By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: Jake Crandall/ Advertiser
Jacksonville State Football (9-5) beats Troy Football (8-6) to win the Salute to Veterans Bowl by the final score of 17-13 in Montgomery, Alabama.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Cadel Creel completed 14 of his 20 passes for 170 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Deondre Johnson caught six receptions for 101 yards. Dylan Gentry added two receptions and 21 yards. Redshirt senior wide receiver Brock Rechsteiner had three receptions, 27 yards, and a 22-yard touchdown.
Both teams played phenomenal defense. The game was primarily decided on defense and who executed better. Troy was held scoreless over the final two quarters and finished with just 217 total yards. Two of the key players of the game, especially from a defensive standpoint, are Ian Mitchell and Twin Taylor. Those two interceptions in the second half changed the momentum of the game.
Mitchell finished his first year on a high note. He’s an outside linebacker who has the potential to be better in his sophomore season. How about Taylor? He’s a redshirt senior, and he played one of the biggest games of his life. Taylor has bowl experience. Therefore, he’s not afraid of the bright lights. During his time at Memphis as a junior, he helped the Tigers win the AutoZone Liberty Bowl against Iowa State. In that game, he had two tackles.
Head coach Charles Kelly is one of five head coaches in Jacksonville State’s football history to win at least nine games in their debut season. Before becoming a head coach, he had a track record as a defensive coordinator at other schools. Therefore, the Gamecocks’ defense in this game is no accident. It comes from his direction and leadership.
The Gamecocks now lead the all-time series over Troy 34-28-2. Jacksonville State is now 2-1 in bowl games.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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