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CHARLESTON, Ill. – Senior Jamal Young rushed for a career-high 162 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 4 Jacksonville State to a 28-23 Ohio Valley Conference win over Eastern Illinois on Saturday.

Jax State, 4-0 for the first time since 2004, extended its winning streak to eight straight games, dating back to the final four wins of 2009. It was also the Gamecocks eighth straight road win, which is the longest FCS road winning streak in the country.

The Gamecocks rolled up 392 yards of total offense as Marques Ivory finished the game 14-for-22 for 122 yards through the air. John Houston Whiddon had 38 yards on three catches to lead the receivers for the third straight game.

The Panthers took the lead midway through the first quarter after intercepting a Gamecock pass on the 18 yard line and Cameron Berra kicked a 22-yard field goal with 6:33 left in the first quarter.

Eastern Illinois extended the lead on its next possession after Jimmy Potempa scored on a 14-yard run up the middle. The Panthers missed the extra point, but held a 9-0 lead with 2:23 left in the first quarter.

The Gamecocks answered by going 81 yards in 14 plays and Young scored his first touchdown on a one-yard run. James Esco kicked the point after to cut the lead to 9-7 with 10:38 left in the second quarter.

Jax State took the lead with 2:35 left in the first half after Young raced 76 yards for his second touchdown of the quarter. Esco added the point after to give the Gamecocks a 14-9 lead.

JSU's Keginald Harris then intercepted an EIU pass and returned it to the Panther 8-yard line. Two plays later, Young scored on a 5-yard run and Esco added the point after to give Jax State a 21-9 lead at the half.

Jax State tacked on another touchdown midway through the fourth quarter after Alphonso Freeney scored on a nine-yard run with 6:28 left. The touchdown was setup by an interception by Robert Gray, who returned it to the Panthers 18-yard line.

The Panthers cut the lead to 28-17 with 5:13 left after Potempa scored on a 7-yard run and Lorence Ricks caught the 2-point conversion.

EIU then recovered the onside kick and drove down to the Gamecock 25-yard line, but Brooks Robinson intercepted the Panther pass at the two-yard line to seal the win for the Gamecocks.

Antonio Bonner led the Gamecock defense with six tackles and two for loss, while A.J. Davis, Jawaan Booker, Rodney Garrott and Marquis George each had five tackles.

Jacksonville State returns to action next Saturday against Murray State. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium and all fans are encouraged to wear Red in JSU's annual Red Out game.

POST-GAME NOTES

- Captains for the Gamecocks: senior WR John Houston Whiddon, senior OL Curt Porter, senior LB Morrell Jones and junior DT Jamison Wadley.
- Eastern Illinois won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.
- The Gamecocks wore Red pants for the fourth time under Jack Crowe on Saturday vs EIU. JSU wore Red pants for the first time under Crowe in 2008, when JSU claimed a 23-10 win. JSU also wore Red pants at Eastern Kentucky on Oct. 11 2008, and at home against UT Martin on Oct. 3, 2009. Entering the game, JSU was 2-1 in Red pants under Crowe.
- Jamal Young scored three rushing touchdowns in the game. It was Young's first rushing touchdowns of the season and the seventh of his career.
- Jamal Young finished the game with 162 rushing yards, which was a career-high for the senior from Jackson, Miss. He bacame the first JSU player to rush for 100 yards since Ryan Perrilloux had 115 yards on 9 carries vs Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 21, 2009. He also became the first player to rush for 150 yards since Clay Green (22-163) at Chattanooga on Nov. 4, 2006.
- Keginald Harris recorded his third interception of the season during the second quarter. His three INT's this season is tops in the OVC.
- Jamal Young became the first Gamecock to score three touchdowns in a quarter since Ronal Murray had three vs Tennessee Tech on Nov. 8, 2008 (3rd Qtr.)
- Jamal Young's 76 yard rushing touchdown was the first rush of longer than 20 yards this year for the Gamecocks.
- Jamal Young's 76-yard rushing touchdown was the longest rushing TD of the season, the previous high was four yards by Coty Blanchard at Georgia State (9/18).
- Jax State is now 4-0 on the season for the first time since 2004....That season, the Gamecocks topped Emporia State, Chattanooga, Eastern Kentucky and Murray State.
- JSU has now won eight straight games, dating back to the final four wins of the 2009 season. It is the first time JSU has won eight straight games since the final game of 1987 and the first seven games of the 1988 season.
- JSU's 21-9 lead at halftime was the second straight game the Gamecocks have held the lead.
- The Gamecocks extended the nation's longest FCS road winning streak to eight games with the win today at Eastern Illinois.
- The Gamecocks went 82 yards on their first touchdown of the game and it was the fourth time this season JSU has a scoring drive of 82 yards or longer. THe longest scoring drive was 97 yards against UTC (9/11).
- With the win today, the Gamecocks evened the all-times series to 4-4 against Eastern Illinois.
- The Gamecocks improved to 3-1 against EIU in Charleston.
- Robert Gray recorded his second interception of the season with 7:57 left in the game. The Collinsville, Ala., native also had an interception against UTC.

JSU BY THE NUMBERS
0 - Sacks allowed by the Gamecock offensive line.

3 - Rushing touchdowns during the second quarter of the game by Jamal Young.

8 - Straight wins by the Gamecocks, which ties for the fifth longest in school history.

8 - Consecutive road wins by the Gamecocks, the longest streak in FCS this season.

12 - Point lead at halftime, the second straight game JSU has led at the half.

43 - Wins by the Gamecocks against OVC opponents, a .768 winning percentage.

48 - Times (out of 56) the Gamecocks have 300 yards or more of total offense against an OVC foe.

58 - Wins by Jax State when leading at the half under Jack Crowe.

104 - Consecutive games in which the Gamecocks have scored, a streak that dates back to Nov.18, 2000, when they were last shut out.