Gamecocks shock Florida State on game's last play

9/12/2021 | Football | Box Score

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Hail Mary.

Walk-off Touchdown.

The Tallahassee Miracle.

Call it what you wish. Jacksonville State shocked the college football world late Saturday when senior quarterback Zerrick Cooper, down to the final play against Florida State, connected with Damond Philyaw-Johnson for a miraculous 59-yard touchdown with all zeroes on the clock to lift the Gamecocks to a stunning 20-17 victory at Doak Campbell Stadium.

"You've got to play at a certain level execution-wise in these type games and we did that night," said Jacksonville State head coach John Grass as players and coaches celebrated around him. "We missed a chance to score on the same play before. Damond was open and we missed him and we decided to do it again.

"He beat his man, Zerrick made a perfect throw, he made a great cut down there and Ahmad (Edwards) made a big block and got him in the end zone."

Philyaw-Johnson was mobbed by his teammates in the corner of the end zone as the stunned pro-FSU crowd of 60,198 looked on. The celebration continued on Bobby Bowden Field well after midnight as the Marching Southerners and JSU fans who made the trip cheered their Gamecocks.

It took less than 20 minutes against Florida State for Cooper to etch his name in Jacksonville State's record book as the school's all-time leading passer.

For the second time in 11 months, the Gamecocks took the fight to the Seminoles of the Atlantic Coast Conference and led early. This time, however, Jacksonville State fought back and pulled out in its second straight game against an FBS opponent.

Cooper's 12-yard pass to Quan Charleston at the 8:32 mark in the second quarter moved the Jonesboro, Ga., native past Eli Jenkins (7,652 yards from 2013-16) atop the career passing list.

Cooper - who threw for 232 yards in October 2020 in a game that was added after COVID-related protocols forced all of FSU's originally scheduled non-conference games to be canceled - finished with 242 against the Seminoles (0-2) on Saturday and now stands at 7,819 in his career.

The Gamecocks struck first with a time-consuming 15-play scoring march that Josh Samuel finished off with a two-yard run with 11:08 to go in the second quarter. Alen Karajic's extra point gave Jacksonville a 7-0 lead.

JSU forced a Florida State punt on the ensuing series and quickly moved from its 33 to the Seminoles' 17. But Pat Jackson fumbled after being tackled in the backfield and Sidney Williams scooped up the loose ball and returned it 27 yards to near midfield.

Florida State tied it at 7-7 when Jashaun Corbin ran 12 yards to the end zone at the 5:01 mark and Ryan Fitzgerald added the PAT.

A 31-yard punt return by Keyshawn Helton set up Florida State's go-ahead touchdown. Corbin ran 27 yards deep into Jacksonville State territory and McKenzie Milton, the UCF transfer who drew the start at quarterback, finished off the 'Noles' scoring drive with a 2-yard toss to Wyatt Rector with nine seconds left before halftime.

Fitzgerald added a 53-yard field goal in the third quarter. 

Cooper's 23-yard touchdown pass to Edwards with 4:45 left in the fourth quarter pulled Jacksonville State to within 17-14 and made him the JSU career leader in TD passes with 62, surpassing Ed Lett.

His 63^rd career touchdown pass turned out to be one of, if not the, most memorable in Jacksonville State's storied football history.

Jacksonville State hosts ASUN Conference rival North Alabama (0-2) next Saturday at Burgess-Snow Field in a 6 p.m. kickoff. The Gamecocks lead the all-time series 26-18-3 and have won the last three meetings.

Jacksonville State Postgame Notes - Florida State
September 11, 2021 Doak Campbell Stadium Tallahassee, Fla.

• JSU Captains: Junior defensive end DJ Coleman and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Ahmad Edwards
• JSU won the toss and elected to defer
• The Gamecocks even the all-time series with Florida State at 2-2. JSU's first win in the series came in 1947 by a score of 7-0
• JSU improves to 69-22 overall under eighth-year head coach John Grass
• JSU defeats an FBS school for the second straight season after a 19-10 win at Florida International in October 2020. It marks JSU's seventh FBS win since moving to Division I in 1995, and the first time with wins in back-to-back seasons since 2000 (Louisiana-Lafayette) and 2001 (Arkansas State)
• Edwards, a captain, along with redshirt junior Christian Murray and freshman cornerback Yessman Green, made their first career starts
• Redshirt senior Zerrick Cooper became JSU's all-time passing leader with a 12-yard completion to Quan Charleston with 8:32 left in the second quarter, surpassing Eli Jenkins' (2013-16) previous mark of 7,652 yards
• Cooper threw two touchdowns, including the game-winning 59-yard Hail Mary, to set a new JSU school record with 63 career passing touchdowns. He finished 17-of-38 for 242 yards through the air
• Redshirt junior wide receiver Daymond Philyaw-Johnson hauled in his only pass of the night with the 59-yard scoring reception as time expired. It was just his second catch of the year. He had one reception for one yard against UAB in the opener.
• Freshman cornerback Jamari Jemison grabbed his first career interception in the third quarter, taking an 11-yard return to the FSU 32. 
• Redshirt-junior Stevonte Tullis led JSU's defense with seven tackles
• This was Florida State's first loss to a non-FBS program since getting beat by William & Mary in 1959