Georgia Southern Edges Jacksonville State 41-34 in Week 3
Georgia Southern defeated Jacksonville State 41-34 on Saturday in a competitive Week 3 matchup. The Eagles covered the spread as 3-point favorites while the game went over the 59-point over/under.
Jacksonville State jumped out to an early lead, with Gavin Wimsatt connecting with Brock Rechsteiner on a 56-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter. However, Georgia Southern responded with offensive firepower throughout the contest. The Eagles scored a touchdown on an OJ Arnold 32-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter.
Georgia Southern's offense proved most effective down the stretch, with crucial fourth-quarter drives helping secure the victory. OJ Arnold added a 41-yard run late in the game, while JC French IV and Dalen Cobb connected multiple times through the air. Cobb led all receivers with 70 receiving yards.
The game featured six lead changes, reflecting competitive play from both teams. Jacksonville State's Khristian Lando led the Gamecocks with eight rushing attempts, while Cade Backe completed two passes for the visitors.
Georgia Southern's defense made critical plays when needed, ultimately preserving the seven-point victory at home.
AI-generated recap · Aug 17, 2026
| Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Jacksonville State | 14 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 34 |
 Georgia Southern | 17 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 41 |
Scoring Timeline
Drive Chart
Box Score
| Statistic | Jacksonville State | Georgia Southern |
|---|---|---|
| Passing | 17-25 | 16-24 |
| Pass Yards | 180 | 191 |
| Rush Yards | 214 | 219 |
| Total Yards | 394 | 410 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| 3rd Down | 7-14 | 7-11 |
| Penalties | 3-15 | 5-61 |
| Possession | 30:30 | 29:30 |
Player Leaders
Player Leaders
Play-by-Play
Conor Donaghy kickoff for 59 yds , Dalen Cobb return for 34 yds to the GASO 40
David Mbadinga run for no gain to the GASO 40
Dalen Cobb run for 12 yds to the JXST 48 for a 1ST down
David Mbadinga run for 2 yds to the JXST 46
JC French IV pass complete to Dylan Gary for 16 yds to the JXST 30 for a 1ST down
OJ Arnold run for 4 yds to the JXST 26
JC French IV pass complete to Marcus Sanders Jr. for 14 yds to the JXST 12 for a 1ST down
JC French IV run for a loss of 2 yards to the JXST 14
JC French IV pass complete to Terrance Gibbs for 12 yds to the JXST 2 for a 1ST down
JC French IV run for 2 yds for a TD (Tripp Bryant KICK)
Cam Cook run for 3 yds to the JXST 28
Gavin Wimsatt run for 2 yds to the JXST 30
Gavin Wimsatt pass complete to Caleb Coombs for 15 yds to the JXST 45 for a 1ST down
Gavin Wimsatt pass complete to Brock Rechsteiner for 8 yds to the GASO 47
Cam Cook run for a loss of 2 yards to the GASO 49
Cam Cook run for 16 yds to the GASO 33 for a 1ST down
Gavin Wimsatt run for 9 yds to the GASO 24
Gavin Wimsatt pass complete to Caleb Coombs for 16 yds to the GASO 8 for a 1ST down
Cam Cook run for a loss of 2 yards to the GASO 10
Gavin Wimsatt run for 10 yds for a TD (Garrison Rippa KICK)
Conor Donaghy kickoff for 60 yds , Dalen Cobb return for 95 yds for a TD (Tripp Bryant KICK)
Gavin Wimsatt run for 3 yds to the JXST 28
Gavin Wimsatt run for 3 yds to the JXST 31
Cam Cook run for 12 yds to the JXST 43 for a 1ST down
Cam Cook run for 1 yd to the JXST 44
Gavin Wimsatt pass incomplete to Cam Cook
Gavin Wimsatt pass complete to Brock Rechsteiner for 56 yds for a TD (Garrison Rippa KICK)
Conor Donaghy kickoff for 32 yds , Jaquari Brown return for 34 yds to the JXST 33
JC French IV pass incomplete to Dalen Cobb
PENALTY GASO False Start (Brown III,Johnnie) 5 yards from JSU 33 to JSU 38. NO PLAY.
OJ Arnold run for 3 yds to the JXST 35
JC French IV pass complete to Taylor Bradshaw for 14 yds to the JXST 21 for a 1ST down
OJ Arnold run for 3 yds to the JXST 18
JC French IV pass incomplete to Camden Brown
JC French IV pass incomplete to Camden Brown
Tripp Bryant 37 yd FG GOOD
Gavin Wimsatt pass intercepted Ayden Jackson return for no gain to the JXST 39
David Mbadinga run for no gain to the JXST 39
JC French IV run for 9 yds to the JXST 30
JC French IV run for 2 yds to the JXST 28 for a 1ST down
David Mbadinga run for 10 yds to the JXST 18 for a 1ST down
JC French IV pass complete to Camden Brown for 18 yds for a TD (Tripp Bryant KICK)
Gavin Wimsatt run for 4 yds to the JXST 29
Khristian Lando run for 6 yds to the JXST 35 for a 1ST down
Cam Cook run for 14 yds to the JXST 49 for a 1ST down
Khristian Lando run for 1 yd to the 50 yard line
Gavin Wimsatt pass complete to Pearson Baldwin for 32 yds to the GASO 18 for a 1ST down
Gavin Wimsatt pass complete to Brock Rechsteiner for 3 yds to the GASO 15
Gavin Wimsatt pass complete to Cam Cook for no gain to the GASO 15
Gavin Wimsatt pass complete to Brock Rechsteiner for 2 yds to the GASO 13
Garrison Rippa 30 yd FG GOOD
JC French IV pass complete to Dalen Cobb for 5 yds to the GASO 30
JC French IV pass complete to Terrance Gibbs for 3 yds to the GASO 33
Weston Bryan run for 3 yds to the GASO 36 for a 1ST down
JC French IV pass complete to Camden Brown for 15 yds to the JXST 49 for a 1ST down
Jamarian Samuel run for 5 yds to the JXST 44
Jamarian Samuel run for 4 yds to the JXST 40
JC French IV run for 2 yds to the JXST 38 for a 1ST down
OJ Arnold run for 6 yds to the JXST 32
OJ Arnold run for 32 yds for a TD (Tripp Bryant KICK)
Evan Scruggs kickoff for 62 yds , Gabe Glover return for 18 yds to the JXST 21
Khristian Lando run for 2 yds to the JXST 23
Khristian Lando run for 2 yds to the JXST 25
Jacksonville State Penalty, Offensive Holding (Michael Pettway) declined
Conor Donaghy punt for 38 yds
OJ Arnold run for no gain to the GASO 37
JC French IV run for 4 yds to the GASO 41
JC French IV pass incomplete to OJ Arnold
Alex Smith punt for 40 yds, fair catch by Gabe Glover at the JXST 34
Cam Cook run for 11 yds to the JXST 45 for a 1ST down
Gavin Wimsatt pass complete to Caleb Coombs for 7 yds to the GASO 48
Gavin Wimsatt pass complete to Pearson Baldwin for 8 yds to the GASO 40 for a 1ST down Georgia Southern Penalty, (Yards) declined for a 1ST down
Cam Cook run for 10 yds to the GASO 30 for a 1ST down
Cam Cook run for 6 yds to the GASO 24
Gavin Wimsatt pass incomplete to Deondre Johnson
Gavin Wimsatt pass complete to Deondre Johnson for 6 yds to the GASO 18 for a 1ST down
Cam Cook run for 1 yd to the GASO 17
Gavin Wimsatt run for 3 yds to the GASO 14
Gavin Wimsatt pass complete to Caleb Coombs for 8 yds to the GASO 6 for a 1ST down
Gavin Wimsatt run for 6 yds for a TD (Garrison Rippa KICK)
David Mbadinga run for 2 yds to the GASO 27
End of 2nd Quarter
Cam Cook run for 10 yds to the JXST 45 Cam Cook fumbled, recovered by JXST Brock Rechsteiner for a 1ST down
Gavin Wimsatt pass incomplete to Cam Cook
Gavin Wimsatt pass complete to Caleb Coombs for 7 yds to the GASO 48
Cam Cook run for 4 yds to the GASO 44 for a 1ST down
Cam Cook run for 14 yds to the GASO 30 for a 1ST down
Gavin Wimsatt run for 9 yds to the GASO 21
Cam Cook run for 3 yds to the GASO 18 for a 1ST down
Gavin Wimsatt run for 7 yds to the GASO 11
Khristian Lando run for a loss of 3 yards to the GASO 14
(10:48) No Huddle-Shotgun Lando,Khristian rush middle for 6 yards gain to the GASO08 (Tyson,Brandon) PENALTY JSU Illegal Formation (Johnson,Deondre) 5 yards from GASO14 to GASO19. NO PLAY.
Gavin Wimsatt pass complete to Michael Pettway for 3 yds to the GASO 16
Garrison Rippa 33 yd FG GOOD
JC French IV pass complete to Dalen Cobb for 11 yds to the GASO 36 for a 1ST down
OJ Arnold run for 5 yds to the GASO 41
JC French IV run for 2 yds to the GASO 43
JC French IV pass incomplete to Dalen Cobb
Alex Smith punt for 42 yds, fair catch by Gabe Glover at the JXST 15
Cam Cook run for 16 yds to the JXST 31 for a 1ST down
Gavin Wimsatt run for 1 yd to the JXST 32
Cam Cook run for a loss of 3 yards to the JXST 29
Gavin Wimsatt run for 2 yds to the JXST 31
Conor Donaghy punt for 35 yds, fair catch by Peyton Plott at the GASO 34
JC French IV pass complete to Marcus Sanders Jr. for 13 yds to the GASO 47 for a 1ST down
David Mbadinga run for 10 yds to the JXST 43 for a 1ST down
David Mbadinga run for 2 yds to the JXST 41
David Mbadinga run for no gain to the JXST 41 Jacksonville State Penalty, (8 Yards) to the JXST 49
JC French IV pass complete to Dalen Cobb for 19 yds Dalen Cobb fumbled, recovered by JXST Chase Alexander
Cam Cook run for 5 yds to the GASO 37
Gavin Wimsatt pass complete to Caleb Coombs for 5 yds to the GASO 32 for a 1ST down
Gavin Wimsatt pass incomplete to Brock Rechsteiner
Cam Cook run for a loss of 1 yard to the GASO 33
Gavin Wimsatt pass complete to Pearson Baldwin for 2 yds to the GASO 31
Georgia Southern Penalty, (15 Yards) to the GASO 14 for a 1ST down
Brock Rechsteiner run for 14 yds for a TD (Garrison Rippa KICK)
Garrison Rippa kickoff for 60 yds , Jamarian Samuel return for 19 yds to the GASO 24
JC French IV pass complete to OJ Arnold for 5 yds to the GASO 29
Jamarian Samuel run for 5 yds to the GASO 34 for a 1ST down
JC French IV run for 4 yds to the GASO 38
JC French IV pass complete to Marcus Sanders Jr. for 11 yds to the GASO 49 for a 1ST down
OJ Arnold run for no gain to the GASO 49
JC French IV pass incomplete to Dalen Cobb
JC French IV pass complete to Dalen Cobb for 23 yds to the JXST 28 for a 1ST down
JC French IV pass incomplete to Camden Brown
JC French IV pass complete to Dalen Cobb for 3 yds to the JXST 25
JC French IV pass incomplete to Dalen Cobb
Tripp Bryant 43 yd FG GOOD
Evan Scruggs kickoff for 65 yds , Gabe Glover return for 19 yds to the JXST 19
Cam Cook run for 3 yds to the JXST 22
Cam Cook run for a loss of 1 yard to the JXST 21
Gavin Wimsatt pass incomplete to Franklin Baret Jr.
Conor Donaghy punt for 26 yds
OJ Arnold run for 41 yds to the JXST 24 for a 1ST down
OJ Arnold run for 1 yd to the JXST 23
OJ Arnold run for 1 yd to the JXST 22
JC French IV pass complete to Dalen Cobb for 9 yds to the JXST 13 for a 1ST down
(07:29) No Huddle-Shotgun Bryan,Weston rush middle for 4 yards gain to the JSU 09 (O'Steen,Walker) PENALTY JSU Offside (Floyd,Tae) 5 yards from JSU 13 to JSU 08. NO PLAY.
Weston Bryan run for 2 yds to the JXST 6
OJ Arnold run for 6 yds for a TD (Tripp Bryant KICK)
Caden Creel run for 12 yds to the JXST 37 for a 1ST down
(05:52) No Huddle-Shotgun Wimsatt,Gavin rush middle for 3 yards gain to the JSU 40 (Harrington,Brendan) PENALTY JSU Illegal Formation 5 yards from JSU 37 to JSU 32. NO PLAY.
Caden Creel sacked by Devin Collier for a loss of 3 yards to the JXST 29
Caden Creel run for 4 yds to the JXST 33
Gavin Wimsatt pass incomplete to Caleb Coombs
Conor Donaghy punt for 40 yds, fair catch by Peyton Plott at the GASO 27
OJ Arnold run for 6 yds to the GASO 33
JC French IV run for 10 yds to the GASO 43 for a 1ST down
OJ Arnold run for 12 yds to the JXST 45 for a 1ST down
OJ Arnold run for 5 yds to the JXST 40
OJ Arnold run for 3 yds to the JXST 37
Weston Bryan run for 3 yds to the JXST 34 for a 1ST down
run for a loss of 1 yard to the JXST 35
run for a loss of 1 yard to the JXST 36