Jacksonville State’s dream of a debut season in FBS had a happy ending.

Freshman Garrison Rippa drilled a 27-yard field goal in overtime to give the Gamecocks a 34-31 victory over Louisiana in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at Caesars Superdome on Saturday. JSU finishes the season at 9-4.

Louisiana (6-7) got the ball first in the extra period, but went three-and-out. Kenneth Almandares then missed a 43-yard field goal attempt, wide left.

JSU then ran the ball six straight times with Ron Wiggins to put the ball on the 7-yard line and set up Rippa’s game-winner. Wiggins finished the day with 126 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries.

After Louisiana scored its third defensive touchdown of the game on Tyree Skipper’s 42-yard interception return to take a 31-24 lead with 5:32 left in regulation, Jax State tied it again with a clutch 70-yard drive. Gamecocks quarterback Zion Webb — who was knocked out of the game due to injury in the second quarter — hit Perry Carter on an 18-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-13 with 1:46 left, making it 31-31 and forcing overtime.

Almandares’ 33-yard field goal for Louisiana made it 24-24 with 14:02 left, the third time the game had been tied. Jax State twice took the lead in the third quarter, first at 17-14 on Garrison Rippa’s 22-yard field goal and later at 24-21 on quarterback Logan Smothers’ 10-yard touchdown run.

In between, Louisiana went up 21-17 when Chandler Fields ran one yard for a touchdown. Fields’ score was the Ragin’ Cajuns first of the game on offense.

Jax State dominated the first half statistically, outgaining Louisiana 269 yards to 94 and holding the Ragin’ Cajuns to just four first downs. Louisiana stayed in the game with a pair of defensive touchdowns, both by Clark.

The first came on the game’s sixth offensive play, after Keyon Martin punched the ball loose for JSU receiver Perry Carter. Clark scooped up the fumble and raced 46 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 Cajuns lead at the 13:17 mark of the first quarter.

After Jax State tied the game 7-7 on Cody Fuller’s 1-yard touchdown run with 3:06 left in the first, Clark struck again late in the second. Clark — a New Orleans native who finished high school at Alabama Christian Academy in Montgomery — stepped in front of a Zion Webb pass and ran 16 yards for a touchdown and a 14-7 Louisiana lead with 4:22 remaining in the half.

The Gamecocks responded with a 75-yard touchdown drive, though they lost Webb to injury along the way. After Smothers ran nine yards for a first down on third-and-8, Wiggins took it the final seven yards for the game-tying score with 23 seconds left in the half.