Travis Hunter Applauded by NFL Fans in Historic Debut for Jaguars in Win vs. Panthers

Could Travis Hunter finally be the answer alongside Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville?

The Jacksonville Jaguars pulled off a dominant win on both sides of the ball against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday at home, winning 26–10 and moving within three games of matching their win total from last season.

▶️ Full Panthers-Jags Recap

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Hunter did it all, logging 39 snaps on offense and six on defense. He caught six passes for 33 yards and recorded one tackle. 

Lawrence went 19-of-31 for 178 yards with one touchdown and one interception, while Travis Etienne Jr. led the ground game with 16 carries for 143 yards. Brian Thomas Jr. rushed for a touchdown and tight end Hunter Long caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence to add to the scoring. Kicker Cam Little knocked down 4-of-4 attempts for 14 points.  

For the Panthers, Bryce Young finished 18-of-35 for 154 yards with one touchdown, two interceptions and a fumble. Chuba Hubbard caught Carolina's lone touchdown.

Hunter's historic debut in Jacksonville — playing 45 total snaps on both sides of the ball — has Jaguars fans optimistic about the future after several rocky seasons in Florida.

The Jaguars got off to a hot start, scoring a field goal on their opening possession — a 6:45 drive — to take an early 3-0 lead. That advantage was short-lived, as the Panthers answered with a methodical drive of their own, capped by a field goal to tie the game.

However, Jacksonville dominated the second quarter.

Linebacker Foyesade Oluokun intercepted Young midway through the quarter, setting up a touchdown that gave the Jaguars a 10-3 lead. After forcing a punt on Carolina's next possession, Jacksonville found the end zone again to extend the lead to 17-3.

Oluokun continued his dominant performance by forcing a fumble later in the quarter, which the Jaguars recovered and turned into another field goal. Jacksonville entered halftime with a commanding 20-3 lead.

The offensive production slowed in the second half. The Jaguars went three-and-out on their first possession and committed a turnover on the next.

In the fourth quarter, Jacksonville controlled the clock with an 8:07 drive that ended in a 36-yard field goal, extending the lead to 23-3 with 7:09 remaining. The Panthers responded with their first touchdown of the game — a Bryce Young pass to Hubbard — cutting the deficit to 23-10 with 4:47 left.

Unwilling to back down, the Jaguars responded with another scoring drive, capped by a field goal to extend the lead to 26-10. As the clock wound down, Jacksonville forced the Panthers' hand and sealed the win with a late interception.

The Jaguars will look to keep their momentum going next Sunday when they face Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals on the road.