JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The weather may have delayed the start, but it couldn’t stop the Jaguars from making a statement on their first home game of the season.
A new season, a new head coach, and a dominant win to kick things off — the Jags topped the Panthers 26-10 at EverBank Stadium, giving fans plenty to cheer about.
Recommended Videos
“If you are a Jaguars fan and seeing what’s happening through the draft and all of the changes and things like that this year, and now a new stadium modifications and all of that stuff, the Jaguars are moving in the right direction,” a fan told News4JAX Sunday after the victory.
This victory marked the beginning of the Liam Coen era.
The new coach becomes just the second in franchise history to win out of the gate.
Both sides of the ball seemed to be clicking under new leadership.
Trevor Lawrence threw for 178 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Running back Travis Etienne Jr. lit it up with 143 yards on just 16 carries.
The Jaguars’ ground game totaled over 200 rushing yards.
Defensively, the Jags forced two early turnovers that led to 10 quick points — helping them build a 20-3 halftime lead.
However, on offense, converting on third downs was a key to the Jags’ victory.
“It’s obvious something I know we need to improve on, so emphasizing that in the offseason. We ran some good stuff against Carolina’s defense. Guys were in the right spot, right time, and I was able to give it to them,” Lawrence said.
The long-awaited debut of rookie phenom Travis Hunter didn’t disappoint. The Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick saw action on both sides of the ball — grabbing six catches for 33 yards and taking a few snaps on defense, too.
MORE | Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter believes he ‘can do more and can do better’ after NFL debut
Coach Coen started the season off with a victory.
“Really cool to be standing up here after a win, but I was just really proud to be their coach today. The way we competed, the way we hit. Now, is it perfect? Absolutely not, you are frustrated with the penalties that have continued to bite us in the butt. That we did overcome at times. We can’t do those things and expect to win,” Coen said.
The Jags now turn their attention to next week’s matchup on the road against the Bengals in Cincinnati. And their next home game? A division showdown against the Houston Texans.