Caden Creel Runs for 213 Yards as Jacksonville State Shuts Out New Mexico State 24-0

Jacksonville State flew 1,216 miles to Las Cruces for its longest road trip of the season, and its quarterback spent most of Wednesday night making the return flight feel short. Caden Creel ran for 213 yards, the Gamecocks' defense never let New Mexico State on the scoreboard, and Jax State punched its bowl ticket with room to spare.

Jacksonville State beat New Mexico State 24-0 on Oct. 28 at Aggie Memorial Stadium in front of an announced 6,511. The Gamecocks won a fifth straight game, moved to 6-2 and stayed perfect in Conference USA at 4-0. According to The Associated Press, the win also made them bowl eligible for the fourth straight season since moving up to FBS. The Aggies fell to 3-5 and 2-2.

It was a historic kind of shutout for the home side. New Mexico State had never been blanked in a Conference USA game, and it was the program's first home shutout since 2010, per the Santa Fe New Mexican and the NMSU Round Up.

A slow, heavy first half

The first quarter was all missed chances. Josiah Charles intercepted Creel early to snuff out a promising Jax State drive, and New Mexico State's offense, missing tight end Josiah Thomas (broken collarbone) and receiver TK King (knee), could not take advantage. It was a theme. Every time the Aggies did get into scoring range on this night, something went wrong, and Kyah Francone missed field goals from 31 and 34 yards, according to the official box score.

Jax State finally broke through with a drive that set the tone for everything after it. The Gamecocks went 80 yards on 13 plays and burned 7:06 off the clock, and Creel finished it on a 3-yard run with 12:33 left in the second quarter. That 7-0 lead held to halftime, mostly because New Mexico State's defense deserved better than what its offense was giving it.

The turning point: 84 yards in one breath

Garrison Rippa stretched the lead to 10-0 with a 49-yard field goal with 10:08 left in the third quarter, the 48th career make for Rippa and one shy of the school record, according to Jax State's game notes as reported by the Rocket Radio Sports Network (RRSN). The Aggies also got a 53-yard interception return from RJ Chapman in the third quarter and still came away empty, which tells you everything about their night.

Then came the play of the night. Late in the third quarter, Creel kept the ball, found a crease and outran everyone for 84 yards, the longest run of the quarterback's career and the second-longest rush from scrimmage in school history behind Justice Owens' 87-yarder at Liberty in 2016. Jalen Likely punched it in from a yard out on the next snap with 2:31 left in the quarter. A two-play, 85-yard drive made it 17-0, and on a night when New Mexico State could not throw the ball, that was game.

Creel's record night

The numbers deserve a closer look. Creel became the first quarterback in Jax State history to run for 200 yards in a game, smashing a previous career high of 161 against Southern Miss in 2025, per the AP. According to RRSN, the total also ranks second among Conference USA quarterbacks all time, behind UAB's David Isabelle and the 214 yards that quarterback ran for in 2010.

Creel was not just a runner, either. The second-year starter completed 11 of 17 passes for 104 yards, and the clinching score came through the air. Capping a 12-play, 80-yard drive that chewed up 7:59, Creel found Luke Gilbert for a 24-yard touchdown with 4:48 to play. Gilbert finished with a career-best five catches for a team-high 60 yards. The two interceptions are a blemish, but they did not cost the Gamecocks a single point.

Jax State coach Charles Kelly kept it short on the postgame radio show, as quoted by the Calhoun Journal. "Caden does it all," Kelly said. Kelly also admitted the night did not start smoothly for the quarterback. "I thought he was a little bit impatient early in the game," Kelly said, which goes a long way toward explaining that early interception. Kelly also singled out the offensive line, which helped the Gamecocks pile up 324 rushing yards, a season high that topped their previous best of 276 against Middle Tennessee. "That's probably the most improved unit on our team," Kelly said.

The defense that shut the door

As good as Creel was, Kelly was quick to hand the night to the other side of the ball. "I give a lot of credit to our defensive players and our defensive coaches," Kelly said, per RRSN. "That was a team that you have to control the ball on offense and be able to move the ball and we did that. I think Coach Brian Williams did a great job."

The Aggies came in with the league's leading rusher in James Jones, and Jones still reached 112 yards. New Mexico State ran for 194 as a team. What the Gamecocks took away completely was everything else. The Aggies threw for 23 yards on 7-of-20 passing, and Marc Woods intercepted Adam Damante late in the third quarter. Facing fourth-and-22 in the second half, New Mexico State tried a deep shot rather than punt, and it fell incomplete.

Caleb Nix led the defense with nine tackles, tying a season high, and Tae Floyd had a career-best five stops. According to RRSN, it was Jax State's first road shutout since 2006. Per ABC 33/40, it was the program's first shutout of any kind since Sept. 23, 2023, against Eastern Michigan.

Jax State won the yardage battle 428 to 217 and the first-down battle 23 to 11. The Gamecocks also extended an NCAA-best streak of 66 consecutive games with a rushing touchdown, according to RRSN.

What it means

For Jax State, the bigger picture is getting clearer by the week. ABC 33/40 noted that the Gamecocks and Marshall are the only programs to reach bowl eligibility in each of their first four FBS seasons. Jax State lost the 2025 CUSA title game to Kennesaw State, per The Gadsden Times, and is chasing a third straight trip to the championship game. The Gamecocks came into Las Cruces off a 27-24 win over FIU on a late Rippa field goal. This time, nothing about the ending was in doubt. And if the schedule makers keep putting Jax State on weeknights, nobody should complain in Jacksonville. According to RRSN, the Gamecocks are now 14-1 in weekday Conference USA games, with 12 straight wins.

Next up is a homecoming game against Sam Houston on Nov. 7 at AmFirst Stadium.

For New Mexico State, Tony Sanchez did not sugarcoat it. "That was a terrible offensive and kicking performance tonight," Sanchez said, per the NMSU Round Up. A week earlier, the Aggies had leaned on Jones to beat Sam Houston 30-24. Against a defense this disciplined, one dimension was not nearly enough.

The Aggies host Liberty for homecoming on Nov. 7, and the injuries in the passing game make that a steep climb.

The last word

New Mexico State's defense played well enough to win a lot of games. It did not matter, because Jax State had the best player on the field and an offensive line that kept opening the door for Creel. Creel's 84-yard run will live in the school record book, and the shutout will live in New Mexico State's. Every snap is in the official box score (opens in a new tab).

Sources: Jax State Athletics box score and game notes, The Associated Press, the Santa Fe New Mexican, the NMSU Round Up, the Albuquerque Journal, the Calhoun Journal, Rocket Radio Sports Network, ABC 33/40 and The Gadsden Times. More college football coverage on Undrafted.

Photos: Emily Kish/Jax State.