Jacksonville State Gamecocks @ Eastern Illinois Panthers
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JVST | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
EIU | 35 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 52 |
Eastern Illinois beats Jacksonville State 52-14
CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Running back Shepard Little ran for 245 yards on 26 carries, scored three touchdowns and threw for another -- all in the first quarter -- as Eastern Illinois defeated Jacksonville State 52-14 to wrap up the outright Ohio Valley Conference championship on Saturday.
The Panthers (10-1, 7-0) claimed their fifth outright title.
Jimmy Garoppolo passed New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton to become EIU's single-season passing leader, reaching 4,012 yards despite a season-low 169 against the Gamecocks (8-3, 4-3). Still, he threw for two touchdowns.
There wasn't much need for a passing game as Little led a rushing attack that rolled up 413 yards. Jimmy Lera added 111 yards on 12 carries and two touchdowns.
The game was virtually over after a school-record 35-point first quarter in which Little ran for two scores, caught a TD pass and threw to Garoppolo for another score.
Jacksonville State lost three fumbles.
Game Information
Charleston, IL
2025 Standings
| Conference USA | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Kennesaw State | 7-1 | 10-4 |
| Jacksonville State | 7-1 | 9-5 |
| Western Kentucky | 6-2 | 9-4 |
| Louisiana Tech | 5-3 | 8-5 |
| Missouri State | 5-3 | 7-6 |
| Florida International | 5-3 | 7-6 |
| Delaware | 4-4 | 7-6 |
| Liberty | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Middle Tennessee | 2-6 | 3-9 |
| New Mexico State | 2-6 | 4-8 |
| UTEP | 1-7 | 2-10 |
| Sam Houston | 1-7 | 2-10 |
| OVC-Big South Association | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee Tech | 8-0 | 11-2 |
| UT Martin | 6-2 | 6-6 |
| Gardner-Webb | 5-3 | 7-5 |
| Lindenwood | 5-3 | 6-6 |
| Charleston Southern | 4-4 | 5-7 |
| Southeast Missouri State | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Western Illinois | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Eastern Illinois | 2-6 | 3-9 |
| Tennessee State | 0-8 | 2-10 |
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