September 7, 2025 | EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL | Attendance: 59,957
Travis Etienne Jr. ran for 143 yards, Cam Little hit four field goals, and Jacksonville’s defense forced three Carolina turnovers as the Jaguars opened the 2025 NFL season with a 26-10 victory over the Panthers. New head coach Liam Coen won his first NFL game. Bryce Young threw two interceptions and lost a fumble. The scoreline tells most of it — the box score tells the rest.
Table of Contents
Final Score by Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Panthers | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 3 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 26 |
Scoring Drives
| Qtr | Time | Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 8:15 | Cam Little 35-yd FG — 13 plays, 55 yds | JAX 3–0 |
| Q1 | 0:36 | Ryan Fitzgerald 48-yd FG — 13 plays, 41 yds | JAX 3–3 |
| Q2 | 8:32 | Hunter Long 6-yd pass from Lawrence — 8 plays, 35 yds | JAX 10–3 |
| Q2 | 1:49 | Brian Thomas Jr. 9-yd rush — 4 plays, 91 yds | JAX 17–3 |
| Q2 | 0:01 | Cam Little 47-yd FG — 6 plays, 39 yds | JAX 20–3 |
| Q4 | 7:09 | Cam Little 36-yd FG — 15 plays, 49 yds | JAX 23–3 |
| Q4 | 4:47 | Chuba Hubbard 27-yd pass from Young — 10 plays, 80 yds | JAX 23–10 |
| Q4 | 1:57 | Cam Little 28-yd FG — 7 plays, 38 yds | JAX 26–10 |
A lightning delay of 1 hour and 16 minutes paused play with Jacksonville leading 10–3 at the time. The Jaguars dominated after the resumption.
Full Team Stats
| Stat | Carolina | Jacksonville |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 255 | 378 |
| Net Passing Yards | 142 | 178 |
| Rushing Yards | 113 | 200 |
| Total Plays | 61 | 63 |
| Yards Per Play | 4.2 | 6.0 |
| First Downs | 15 | 19 |
| Passing First Downs | 10 | 11 |
| Rushing First Downs | 3 | 8 |
| Penalty First Downs | 0 | 0 |
| 3rd Down Efficiency | 8/15 (53%) | 5/12 (42%) |
| 4th Down Efficiency | 0/2 | 2/2 |
| Red Zone (Scored/Att) | 0/1 | 2/5 |
| Red Zone TDs | 0 | 2 |
| Red Zone FGs | 0 | 3 |
| Turnovers | 3 | 1 |
| Fumbles Lost | 1 | 0 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 2 | 1 |
| Penalties | 4 for 35 yds | 11 for 93 yds |
| Sacks Allowed | 1 (-12 yds) | 0 |
| Avg Plays Per Drive | 6.2 | 7.0 |
| Avg Yards Per Drive | 23.0 | 33.4 |
| Avg Points Per Drive | 0.9 | 2.4 |
| Time of Possession | 29:00 | 31:00 |
Jacksonville committed 11 penalties for 93 yards and still won by 16. That’s how dominant their performance was everywhere else.
Quarterback Stats
| Stat | Bryce Young (CAR) | Trevor Lawrence (JAX) |
|---|---|---|
| Completions/Attempts | 18/35 | 19/31 |
| Completion % | 51.4% | 61.3% |
| Passing Yards | 154 | 178 |
| Avg Yards Per Attempt | 4.4 | 5.7 |
| Touchdowns | 1 | 1 |
| Interceptions | 2 | 1 |
| Sacks–Yards Lost | 1–12 | 0–0 |
| Passer Rating | 49.0 | 74.4 |
| QBR | 22.8 | 69.2 |
| Adj. Completion % (PFF) | 66.7% | 75.9% |
| Avg Depth of Target | 9.0 | 7.2 |
| Air Yards | 96 | 85 |
| Yards After Catch | 57 | 95 |
| Avg Time to Throw | 2.80s | 2.61s |
| Team Pressures Allowed | 15 | 6 |
| Scramble Yards | 41 | 14 |
| EPA Per Pass Play | –0.50 (19th pct.) | +0.02 (94th pct.) |
Young took 15 pressures behind him, was hit as he threw twice, and threw a pass out of the back of the end zone on a 4th-and-1 from the Jacksonville 5. He slammed his helmet to the ground afterward. It was his third consecutive rough season opener.
“We’re going to watch it. We’re going to wear it. We’re going to see where we can grow, and after that, we’re going to flush it.” — Bryce Young
Lawrence operated without a scratch. Zero sacks, six team pressures, and steady reads throughout. He had the luxury of a clean pocket all game.
“Consistency is what will be the difference.” — Trevor Lawrence
Rushing Stats
| Player | Team | Car | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne Jr. | JAX | 16 | 143 | 8.9 | 0 | 71 |
| Chuba Hubbard | CAR | 16 | 57 | 3.6 | 0 | 9 |
| Bryce Young | CAR | 5 | 40 | 8.0 | 0 | 22 |
| Rico Dowdle | CAR | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | 0 | 9 |
| Tank Bigsby | JAX | 5 | 12 | 2.4 | 0 | 4 |
| Bhayshul Tuten | JAX | 3 | 11 | 3.7 | 0 | 8 |
| Brian Thomas Jr. | JAX | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 1 | 9 |
| LeQuint Allen | JAX | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Dyami Brown | JAX | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | 0 | 4 |
| Trevor Etienne | CAR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 |
| Trevor Lawrence | JAX | 4 | 12 | 3.0 | 0 | 10 |
| CAR Total | 25 | 113 | 4.5 | 0 | 22 | |
| JAX Total | 32 | 200 | 6.3 | 1 | 71 |
Etienne Jr.’s 71-yard run in the second quarter broke the game open. It was only the second time in his last 28 games he topped 100 rushing yards — and both came against Carolina. His PFF metrics: 2.4 yards before contact, 3.9 yards after contact, three missed tackles forced.
Receiving Stats
| Player | Team | Rec | Tgt | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | YAC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tetairoa McMillan | CAR | 5 | 8 | 67 | 13.4 | 0 | 21 | 11 |
| Brenton Strange | JAX | 4 | 4 | 59 | 14.8 | 0 | 24 | 24 |
| Dyami Brown | JAX | 3 | 4 | 52 | 17.3 | 0 | 23 | 7 |
| Travis Hunter | JAX | 6 | 8 | 33 | 5.5 | 0 | 10 | 30 |
| Chuba Hubbard | CAR | 3 | 4 | 32 | 10.7 | 1 | 27 | 37 |
| Ja’Tavion Sanders | CAR | 2 | 3 | 27 | 13.5 | 0 | 18 | 3 |
| Travis Etienne Jr. | JAX | 3 | 3 | 13 | 4.3 | 0 | 7 | 25 |
| Hunter Renfrow | CAR | 2 | 5 | 11 | 5.5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Brian Thomas Jr. | JAX | 1 | 7 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 | 1 |
| Xavier Legette | CAR | 3 | 6 | 10 | 3.3 | 0 | 9 | –3 |
| Hunter Long | JAX | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| LeQuint Allen | JAX | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 0 | 4 | 8 |
| Rico Dowdle | CAR | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2.0 | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| Tommy Tremble | CAR | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan was Carolina’s most productive offensive player, earning a 78.9 PFF grade on 53 snaps. Travis Hunter, the second overall pick, pulled in six catches but was kept out of the end zone — Jaycee Horn made a leaping one-handed interception on what looked like a certain Hunter touchdown late in the second half.
Defensive Stats
Carolina Panthers Defense
| Player | Pos | Total | Solo | Sacks | TFL | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tre’von Moehrig | S | 11 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Rozeboom | LB | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A’Shawn Robinson | DI | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevin Wallace | LB | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Scott | S | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 4 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Derrick Brown | DI | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tershawn Wharton | DI | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bobby Brown III | DI | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Pat Jones II | ED | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CAR Total | 62 | 42 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
Jacksonville Jaguars Defense
| Player | Pos | Total | Solo | Sacks | TFL | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foyesade Oluokun | LB | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Andrew Wingard | S | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Murray | S | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Tyson Campbell | CB | 6 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jourdan Lewis | CB | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Jarrian Jones | CB | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devin Lloyd | LB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dennis Gardeck | ED | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dawuane Smoot | ED | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Ventrell Miller | LB | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Travon Walker | ED | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| JAX Total | 61 | 29 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 2 |
Interceptions
| Player | Team | INT | Return Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaycee Horn | CAR | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| Jourdan Lewis | JAX | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Foyesade Oluokun | JAX | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Pass Rush (PFF)
| Player | Team | Pressures | Sacks | Hits | Hurries | PFF Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Hines-Allen | JAX | 7 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 90.1 |
| Dawuane Smoot | JAX | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Arik Armstead | JAX | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| D.J. Wonnum | CAR | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
| A’Shawn Robinson | CAR | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — |
Jourdan Lewis had the biggest defensive play of the first half. His pass breakup forced a deflection that Foyesade Oluokun picked off the following play. Oluokun finished with a 92.2 PFF grade on 64 snaps — the top defensive grade of the game.
Special Teams
Kicking
| Player | Team | FG | FG% | Long | XP | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cam Little | JAX | 4/4 | 100% | 47 | 2/2 | 14 |
| Ryan Fitzgerald | CAR | 1/1 | 100% | 48 | 1/1 | 4 |
Punting
| Player | Team | Punts | Yards | Avg | Long | Inside 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan Cooke | JAX | 2 | 111 | 55.5 | 57 | 1 |
| Sam Martin | CAR | 2 | 86 | 43.0 | 56 | 2 |
Returns
| Player | Team | Type | No | Yds | Avg | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trevor Etienne | CAR | Kick Return | 2 | 43 | 21.5 | 27 | 0 |
| Trevor Etienne | CAR | Punt Return | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tank Bigsby | JAX | Kick Return | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 20 | 0 |
| Bhayshul Tuten | JAX | Kick Return | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 12 | 0 |
| Parker Washington | JAX | Punt Return | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 |
PFF Advanced Stats Summary
| Metric | Carolina | Jacksonville |
|---|---|---|
| EPA Per Play | –0.291 | +0.068 |
| EPA Per Rush Play | +0.01 (68th pct.) | +0.12 (86th pct.) |
| EPA Per Pass Play | –0.50 (19th pct.) | +0.02 (94th pct.) |
| Avg Yards Before Contact (Rush) | 1.9 | 2.4 |
| Avg Yards After Contact (Rush) | 2.6 | 3.9 |
| Explosive Runs (10+ yds) | 1 | 5 |
| Explosive Passes (15+ yds) | 4 | 4 |
| Missed Tackles Forced (Rush) | 0 | 4 |
| Missed Tackles Forced (Pass) | 4 | 3 |
Top PFF Grades — Week 1
| Player | Team | Pos | Grade | Snaps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foyesade Oluokun | JAX | LB | 92.2 | 64 |
| Josh Hines-Allen | JAX | ED | 90.1 | 46 |
| Devin Lloyd | JAX | LB | 87.6 | 22 |
| Eric Murray | JAX | S | 83.1 | 62 |
| Brenton Strange | JAX | TE | 82.8 | 52 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | CAR | WR | 78.9 | 53 |
| Robert Hunt | CAR | G | 78.7 | 64 |
| Travis Etienne Jr. | JAX | HB | 75.0 | 40 |
Injuries
- Tershawn Wharton, DE (CAR): Ruled out in Q2 with a knee injury. Wharton had signed a 3-year, $45 million deal from Kansas City in the offseason and was one of Carolina’s key defensive additions.
- Pat Jones II, LB (CAR): Left with an ankle injury.
- Ikem Ekwonu, LT (CAR): Did not play; still recovering from an appendectomy before the game.
- Anton Harrison, RT (JAX): Exited late in the fourth quarter with a back injury.
The Bottom Line
The Carolina Panthers vs Jacksonville Jaguars player stats from Week 1 of the 2025 season tell a clear story. Jacksonville controlled both lines of scrimmage, converted both of its fourth-down attempts, and held Carolina to zero points in the red zone until garbage time. The Panthers’ three turnovers directly shifted field position throughout the game and made an already difficult task impossible.
Etienne Jr.’s 143 rushing yards, Lawrence’s clean pocket, and a Jacksonville defense that generated two interceptions and seven pressures from Hines-Allen alone gave Coen exactly the kind of debut statement his new regime needed. Owner Shad Khan handed him the game ball in the locker room afterward.
“It’s a cool moment for me personally and all that, but really it’s about those guys. These guys played their tails off.” — Liam Coen
For Young and the Panthers, the box score was a familiar sight. Three turnovers, a 49.0 passer rating, and a pressure rate that had him running for his life all afternoon — it was the kind of performance that raised questions about Carolina’s offensive line and offensive identity heading into the rest of the 2025 season.
All stats sourced from ESPN, AP, PFF, and official NFL box scores. Game played September 7, 2025 at EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL.
