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Jacksonville Jaguars have a mandate to run the football. Travis Etienne carries out vision
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- Jacksonville Jaguars have a mandate to run the football. Travis Etienne carries out vision
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen isn't selfish. He understands the game is bigger than himself, no matter the circumstances.
But after his NFL head coaching debut, a 26-10 win over the Carolina Panthers , he'd probably be remiss if he didn't crack a smile or several smiles after executing what just one other head coach has done in team history — win his debut.
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"I mean, really cool to be standing up here obviously after a win, but I was just really proud to be their coach today with the way that they competed, the way we hit, the way we were more physical, all the things that we kind of wanted to preach about," Coen said after the game.
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The head coach received his first game ball after Sunday's win, presented to him by owner Shad Khan. And if Khan didn't give him one, quarterback Trevor Lawrence said he saved one for the first-year head coach. Coen added that the team will give out more game balls on Monday.
"My boss gave it to me, so I had to accept," Coen said when asked if he had a reluctant acceptance given his propensity to give everyone but himself credit.
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"You know, it's a cool moment for me personally and all that, but really it's about those guys. I mean, these guys played their tail off. I thought the defensive staff, specifically, did a great job. Not to single them out better than the offensive staff."
Coen was, of course, referencing his defense's three-turnover performance . Jacksonville gave up a field goal on the first drive, but didn't allow a score until Carolina's second-to-last possession when the game was essentially over. The standout performance earned the defense kudos from their head coach and likely several from defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile.
"[Coach Anthony Campanile] had some very timely pressure calls in both the run and the pass to really get three turnovers. Should have been a fourth [turnover] and two turnovers on downs. I mean, that's damn good defense," Coen said, referencing a pick-six by safety Andrew Wingard that was called back due to a defensive holding penalty.
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The Jaguars recorded just nine turnovers last season, eight from the defensive side of the ball.
"So to get three in one game is probably a good start," Coen said with a smile.
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) finds a hole during the first quarter of an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium Sunday September 7, 2025. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
But Sunday wasn't all defense for Jacksonville . And Coen probably deserved a game ball for how the offense performed, particularly on the ground. That effort was led by Jaguars running back Travis Etienne , who totaled 143 yards on the ground.
Travis Etienne dominates Panthers , validates Coen's vision for run game
Etienne didn't take long to make his presence known on Sunday against the Panthers. Well, it took a bit because of the weather delay. But, with about four minutes remaining in the second quarter and the Jaguars up 10-3, Etienne took the ball and galloped 71 yards from the Jacksonville nine-yard line to the 20-yard line.
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But it wasn't just the run that was impressive on the play. Two players in particular stood out: tight end Brenton Strange and receiver Dyami Brown . Strange had a kick-out block that took out two Panthers players, while Brown had a block downfield that gave Etienne more room.
Etienne's play came just after the rain delay. He joked afterward he should have stretched a bit more before going out there, and broke down the play after the game.
"I remember [TE Brenton] Strange coming across and getting a great block for me. I just kind of set that up, and then I saw the safety make a move off him and then I was just running. I had the ball in my right arm, and I wish I would've had it in my left arm but I saw Dyami [WR Dyami Brown] coming with a great block," Etienne recalled.
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"I slowed down a little too much because I haven't had a long run in forever, so I should have looked at the clock, the jumbotron to see where defenders were at. I kind of lost track of the backer just running."
At one point during the run, Etienne posted a speed of around 20 miles per hour. He said he needs to be able to sustain it in the future, though.
"I saw that I got to 20 miles per hour, but clearly that's not enough. I have to get in there Monday, get some [work on the] 1080 [workout machine]s, keep working on my speed because we can't have that anymore. We have to finish those runs, man."
Etienne's performance marked the second-best of his career. He posted 8.9 yards per carry on 16 carries, the best of his career. In 2023, Etienne carried the ball nine times for 108 yards and a TD against Houston .
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Etienne faced trade rumors throughout the offseason in addition to questions regarding his play. Still, he never wavered. After a career-worst performance in 2024 (558 rushing yards), Etienne is rock solid.
"I was just locked in, and let my preparation from this offseason just kind of propel me forward and just know that I put the work in and was out there and was able to play free," Etienne said.
"It's just a testament to the work that I put in this offseason and just showed up when the lights were on."
Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne Jr. (1) dive forward during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game between the Carolina Panthers at Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium Sunday September 7, 2025. Jaguars defeated the Panthers 26-10. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
It's safe to say that Coen was impressed by the performance.
"You could feel him all day. You definitely felt him being a little bit — having a little bit more burst maybe than other guys on the grass. He looked fresh. He looked fast. He took care of the football. Proud of him," said Coen.
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"He did a great job, but the whole unit, really all the way through the end of the game, ran the ball effectively."
Coen's penchant for running the football was partly why he was brought to Jacksonville. The team rushed for 200 net yards against the Colts in Week 6. Jacksonville rushed for 243 yards in a loss.
The Jaguars will hope to continue their ground game efforts. Rookie receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter already understands the assignment.
"That's great. You can run the ball, and then they have to come up and play man and press us. Then we get to throw the ball, so it was great that we were able to run the ball right through them," Hunter said after the game.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jacksonville Jaguars Travis Etienne 'locked in' for career-best day
