Jacksonville, Alabama was rocking Saturday (9/26/2026) as nearly seventeen thousand fans packed into AmFirst Stadium. Jacksonville State protected its home turf with a 23–13 win over Middle Tennessee, grabbing the season's first Conference USA grid-iron clash. With this being the first of eight league games, the Gamecocks walked off the field looking very much in the driver’s seat.

For MTSU, the bright spot was Antonio Martin Jr., who ran like he had something to prove. He churned out 106 yards on 17 carries, slipping through tackles and keeping the Blue Raiders in striking distance. But every time MTSU seemed ready to build momentum, Jacksonville State answered with a punch of its own.

The Gamecocks piled up 517 total yards — and it felt like most of them came from quarterback Caden Creel, who put on a dual‑threat clinic. He threw for 241 yards, including a gorgeous 38‑yard touchdown to Deondre Johnson, and then added 119 rushing yards plus another score with his legs. Lucas Farrington joined the fun with 94 rushing yards of his own, giving Jacksonville State a one‑two punch that MTSU never fully solved.

Middle Tennessee’s Roman Gagliano threw for 216 yards and two touchdowns, including a 32‑yard strike to Markus Allen, but he spent too much of the night under pressure. Jacksonville State’s defense sacked him three times and kept the Blue Raiders from ever finding a rhythm. The stat sheet tells the story: MTSU finished with 319 total yards to JAX State’s 517, and the Gamecocks moved the chains 25 times compared to the Raiders’ 20.

One thing MTSU did well — they protected the football. No turnovers. But Jacksonville State’s two giveaways didn’t slow them down enough to tilt the game back toward the Blue Raiders.

Now it’s time to pack the bags again. Next week, Middle Tennessee heads to Lawrence, Kansas for a showdown with the Jayhawks. WGNS will be there for every snap, starting with the Tailgate Show at 9:30AM Saturday (10/3/2026) morning and rolling right into the 11:00AM kickoff.

Your hometown connection — FM 101.9 and AM 1450 in Murfreesboro, FM 100.5 in Smyrna, and streaming at WGNSradio.com — will carry it all.