Rippa clutch again
- Updated: November 8, 2025
Creel, Cook star, and Rippa kicks 45-yard field goal with 49 seconds left as Jax State wins at UTEP, remains unbeaten in CUSA play.
Editor’s note: Complete statistics for Jax State’s victory at UTEP on Saturday are available on this link.
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
Add another chapter to what’s becoming a storied career for Jax State kicker Garrison Rippa.
His 45-yard field goal with 49 seconds remaining provided the difference, and the Gamecocks beat UTEP 30-27 in Conference USA action Saturday at El Paso.
Jax State (6-3) scored its fourth consecutive victory and improved to 5-0 in CUSA play headed into next week’s CUSA showdown with league co-leader Kennesaw State.
Jax State closes with CUSA games against Kennesaw State, Florida International and Western Kentucky … teams with a combined 12-4 CUSA record.
“We’re in this stretch now where we’re playing really good teams,” Jax State coach Charles Kelly said during a postgame radio interview. “I love this conference. I love competitiveness. I love the coaches. Their teams are very well-prepared.
“It’s good clean competition, and you’ve got too be ready every week.”
The Gamecocks also achieved bowl eligibility for the third time in three FBS seasons.
Rippa kicked a walk-off field goal in Jax State’s victory over Sam Houston State this season. His game-winning kick gave Jax State the victory over Louisiana in the New Orleans Bowl at the end of the 2023 season, Jax State’s first in FBS.
“Garrison has done a really good job,” Kelly said. “We work this every Thursday. We do that situation.
“This week was a little bit different. This week, we started with a minute and 45 seconds and no timeouts and need a field goal. We had a little bit more time than that (Saturday) and three timeouts left.”
Rippa’s third field goal Saturday was Jax State’s answer after UTEP’s Skyler Locklear threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Eric Willis to tie the game with 2:15 to play.
Caden Creel’s 31-yard run on Jax State’s next offensive snap plus a defensive holding penalty moved the Gamecocks into position for the game-winning kick, and Rippa delivered … again.
Rippa also hit a 30-yarder to give Jax State a 10-7 lead in the first quarter and a 34-yarder to put the Gamecocks up 20-13 just before halftime.
Creel completed 15 of 31 passes for 181 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 134 yards on 13 attempts.
Running back Cam Cook carried 19 times for 127 yards and a touchdown.
“You think that they (Creel and Cook) are not getting a lot, and all of a sudden, you look up, and there they are,” Kelly said. “That’s what great players do.”
Creel and Deondre Johnson hooked up for a 77-yard touchdown pass to open the scoring, and Caleb Nix put Jax State up 17-7 with a 93-yard interception return in the second quarter.
Locklear’s 10-yard touchdown run tied the game 20-20 at 6:34 of the third quarter, but Cook’s 1-yard touchdown run gave Jax State a 27-20 lead at 10:01 of the fourth.
‘We talk about playing 60 minutes, and we talk about competitive stamina,” Kelly said. “Competitive stamina is what you want. I didn’t want us to be great early in the season or middle of the season. I wanted us to have competitive stamina, where we can go through the season and stay focused and do those things.
“In a game, you have to have competitive stamina. It’s not how many you score in the first half or how many you score in the second half. It’s the competition of it.”
Jax State-UTEP updates
–Kickoff 2 p.m.
FIRST QUARTER
–Caden Creel completes a 77-yard TD pass to Deondre Johnson at 11:07. Garrison Rippa PAT is good. Drive: 4 plays, 88 yards, 1:29. JAX STATE 7, UTEP 0
–Skyler Locklear completes a 75-yard TD pass to J.R. Davis. Carlos Arreola hits the PAT at 10:56. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:11. JAX STATE 7, UTEP 7
–Rippa hits a 30-yard field goal at 0:53. Drive: 13 plays, 52 yards, 4:12. JAX STATE 10, UTEP 7
SECOND QUARTER
–Caleb Nix with a 93-yard interception return for a Jax State TD. Rippa PAT is good at 8:12. JAX STATE 17, UTEP 7
–Locklear sneaks in for a 1-yard TD run at 3:09. Conversion pass fails. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 5:03. JAX STATE 17, UTEP 13
–Rippa hits a 34-yard field goal at 0:39. Drive: 5 plays, 56 yards, 2:30. JAX STATE 20, UTEP 13
THIRD QUARTER
–Locklear with a 10-yard TD run at 6:34. Arreola PAT good. Drive: 11 plays, 47 yards, 5:42. JAX STATE 20, UTEP 20
FOURTH QUARTER
–Cam Cook scores on a 1-yard TD run at 10:01, and Rippa’s PAT is good. Drive: 8 plays, 67 yards, 2:57. JAX STATE 27, UTEP 20
–Locklear throws a 19-yard TD pass to Eric Willis, and Arreola PAT is good at 2:15. Drive: 5 plays, 74 yards, 1:45. JAX STATE 27, UTEP 27
–Creel’s 31-yard run and a defensive holding penalty get Jax State in position with 53 seconds left, and Rippa’s 45-yard field goal is good at 0:49. Drive: 6 plays, 46 yards, 1:22. JAX STATE 30, UTEP 27
FINAL: Jax State wins, 30-27.
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