The Jacksonville State football team clinched the Ohio Valley Conference championship, with a 27-20 win over Eastern Saturday in Jacksonville, Ala.

The Panthers dropped to 5-6 overall, as the Gamecocks snapped Eastern’s four-game winning streak, while improving to 7-0 in the OVC and 9-1 overall.

Trailing 27-17, Eastern quarterback Jalen Whitlow ripped through the Jacksonville State defensive line and put Eastern at the Gamecocks’ 18-yard line with a 28-yard run. Unfortunately for the Panthers, Whitlow came down hard on the field and did not return for the rest of the game, missing the final half of the fourth quarter.

Red-shirt senior Andrew Manley came in and was able to get Eastern inside the 10-yard, but the Panthers had to settle for a 20-yard field by Nick Bruno, who made it 27-20, with 8:31 left to play.

The Eastern defense, which did not surrender any points in the second half, held the Gamecocks to two consecutive three and outs, following Bruno’s field goal, but Manley was unable to capitalize.

Eastern needed to beat Jacksonville State and then defeat Tennessee-Martin on Nov. 22 at O’Brien Field to win its third OVC title in a row.

The No. 3 Gamecocks extended their lead in the fourth quarter, when Darius Jackson intercepted Whitlow at the Panthers’ 27-yard line and ran in back for a touchdown. That made it 27-17, with 11:33 left to play. It was Whitlow’s second interception of the game. He entered the game with only one pick in conference play, which was the least among OVC starting quarterbacks.

Eli Jenkins led a strong passing attack for Jacksonville State in the first half, throwing for 266 yards, connecting with Josh Barge on a 59-yard touchdown pass on the Gamecocks’ second play of the game to make it 7-0.

Barge, along with Ruben Gonzalez, had six catches and more than 100 receiving yards in the first half, leading the Gamecocks to a 20-7 halftime lead. Barge finished with a game-high eight catches for 153 yards.

After struggling in the first two quarters, when the Panthers only put up 109 yards of offense, Whitlow led a comeback in the third quarter, as Eastern outscored Jacksonville State 10-0. Taylor Duncan capped off a 10-play, 76-yard drive, with a two-yard touchdown that brought the Panthers within a field goal of the Gamecocks at 20-17.

That was the closest Eastern got to Jacksonville State, since Whitlow ran in for a 19-yard touchdown, with 1:33 left in the first quarter that tied the game at seven.

Eastern still had a chance in the final two minutes to tie the game, but Manley missed on three straight pass attempts to Adam Drake, turning the ball over on downs. The Gamecocks converted on third and short on a DeMarcus James 11-yard run with less than a minute to play to seal the victory and the conference title for Jacksonville State.

Eastern will have its senior day, starting at noon at O’Brien Field on Nov. 22, against Tennessee-Martin.

Aldo Soto can be reached at 581-2812 or asoto2@eiu.edu.