished with 66 yards on the ground on four carries. Shawn Green rushed for 60 yards on eight carries and Daniel Jackson added 45 yards on six carries.

Matt Hardin completed 12-of-18 passes for the Gamecocks and did not throw an interception. He finished with 154 yards and two touchdown passes. Taurean Rhetta caught five passes, two for touchdowns, for 154 yards.

Jacksonville State moved down the field quickly to start the game, but the Racer defense held strong. The Gamecocks returned the opening kick 29 yards and picked up another 29 yards on a pass over the middle from Hardin to Josh Moten. Murray State halted the advance and JSU's Gavin Hallford missed a 46-yard field goal attempt.

MSU was forced to punt on its first possession but the Racers couldn't get the ball off and the Gamecocks were in business, starting at the MSU 30-yard line. Hardin hit Rhetta on the first play and JSU grabbed an early 7-0 lead.

Jacksonville State got the ball back deep in Racer territory again when Jordan fumbled on the first play of the drive and the home team recovered at the MSU 27-yard line. Three plays later Clay Green took it in from 16 yards out to give the Gamecocks a 14-0 advantage with 8:46 left in the first quarter.

The Racers picked up their first first-down on the first play of their third drive. Barnard connected with Jones out of the backfield and the freshman tailback ran over one defender before being tackled 22 yards downfield at the MSU 40-yard line. Three plays later, on third and four, Jones picked up 20 yards on the ground and moved Murray State across midfield, down to the JSU 34-yard line. After an incomplete pass on first down, Barnard was sacked for a 13-yard loss and the Racers were forced to punt.

The Gamecocks started their third scoring drive with 57 seconds left in the first quarter. Zeine picked up 22 yards on the ground and then Hardin hooked up with Keller Speaks for 16 yards down to the MSU seven-yard line. A penalty and a one-yard loss on the ground backed JSU up to the 12-yard line as the first quarter ended.

Jacksonville State out-gained MSU 162-44 in the first quarter of play. Zeine had two carries for 61 yards in the first 15 minutes of action.

Two carries by Green to open the second quarter finished off the drive. On his second touch the senior hit pay dirt from 12 yards out to put Jax State in front 21-0.

The Racers got on the board with an 11 play, 76-yard drive that concluded with a 22-yard field goal by Gary Crass. Barnard completed 5-of-7 passes on the drive, including four straight, for 60 yards. Barnard's 19 yard completion to Derrick Townsel moved the ball down to the JSU nine-yard line. MSU could only get four yards closer but Crass put the team on the board with his second field goal of the season.

The two teams exchanged punts before Jacksonville State extended its lead. The Gamecocks got the ball back at the MSU 39-yard line and need only two carries by Green to make it a 28-3 lead. Green took it in from 33 yards out with 6:28 left before halftime.

Murray State answered the JSU score. Barnard took the Racers 79 yards on five plays. Three straight completions carried the Racers the final 61 yards. Barnard found Townsel for 33 yards over the middle and then hooked up with Jordan for 10 yards. The final play of the drive was an 18 yard scoring toss to Dante Woods that closed the gap to 28-10 with 4:16 left before intermission.

The Gamecocks were not finished. Murray State couldn't move the ball after starting a drive at its own two yard line and gave the ball back to JSU at the MSU 36-yard line with 1:14 left on the clock. Hardin completed a pair of passes to move his squad to the nine-yard line. He finished off the drive himself, taking it in for a 35-10 halftime advantage.

Jacksonville State five scoring drives took just 15 plays. The Gamecocks had scoring drives of one, two and three plays (twice).

Green carried the ball nine times for 71 yards and scored three touchdowns in the first half. Hardin completed 10-of-16 passes for 136 yards and one touchdown pass.

Barnard hit on 13-of-24 attempts for 151 yards. The redshirt freshman threw one scoring pass and was intercepted once in the first 30 minutes of play.

JSU made it 42-10 after scoring on its first possession of the second half. Green did most of the damage on the drive, picking up 34 yards on five carries. Hardin finished it off with a 13 scoring pass to Rhetta, his second touchdown grab of the night.

On their next drive, which covered 31 yards in three plays, the Gamecocks went up 49-10. Brody Thomas capped the drive with a four-yard touchdown run.

Jones picked up his first collegiate touchdown 50 seconds into the fourth quarter. Barnard completed passes of 23 yards to Lee McGinnis and 17 yards to Jonathan Eiland. Jones took it in from three yards out to cut the deficit to 49-17.