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MARTIN, Tenn. – The Jacksonville State football team jumped out to an early lead and never looked back on Saturday, when the Gamecocks went wire-to-wire for a 30-20 win at UT Martin.

The third-ranked Gamecocks (6-0, 3-0 Ohio Valley Conference) never trailed for the first time in six games before stretching their winning streak to 10 games and claiming their ninth-straight win on the road. The 10-game stretch is the longest in the nation at the FCS level and ties for the fourth-longest in school history. The win also improved JSU to 26-6 all-time against the Skyhawks (2-4, 2-2 OVC) and 11-3 in Martin.

JSU turned its attention to the ground as they improved to 6-0 for the first time since 2004 and extended the OVC's longest win streak since 1999. The Gamecocks ran for 172 yards on 38 carries, led by junior Calvin Middleton's 97 yards on 15 touches. The native of Acworth, Ga., also scored his first touchdown since the season opener, a 31-yard run up the middle in the third quarter.

Senior Jamal Young ran for 24 yards on eight carries and caught one pass for a 12-yard touchdown. The Jackson, Miss., native's catch from junior Marques Ivory was his third in 2010, the most by a JSU running back since the Gamecocks moved to Division I in 1995.

The Gamecocks got 91 yards and a score on 7-of-12 passing from Ivory, while freshman Coty Blanchard completed one of his seven passes for a four-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Denzel Cheeks. The catch was the first of Cheeks' career and made him the 13th Gamecock to catch a pass this season. Junior James Shaw hauled in a team-high three catches for 32 yards and a score.

The Skyhawks used 338 passing yards by Derek Carr to outgain the Gamecocks, 427-267. Carr completed 31 of his 50 passes for two scores and an interception, as JSU was outgained for the third-straight week.

Jason McNair was Carr's favorite target, as the two connected on nine passes for 57 yards, but Jarvis Perry made the most out of his six catches. The junior's career-high in receptions led to 122 yards, also a career best.

Junior Jamison Wadley and senior Antonio Bonner each recorded six tackles to lead the Gamecock defense. Wadley, a native of Gadsden, Ala., had a sack and another tackle for a loss to spark a JSU front that recorded three sacks and six tackles in the backfield on the afternoon. Sophomore Keginald Harris had an interception that he returned 45 yards, the fourth pick of the season for the native of Town Creek, Ala.

Josh Bey's 12 tackles led the Skyhawks' defense.

The Gamecocks jumped out to an unusual early lead, thanks to a 12-yard screen pass from Ivory to Shaw that gave JSU a 7-0 advantage. Jax State's first touchdown of the season on its opening possession capped a seven-play, 55-yard drive and came just 3:35 into the game.

They added three more just five minutes later on a 22-yard field goal by James Esco. The sophomore from Leesburg, Ga., split the uprights with 6:18 on the first-quarter clock to polish off a 47-yard drive that took eight plays and ate just under four minutes off of the clock.

UTM used a 42-yard kick from Cody Sandlin on the first play of the second quarter to cut the JSU lead to 10-3. After a defensive stop on the ensuing possession, the Skyhawks got three more on a 21-yard field goal by Sandlin with 9:28 to play in the half. The drive, which was started by a 61-yard pass from Carr to Perry, stalled at the JSU two after a defensive stand by the Gamecocks.

The Gamecocks stretched the lead to 16-6 on their next drive, one that started with a 27-yard run by Blanchard and ended with a four-yard pass form Blanchard to Cheeks. The first career reception by the sophomore from Swainsboro, Ga., was the seventh play of the 62-yard scoring drive. UTM's Karlos Jones blocked the Esco point after attempt to leave the deficit at 16-6 with 6:46 to play in the half.

Harris set up JSU's next score with a interception of Carr that he returned 45 yards to the Skyhawks' 27. A Personal foul on UTM set the Gamecocks up at the 12-yard line, from where Ivory found Young three-plays later in the back of the end zone. Esco's kick gave JSU a 23-6 lead with just 41 seconds to play before the half.

JSU picked up where it left off in the second half, using a three-play stop on defense to set up a 31-yard touchdown run up the middle by Middleton. The run capped a three-play drive that covered 40 yards and gave the Gamecocks a 30-6 lead with 11:41 to play in the third.

The Skyhawks used a big play to cut into the JSU lead late in the third, thanks to a 42-yard pass from Carr to Bryant Milligan. UTM's first touchdown of the day cut the JSU lead to 30-13 with 3:03 remaining in the quarter.

UTM got another score with 5:39 to play on a Daniel Chamberlain catch from six yards out. Carr's second touchdown pass of the day went through linebacker Rodney Garrott's hands and found Chamberlain's in the end zone to cut the JSU lead to 30-20. UTM would get a stop and force the Gamecocks to punt, but its offense couldn't put together another drive.

The Gamecocks will return home next week to begin a two-game homestand. They will host Tennessee State at 3 p.m. on Saturday before wrapping up the homestand on Oct. 23 against Austin Peay on Homecoming.

POSTGAME NOTES
- Captains for the Gamecocks: senior RB Jamal Young, senior OL Curt Porter, junior LB Rodney Garrott and junior DT Jamison Wadley.
- UT Martin won the coin toss and deferred to the second half
- With the win today, the Gamecocks posted their eighth straight winning season under Jack Crowe. It was also the 42nd winning season for Jacksonville State since the modern era of JSU football began in 1947.
- Jax State has now won 10-straight games, which ties for the 12th longest winning streak in Ohio Valley Conference history. The last team to win 10-straight games in the OVC was Tennessee State in 1999, when the Tigers won 11 consecutive.
- Jax State is now 6-0 on the season for the first time since 2004. That season, the Gamecocks topped Emporia State, Chattanooga, Eastern Kentucky, Murray State, UT Martin and Tennessee State.
- JSU has now won 10-straight games dating back to the final four wins of the 2009 season. It is the first time JSU has won 10-straight games since the 1991 season.
- JSU's 23-6 lead at halftime was the fourth-straight game the Gamecocks have held the lead.
- The Gamecocks extended the nation's longest FCS road winning streak to 10 games with the win today at UT Martin.
- With the win today, the Gamecocks are now 26-6 all-time against UT Martin, including an 11-3 mark in Martin.
- The Gamecocks are now 45-6 when scoring 30 or more points under Jack Crow.
- Redshirt freshman Richard Freelon made his first career start. He becomes the 14th player to make his first career start in the 2010 season.
- Senior Cory Freeman started at left guard, making his first career start on the offensive line. He has 16 starts at tight end, and now has 17 career starts for the Gamecocks.
- The Gamecocks scored a touchdown on their first possession for the first time this year. JSU previously had three punts, one interception and one field goal on their opening drives.
- Jamison Wadley recorded his third sack of the season during the first quarter. He leads the team in sacks and has eight career sacks.
- Denzel Cheeks recorded his first career reception wtih 6:47 left in the second quarter. It was a four-yard touchdown pass from Coty Blanchard.
- Keginald Harris picks up his fourth interception of the season late in the second quarter. The Town Creek, Ala., native leads the OVC with four interceptions this season.
- Jamal Young records his third touchdown reception of the season with :47 left in the second quarter. He has scored a touchdown in four straight games and now has four career TD receptions. The three receving touchdowns is the most by a Gamecock running back in the school's Division I history.
- Quarterbacks Marques Ivory and Cody Blanchard each scored a touchdown in the same game for the fifth time this season.

BY THE NUMBERS
5 - Straight games that Marques Ivory had thrown for 100-or more yards before his 91 on Saturday.
9 - Consecutive road wins by the Gamecocks, the longest active streak in FCS.
10 - Straight wins by the Gamecocks, which ties for the fourth longest in school history.
12 - JSU different players that have scored a touchdown this year after Denzel Cheeks caught his first career TD.
45 - Wins by the Gamecocks against OVC opponents, a .768 winning percentage.
60 - Wins by Jax State when leading at the half under Jack Crowe.
70 - Wins by Jax State over schools from the State of Tennessee.
85 - Career wins by JSU head coach Jack Crowe
106 - Consecutive games in which the Gamecocks have scored, a streak that dates back to Nov.18, 2000, when they were last shut out.