2025 IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl Pregame Notebook Posted December 16, 2025 By Barry Allen Director of Media Relations TROY-JAX STATE RENEW RIVALRY Two long-time, in-state rivals will square off in the 2025 IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl. Troy and Jacksonville State will meet in the 12th annual IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 8 p.m. (CT) at the historic Cramton Bowl in downtown Montgomery, Ala. The game will be televised on ESPN. Former members of the Gulf South Conference, Jax State and Troy are meeting on the gridiron for the first time since 2001. The Gamecocks lead the all-time series 33-28-2, however the Trojans have won the last seven meetings in the series. Jax State has not defeated Troy since Nov. 3, 1990, the last meeting as GSC members. CONFERENCE RUNNERS-UP COLLIDE Both participants in this year’s IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl have already played once in this year’s postseason. Following an 8-4 regular season and 7-1 record in league play, Jacksonville State served as the host of the Conference USA Championship game for the second consecutive season. Jax State won the Conference USA title in 2024, its first year eligible to do so. However, the Gamecocks came up just short against Kennesaw State on Dec. 5, giving up a touchdown with less than one minute to play to thwart a large fourth quarter comeback. The Trojans also finished the regular season with an 8-4 overall record, posting a 6-2 mark in league action to reach the Sun Belt Conference Championship. Troy won the Sun Belt West Division for the third time in four years, but was ultimately defeated in the conference championship game by College Football Playoff qualifier James Madison. FANTASTIC FINISHES IN MONTGOMERY The IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl has had a knack for close games and thrilling finishes. In fact, 10 of the previous 11 have been one score games with the average margin of victory at 4.3 points per game. In eight of the 11 games, the winning score came in the fourth quarter, including walk-off field goals by Appalachian State (2015) and Georgia Southern (2018). Bowling Green defeated South Alabama 33-28 in the inaugural IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl (previously known as Camellia Bowl) on Dec. 20, 2014. Last year, South Alabama set the bowl’s total offense record with 537 yards in a 30-23 win over Western Michigan. CRAMTON BOWL HISTORY Both Troy and Jacksonville State have previous history in the Cramton Bowl. Troy’s path to the 1968 National Championship ran through Montgomery. The late Sim Bird the then called Red Wave to the NAIA National Championship at the Cramton Bowl. Troy defeated No. 3 Willamette 63-10 in the semifinals and knocked off No. 1 Texas A&I 43-35 in the championship game. Jacksonville State played three FCS Kickoff games in recent years. The Gamecocks defeated Chattanooga (27-13) in 2017, lost to North Carolina A&T (20-17), and beat SF Austin (42-17) in 2022. PAPER BOWL Jax State and Troy met in the inaugural Paper Bowl 1948. The Gamecocks posted a 19-0 win at Pensacola High School. The game was not sanctioned by the NCAA, but the statistics counted. Jax State defeated Livingston 12-7 in 1949 and lost to Pensacola Naval Station 7-6 in 1950. The games were played as a fundraiser for the Pensacola High School marching band. JAX STATE BOASTS TOP RUNNING ATTACK No team in FBS football rushed for more yards than the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in 2025. Jax State rushed for 3,354 yards and 31 touchdowns in 13 games, averaging 258.0 yards per contest. Junior running back Cam Cook was the workhorse. The Round Rock, Texas, native led the nation with 1,659 yards and was fourth nationally with 16 touchdowns on the ground. Cook reached the 100-yard mark in 10 of 13 games this fall, including a career-best 218 yards in the win over Sam Houston. Jax State quarterback Caden Creel has done plenty of damage of his own on the ground this season. The redshirt-sophomore has totaled 1,085 yards over 13 games with seven scores. Cook and Creel are the only pair of teammates to each have 1,000 rushing yards entering the bowl season. TROJANS TURNING DEFENSE INTO OFFENSE Troy ranks third in the Sun Belt Conference, allowing just 24.5 points per game this season. However, the Trojans defense has also contributed to its side of the scoreboard as well. The Troy defense has found the end zone four times this season, one of just nine teams nationally with four or more defensive touchdowns. Linebacker TJ Thompson took back a 4-yard interception at Clemson, defensive end Taleeq Robbins had a 15-yards scoop and score against Memphis, safety Joe Lott returned an interception 53 yards in the win over ULM, and cornerback Jaquez White picked off a pass and returned it 30 yards for a touchdown versus Louisiana. Jacksonville State has surrendered two defensive touchdowns this season – allowing scores against Murray State and Southern Miss. There have been five defensive scores in the previous 11 IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl games, the last coming in 2021 as Georgia State scored on fumble and interception returns.