Jacksonville State Wins One For the "Little Guy"

Sometimes the underdog pulls one out. That was certainly the case today in Oxford, Miss. as the Jacksonville State Gamecocks topped Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent Ole Miss 49-48 in double overtime.

Fans were treated to an exciting game that saw Jax State score and convert a 2-point conversion to force overtime and then after a stallmate in the first overtime, score and get a 2-point conversion in the second overtime to pull out the win.

It was the first win for an OVC team against an FBS opponent since 2004, snapping a string of 50-straight losses to the higher-division foes. It was also the first time since the Conference was formed in 1948 that an OVC team topped a team from the Southeastern Conference.

Here is a video of the JSU postgame from today ...





What is great about the situation is that nobody expected JSU to win today. Even though the Gamecocks are nationally-ranked in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) at No. 17 and Ole Miss was picked last in the highly-competitive SEC West, most people thought this would be a win for the Rebels who were playing with transfer quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, a Heisman hopeful at Oregon last season.

What is even better is that Jacksonville State received a big financial guarantee to play the Rebels. So not only did the Gamecocks go home with a victory, but also a check!

What is also great about the victory is the recognition that Jacksonville State and the OVC will receive today, the coming week and all year. It is no secret that the league has struggled in football over the past decade. No OVC team had won a game against an FBS foe since 2004 and the league has not won a FCS Playoff game since 2000 (and that was by Western Kentucky, a team that isn't even in the league anymore). With that lack of success comes very little national respect; but one win over a FBS school, a SEC school nonetheless, will help establish the league this season.

It is not the only big win for the OVC over the past six months. Still on a lot of peoples' minds is Murray State's victory over another SEC foe, this time Vanderbilt, in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. That win was the first for the league in the tournament's first round since 1989 and was the first over an SEC team since the 2000-01 season, snapping a string of 71-straight losses to the SEC. In case you did forget, here is a look at some of those highlights:



So in summary sometimes it is tough when the "little guy" goes out and plays hard but comes up just short. A great season for one team in the league leads to a dream trip to the NCAA Tournament only to see that squad get manhandled by a bigger conference school.

But as I've shown you that is not always the case. The past six months have shown that OVC teams can compete with any team out there. So enjoy the victory over an FBS team. See below for more coverage from today's victory,

Other Coverage of the Jacksonville State Victory:
JSUGamecockSports.com - Coverage from JSU's official site
Jacksonville State revels in upset of of Rebels - Sports Network
Ole Miss goes down Hard - ESPN.com
Jacksonville State Rallies in Fourth Quarter, Stuns Ole Miss in Double OT - FanHouse.com
Jacksonville State stuns Ole Miss, 49-48, in double overtime - Memphis Commercial Appeal
Gosh almighty JSU rallies from 3 touchdown deficit to upset Ole Miss - Anniston Star
Upset of Ole Miss is JSU's 'game changer' - Anniston Star
Crowe's gamble pays off as JSU upsets Ole Miss - Birmingham News
Publicity, fan buzz, early ticket sales follow JSU's football victory - Anniston Star