Jacksonville State could not hold onto a second-half lead in a 38-28 loss to South Carolina in the “Battle of the Gamecocks” at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C., on Saturday.

JSU (7-3) led 28-21 late in the third quarter, but gave up the last 17 points of the game. Jax State had the ball in the red zone with a chance to take the lead late, but linebacker Stone Blanton’s 88-yard interception return for a touchdown with 2:02 left iced the game for host South Carolina.

Spencer Rattler threw for 399 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for a score for South Carolina, which snapped a four-game losing streak. The host Gamecocks (3-6) also got a career game from Xavier Legette, who caught nine passes for 217 yards and two scores.

Jax State’s Zion Webb passed for 183 yards and two touchdowns, including a 54-yarder to Perry Carter that gave the visiting Gamecocks a 28-21 lead with 5:30 left in the third. Back-up quarterback Logan Smothers — who replaced Webb twice due to injury during the game — also threw a touchdown pass for JSU to tight end Sean Brown, who scored on both of his receptions for JSU.

After JSU took the lead on Carter’s long score, South Carolina responded with Rattler’s 65-yard strike to Legette, which tied the game at 28 with 1:29 left in the third. Mitch Jeter’s 26-yard field goal with 5:41 to play gave the host Gamecocks the lead for good at 31-28.

Jax State then drove to the South Carolina 15 after a leaping, 29-yard sideline catch by PJ Wells with a little more than two minutes remaining. Two plays later, Blanton stepped in front of a Webb pass on the sideline and raced 88 yards to the end zone for a 38-28 South Carolina lead.

The stronger-armed Smothers then returned to the field with Jax State down 10, but was intercepted by O’Donnell Fortune on his next pass attempt. South Carolina then ran out the clock for the win.

The game was tied 14-14 late in the first half, as South Carolina scored on rushing touchdowns of 2 yards by Tonka Hemingway and 1 yard by Rattler. Jax State responded with Webb’s 15-yard TD pass to Brown and Anwar Lewis’ 4-yard run.

Jax State fumbled near midfield just before the half, and South Carolina quickly got into the red zone. Rattler threw 5 yards to Legette for a touchdown with 23 seconds left and a 21-14 lead for the home team at halftime.

Carter caught five passes for 106 yards for Jax State, while Ron Wiggins rushed for 88 yards on 17 carries. Webb ran for 65 yards and Lewis 36 as part of a 225-rushing day for JSU.

Jax State’s defense sacked Rattler three times, totaled 10 tackles for loss and broke up six passes. Chris Hardie had two sacks, while Kekoura Tarnue had an interception.

Jax State has an open date next week before hosting Conference USA rival Louisiana Tech on Nov. 18. Kickoff for that game is set for 1 p.m. at Burgess-Snow Stadium.