Saturday's Peach State College Football scoreboard: Two overtime games, and some romps, good and not-so-good senior days (final edition)
1:30 p.m.
South Carolina State 21, Savannah State 17
The Bulldogs’ Duane Nichols recovered a fumble with 8:42 left in the game for the win. Savannah State (2-8) led 17-7 at halftime on two D’vonn Gibbons runs and a Giovanni Lugo field goal
2:30 p.m.
Appalachian State 45, Georgia State 17
Georgia Southern scored first, and that lead lasted about three minutes as App State was solidly in control before the Panthers’ field goal late in the third quarter.
The Mountaineers outgained the Panthers 524-329.
Rush defense struggles mightily
3 p.m.
Furman 35, Mercer 30
Mercer ends the season 5-6 and 4-4, losing on senior day.
Before the game, Mercer honored seniors LeMarkus Bailey, Isaiah Buehler, Dylan Calhoun, Brandon Coney, Bradley Earnest, Travonte' Easley, Cole Fisher, Brandon Gurley, Stephen Houzah, Marquise Irvin, Kam Lott, David May, Tee Mitchell, Steven Nixon (expected to be early graduate), Matt Shiel, Sam Walker, and Austin Wysor.
Furman’s win allowed Wofford to share the Southern Conference title with Furman and ETSU but get the automatic bid to the playoffs.
Mercer led for a little less than six minutes, in the fourth quarter, after Kaelan Riley hit Tyray Devezin with a 24-yard TD pass with 11:37 left for a 30-29 lead. Furman, which led 29-17 before two straight Mercer scores, retook the lead with 6:52 left, and then forced a three-and-out and ate up 4:24. Mercer got the ball back at its 9 with 1:28 left, and was sacked at Furman’s 38 on the final play.
Kennesaw State 60, Jacksonville State 52, 5 OTs
Bryson Armstrong’s interception in the end zone clinched the win for No. 2 over No. 6 at the home of the Atlanta Braves.
JSU scored 28 points in overtime and KSU 36, the game tied at 24 all through regulation.
The Owls trailed, a rarity, 14-0, and the game went back and forth. KSU needed a 1-yard Chandler Burks run and J Thomson kick with 1:25 left in the fourth quarter to force overtime.
In the fifth overtime, Burks got 11 on fourth and 6, and two plays later, D Holland went in from the 13, and then Burks hit Justin Sumpter for the conversion.
The Gamecocks lost eight on first down and got seven back, but Armstrong came up with the easy pick a play later.
3:30 p.m.
Georgia Tech 30, Virginia 27, OT
Wesley Wells nailed a 40-yard field goal, after the offense gained only two yards, going first in in OT, and then Virginia’s Brian Delaney missed a 35-yarder to give Tech the win on senior day.
The Jackets led 27-24 on Wells’ 48-yard field goal, but Delaney matched it from 32 yards with a second left to force overtime.
Tech survived a 1-for-8 passing day from TaQuon Marshall, and only 27 yards on nine carries from Tobias Oliver.
The Cavs had 11 more first downs and 98 more yards total offense on one more play.
Cavs lost chance at decent win
4 p.m.
Georgia 66, Massachusetts 27
The visitors were within a touchdown after a quarter. And then they were down 42-13 at halftime.
Seven Bulldogs scored touchdowns in the romp, Georgia outgaining UMass 426-103 on the ground but passing for 12 fewer yards, on 10 fewer completions and 15 fewer tries. The total offense difference was 701-390.
Injury update (Peach Countians included)
5 p.m.
Georgia Southern 41, Coastal Carolina 17
A 21-0 third quarter broke open a close game as the Eagles improved to 8-3, and needed less than three hours to do it.
Game story II