Looking Ahead: Jacksonville State
This past offseason, the Conference USA underwent realignment, like so many other conferences did.
In the process, the C-USA lost Charlotte, FAU, North Texas, Rice, UAB, and UTSA, who all jumped ship to the AAC. To replace them, the conference added the previously independent Liberty and New Mexico State programs, as well as two former FCS programs, Sam Houston and the next opponent on Western Kentucky's schedule: Jacksonville State.
While the casual fan might not have ever heard of Jacksonville State, it’s worth knowing that right now, the Gamecocks are sitting at second-place in the C-USA standings. With a 3-0 conference record and 5-1 record on the season, the Gamecocks are no joke.
So far, the Gamecocks have claimed victories over Middle Tennessee, Sam Houston, Eastern Michigan, East Tennessee State, and UTEP, with their only loss coming to Coastal Carolina. Head coach Rich Rodriguez, who’s accumulated a 177-122-2 record in his career, is in his second season with the program after leading the Gamecocks to a 9-2 record in 2022, taking the Atlantic Sun Conference championship.
Here’s some more on Jacksonville State:
The Offense Is Led By…: Rodriguez and offensive coordinator Rod Smith have implemented a strong offense in Jacksonville. Last season, the program finished with the 10th ranked scoring offense and fifth-ranked rushing offense in the FCS. So far, the ground game has put up 1,288 yards and 16 touchdowns, including 4.6 yards per carry, led by running back Malik Jackson (559 yards, four touchdowns). In the air, quarterbacks Logan Smothers and Zion Webb have posted 926 yards and seven touchdowns on a 53.3% completion rate. Smothers and Webb have put up 240 yards and 186 yards rushing each, respectively.
Some Offensive Threats: Aside from Jackson and Smothers, the Gamecocks have four receiving threats with over 100 air yards, including receivers Perry Carter, Quinton Lane, and Michael Pettway, as well as tight end Sean Brown. Carter leads the bunch with 13 receptions, 242 yards, and two touchdowns.
The Offensive Line: The starters, from left to right, are as follows: Will O’Steen, Clay Webb, Treylen Brown, Brock Robey, Xavier Bausley. Of these five, left guard Webb, center Brown, and right tackle Bausley are the best of the bunch. This group combined has allowed just four sacks, two quarterback hits, three hurries, and 17 pass rushes. According to Pro Football Focus, the Gamecocks rank at 26th in run blocking (68.0 grade) nationally and 31st nationally in pass blocking (73.3).
Their Previous Offensive Performance: The Gamecocks put up 45 points on MTSU. Webb completed 11 of his 21 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns, while adding 101 yards and a touchdown on the ground. On the ground, Jackson put up 54 yards and a touchdown across 21 carries. In the air, Brown accumulated five receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown, just ahead of Carter’s four receptions, 76 yards, and touchdown catch.
What About The Defense?: Zac Alley is the defensive play caller for the Gamecocks, one of which has arrived as one of the brightest young defensive minds in college football. The Jacksonville State defense has allowed just 352.8 yards per game, including 240.2 passing yards allowed per game and 112.8 rushing yards allowed per game. According to Pro Football Focus, the Gamecocks unit has the 25th-best defensive grade in the nation, right behind Texas. Their run defense fares even better, settling at 15th in the nation. Their coverage grade is 45th, four spots behind Western Kentucky.
Some Defensive Stars…: Currently, the Gamecocks leading tackler is Quae Drake, who has accumulated 43 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, an interception, and two defended passes. Chris Hardie, an edge rusher, stands as one of the premier players. Hardie has put up 35 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, an interception, and a pass deflection. In the defensive backfield, cornerback Kekoura Tarnue is the man. A 75.2 grade on the season, Tarnue has garnered 23 tackles, a sack, a tackle for loss, and two interceptions. Through 15 targets, the cornerback has allowed eight receptions for 75 yards, but no touchdowns, which is good for an allowed 27.8 NFL passer rating.
Holding Down The Interior: Jeff Marks, Jackson Luttrell, and Darrell Prater have posted the most snaps in the defensive interior with 221, 208, and 144, respectively. Luttrell stands as the highest graded of the bunch, having garnered 19 tackles, three tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. Marks is right there with him, also having posted 19 tackles, with two tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks.
A Reason For Optimism: Liberty will be the biggest test of the season for the Gamecocks. Jacksonville State has faced fairly weak competition this season, and allowed a winless Sam Houston and a 1-5 MTSU to hang with them. With the Hilltoppers offense taking more shots, the ground game finding it’s groove, and the defense coming off of two of it’s best performances, there is a lot of optimism for a Hilltoppers win.
Jacksonville State will take the field Tuesday, October 10th at 6:30 PM against Liberty in a bout of Conference USA play. The two sit atop the C-USA, as Liberty has a 5-0 record, and the Gamecocks have a 5-1 record.
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