KENNESAW, Ga. (AP) — Tre Stewart ran for 134 yards and four touchdowns Friday night, quarterback Tyler Huff ran for 176 yards and three TDs, and Jacksonville State tied the program record with eight rushing touchdowns as the Gamecocks beat Kennesaw State 63-24 in the Conference USA opener for both teams.
The Gamecocks, who finished with 384 yards rushing and 577 total yards, also ran for eight TDs against Cumberland in 2001 and Mississippi Valley State in 2018.
Kennesaw State (0-5), which played its first C-USA game in its first season in the FBS, is off to the worst start in program history.
The Owls went three-and-out on the game’s opening possession before Stewart — who ripped off a 25-yard run on the Jacksonville State’s first play from scrimmage — ran it in from the 1 to make it 7-0 with 10:54 left in the first quarter. The Owls responded with a 13-play, 62-yard drive that took 6 minutes, 50 seconds off the clock but had to settle for a 25-yard field goal by Austin Welch.
Huff scored on a 6-yard run with 11:35 remaining in the first half and Stewart ran for a 9-yard TD, but Qua Ashley returned the ensuing kickoff 93 yard for a touchdown to trim Kennesaw State’s deficit to 21-10 with 6:56 to go in the first half.
JeRico Washington Jr. forced a fumble that was recovered at the KSU 33 by Milon Jones and 12 plays later, on third-and-goal from the 7, Davis Bryson hit Carson Kent in the end zone to make it a four-point game. Garrison Rippa kicked a 34-yard field goal as time in the first half expired but a false start penalty backed up Jacksonville State to the 21 and Adam Watkins blocked the ensuing attempt to end the second quarter and the Gamecocks led 21-17.
JSU squashed any momentum the Owls took into halftime with an 11-play, 75-yard drive to open the third quarter that culminated when Huff ran it in from the 14. Zechariah Poyser picked off a pass from Bryson and, after a personal foul against Kennesaw State and a 46-yard run by Huff, Stewart ran in it from the 1 to make it 35-17 with about 6 minutes left in the third quarter.
Jabari Mack returned an interception 30 yards for a score to make it 49-17 about a minute into the fourth quarter and Mike Franklin’s 23-yard touchdown run with 1:22 remaining capped the scoring.
Michael Benefield led Kennesaw State with 113 yards rushing, including a 1-yard TD run.
Jacksonville State (2-3), which beat Southern Miss 44-7 last week, has won back-to-back games following its first 0-3 start since 2005.
___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
