Jacksonville State football's magical season will end with a sour taste after a loss in the Cure Bowl to Ohio.
The Gamecocks' (9-5) season ended in a 30-27 loss to the Bobcats (11-3) in Orlando, Fla. on Friday. Ohio quarterback Parker Navarro scored the first of three touchdowns for the Bobcats, with the Gamecocks just piercing a 75-yard touchdown from Tyler Huff to Cam Vaughn in the first half. Navarro found Anthony Tyus III to cap off an impressive first half for the Bobcats.
The Gamecocks scored in the third quarter on a run from Huff and in the fourth on a Tre Stewart run. Stewart scored with just over three minutes left to get the game within three points, but the defense couldn't come up with a final stop to get the ball back.
For truly the first time all year, the Jax State run game was shut down. The Gamecocks managed negative-39 yards on the ground in the first half. When taking the three sacks out of the equation, they still were negative in rushing yards. Huff was sacked three times for 17 yards and just managed six yards on four carries in the first half. Meanwhile, Stewart was bottled up for eight yards on eight carries in the first half.
The Gamecocks managed more than 112 yards in every game, but was a long ways off pace in the bowl game.
The Gamecocks were missing two keys on defense with Zechariah Poyser and Reginald Hughes in the portal and on to new schools. The Ohio defense ran for 183 yards on the Gamecocks, with Anthony Tyus III and Parker Navarro each running for more than 90 yards. Navarro also was able to dice the Gamecocks' secondary up for 144 yards through the air.
The Gamecocks came out fighting in the second half, allowing just a field goal and 136 total yards.
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The Gamecocks' offense had been the Tyler Huff and Tre Stewart show for most of the season, but a new name shined in the bowl game Friday. Jarod Bowie, a redshirt junior, made big plays when the Gamecocks needed it. Bowie logged 19 rushing yards and caught four passes for 105 yards.
Bowie is in his second year with the Gamecocks after starting his collegiate career at Concord. He played in all 13 games but had just nine catches on the year heading into Friday.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Jacksonville State football falls to Ohio in Cure Bowl