Rippa true
- Updated: October 7, 2026
Clutch kicker comes through again after rare miss earlier this season, lifts Jax State to 27-26 victory at Kennesaw State.
Editor’s note: Here’s a link to statistics from Jax State’s 27-26 victory over Kennesaw State.
By East Alabama Sports Today
KENNESAW, Ga. — Garrison Rippa has hit five game-winning field goals for Jax State, but his latest one was redemption.
Rippa hit a 33-yard field goal with 52 seconds left, and Jax State survived a Conference USA road game with seven lead changes to beat Kennesaw State, 27-26, on Wednesday.
The Gamecocks (4-2) upped to 2-0 in CUSA play while dropping KSU (1-4) to 0-1.
Rippa also hit a 20-yarder to give Jax State a 24-23 lead with 9:23 to play.
Rippa’s game-winning field goals included a 27-yarder in overtime to beat Louisiana in the New Orleans Bowl after the 2023 season. The kick clinched Jax State’s first-ever bowl victory in the Gamecocks’ first-ever bowl game.
However, Rippa missed one at the end of regulation at Ohio earlier this season. Jax State lost in four overtimes.
Jax State coach Charles Kelly helped Rippa put the Ohio game behind him.
“I just said, ‘You’ve just got to worry about the process of what you’re doing,’” Kelly said during his postgame interview. “If you do the process right, you’re going to get the right result.
“He’s done that. He’s a great young man. Our players believe in him.”
Kelly said Jax State’s final drive and field goal mimicked the result of a two-minute drill in Monday’s practice. The drive at Kennesaw covered 60 yards in 11 plays and 1:23 With Caden Creel completing two passes apiece to Dylan Gentry and Cedric Kouemi, their only catches of the game.
Rob Billings clinched Jax State’s victory by intercepting a Rickie Collins pass with 14 seconds left.
Creel completed 26 of 44 passes for 311 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed for 30 yards and a touchdown.
Jalen Likely rushed for 40 yards and a touchdown.
Game updates
FIRST QUARTER
–Kinney 20-yard fied goal at 6:44. Drive: 15 plays, 73 yards, 8:16 KSU 3, JAX STATE 0
SECOND QUARTER
–Creel 1-yard TD pass to Williams at 14:37. Rippa PAT good. Drive: 14 plays, 75 yards, 7:07. JAX STATE 7, KSU 3
–Collins 2-yard TD run at 12:19. PAT no good. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:18. KSU 9, JAX STATE 7
–Creel 2-yard TD run at 4:30. Rippa PAT good. Drive: 4 plays, 71 yards, 2:18.. JAX STATE 14, KSU 9
–Collins throws a 5-yard TD pass to Rogers at 0:23. PAT is good. Drive: 7 plays, 53 yards, 0:53. KSU 16, JAX STATE 14
THIRD QUARTER
–Nix interception turns away a KSU scoring threat at 8:21.
–Murrell adds a 4-yard TD run at 1:30. PAT is good. Drive: 8 plays, 74 yards, 3:27. KSU 23, JAX STATE 14
–Likely 4-yard TD run follows Creel’s 35-yard pass to Johnson. Rippa PAT is good at 0:26. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:02 KSU 23, JAX STATE 21
FOURTH QUARTER
–Creel completes 39-yard pass to Johnson to the KSU 13, setting up Rippa’s 20-yard field goal at 9:23. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 4:39. KSU conduct and DPI penalties aided the drive. The conduct penalty came after a third-down incompletion, DPI in the end zone on third down.JAX STATE 24, KSU 23
–KSU takes the lead on Kinney’s 28-yard field goal at 2:15. Drive: 9 plays, 50 yards, 4:03. KSU 26, JAX STATE 24
–Rippa’s 33-yard field goal gives Jax State the lead with 52 seconds left to play. Drive: e JAX STATE 27, KSU 26
–Billings picks off a Collins pass, and Jax State takes possession.
FINAL: Jax State 27, KSU 26
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