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Three takeaways from Jacksonville's State's spring game
TL;DR
Jacksonville State's spring game ended with the White team defeating the Black team 17-13, earning steak dinners. Senior safety Caleb Nix clinched the victory with a last-minute interception.
Key points
- Jacksonville State's spring game took place at AmFirst Stadium.
- The White team won against the Black team.
- Caleb Nix sealed the victory with an interception.
- The winning team earned steak dinners.
AmFirst StadiumJacksonville StateCaleb Nix
JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville State's players knew the stakes for Thursday’s night’s spring game at AmFirst Stadium: steak dinners for the winners, beanie weenies for the losers.
The White team earned the better meal, holding off the Black team for a 17-13 victory.
Senior safety Caleb Nix sealed the win with an interception on the game’s final play.
“Caleb made a really good play at the end of the game,” Jax State head coach Charles Kelly said.
Here are three takeaways from Jax State’s spring game:
Airing it out
Redshirt junior Caden Creel, who started Jax State’s final nine games at quarterback last season, showed an improved deep ball Thursday.
Creel threw two first-quarter touchdown passes. The first was a 74-yard bomb to Murray State transfer Darius Cannon. Creel showed it was no fluke on the White team’s next drive, hitting redshirt freshman wide receiver Bryson Roullier in stride for a 55-yard score.
Creel did the majority of his damage on the ground last season, finishing with 1,075 rushing yards compared to 1,514 passing yards. He said the team put an emphasis on improving his deep-ball accuracy this spring.
“It’s definitely something that we wanted to work on and really implement this offseason,” Creel said. “It has gotten better, but it’s still not where it needs to be. So, we’ve got some work to do, but I was impressed with what we did today vertically.”
Creel wasn’t the only Jax State quarterback to throw a long touchdown pass Thursday. Redshirt freshman Jack Moran, who started for the Black team, connected with 6-foot-8 wide receiver Deondre Johnson for a 64-yard score.
Johnson, a redshirt junior, came on strong in the second half of last season, catching 25 passes for 651 yards and six touchdowns over the final seven games. He averaged 26 yards a catch during that stretch.
Johnson should expect some more deep balls to come his way this season. They’ll likely be coming from Creel, who appears firmly entrenched as Jax State’s starter.
“He’s a leader on our team,” Kelly said. “When other guys see the quarterback working like that, then they’re going to do the same thing.”
Replacing Cook
Jax State must replace Cam Cook, who led the nation with 1,659 rushing yards last season. Cook transferred to in the offseason, leaving 295 carries on the table.
Q&A
What was the final score of Jacksonville State's spring game?
The final score was 17-13 in favor of the White team.
Who made the game-winning play in Jacksonville State's spring game?
Senior safety Caleb Nix made the game-winning play with an interception on the final play.
What were the stakes for the teams in Jacksonville State's spring game?
The winning team received steak dinners, while the losing team had to settle for beanie weenies.
Who is the head coach of Jacksonville State?
The head coach of Jacksonville State is Charles Kelly.
