Jacksonville, AL (SportsNetwork.com) - Jacksonville State rushed for 367 yards to dominate intrastate rival Samford, 55-14, in the first round of the FCS playoffs Saturday night.
Running back DaMarcus James led the charge with 124 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 22 carries, while quarterback Eli Jenkins both rushed and passed for 115 yards, with one touchdown both ways.
The Gamecocks (10-3) from the Ohio Valley Conference will travel to No. 6 seed McNeese State for a second-round game next Saturday.
They extended their series lead over Samford to 23-21-2 in the first matchup between the two schools since 2007.
Jacksonville State led 38-0 at halftime against the Southern Conference Bulldogs behind four rushing touchdowns and a Jenkins passing score. The Gamecocks had 361 total yards of offense at the midway point, while Samford had just 17.
Telvin Brown added a 67-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, finishing with 80 yards on three carries.
Samford quarterback Andy Summerlin, named the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year by the media, had a troubling game, completing just 7-of-24 on pass attempts for 81 yards and one touchdown.
Senior running back and kick returner Fabian Truss did not play in the game for the Bulldogs (8-5).
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