| 2023 Jacksonville State Gamecocks football | |
|---|---|
![]()  | |
New Orleans Bowl champion  | |
New Orleans Bowl, W 34–31 OT vs. Louisiana  | |
| Conference | Conference USA | 
| Record | 9–4 (6–2 C-USA) | 
| Head coach | 
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| Offensive coordinator | Rod Smith (2nd season) | 
| Offensive scheme | Spread option | 
| Defensive coordinator | Zac Alley (2nd season) | 
| Base defense | Multiple | 
| Home stadium | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium | 
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 25 Liberty y$ | 8 | – | 0 | 13 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Mexico State y | 7 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jacksonville State* | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Kentucky | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Middle Tennessee | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UTEP | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sam Houston* | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisiana Tech | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIU | 1 | – | 7 | 4 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Liberty 49, New Mexico State 35 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2023 Jacksonville State Gamecocks football team represented Jacksonville State University as a member of Conference USA (C-USA) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Gamecocks were led by second-year head coach Rich Rodriguez and played home games at the Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama as first-year members of Conference USA.[1]
Due to the lack of bowl-eligible teams, and despite a two-year transition period to FBS with a ban from postseason play, the Gamecocks received a bid to the New Orleans Bowl, where they defeated Louisiana 34–31 in overtime.
Offseason
Transfers
Outgoing
| Player | Position | Destination | 
|---|---|---|
| DJ Coleman | DL | Unknown | 
| Amon Scarbrough | S | Alabama State | 
| Brevyn Jones | OT | West Georgia | 
| Osiris Smith | LB | Grambling State | 
| TJ Lockley | WR | Unknown | 
| Aaron McLaughlin | QB | Unknown | 
| Kraeton Muenchau | IOL | Unknown | 
| Patrick Jackson | RB | Unknown | 
| Charles Padgett | OT | Unknown | 
| Ahmad Edwards | WR | Ball State | 
Incoming
| Player | Position | Previous school | 
|---|---|---|
| Logan Smothers | QB | Nebraska | 
| Travis Collier | CB | Western Kentucky | 
| Dallan Wright | WR | Virginia Tech | 
| Quae Drake | EDGE | ULM | 
| Austin Ambush | S | Maine | 
| Jamarye Joiner | WR | Arizona | 
| J'Wan Evans | RB | San Manteo | 
| Malik Jackson | RB | ULM | 
Preseason
Conference USA media poll
| Conference USA media poll | ||
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) | 
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Kentucky | (18) | 
| 2 | Liberty | (4) | 
| 3 | Middle Tennessee | |
| 4 | Louisiana Tech | |
| 5 | New Mexico State | |
| 6 | UTEP | |
| 7 | Jacksonville State | |
| T8 | FIU | |
| Sam Houston | ||
- Source:[3]
 
Schedule
Jacksonville State and Conference USA announced the 2023 football schedule on January 10, 2023.[4][5]
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 26 | 4:30 p.m. | UTEP | CBSSN | W 17–14 | 17,982 | |
| September 2 | 1:00 p.m. | East Tennessee State* | 
  | ESPN+ | W 49–3 | 21,276 | 
| September 9 | 6:00 p.m. | at Coastal Carolina* | ESPN+ | L 16–30 | 16,006 | |
| September 23 | 4:00 p.m. | Eastern Michigan* | 
  | ESPN+ | W 21–0 | 20,966 | 
| September 28 | 7:00 p.m. | at Sam Houston | ESPNU | W 35–28 OT | 14,566 | |
| October 4 | 7:00 p.m. | at Middle Tennessee | ESPNU | W 45–30 | 13,066 | |
| October 10 | 7:30 p.m. | Liberty | 
  | ESPNU | L 13–31 | 21,745 | 
| October 17 | 6:30 p.m. | Western Kentucky | 
  | ESPNU | W 20–17 | 17,977 | 
| October 25 | 6:00 p.m. | at FIU | CBSSN | W 41–16 | 14,074 | |
| November 4 | 11:00 a.m. | at South Carolina* | ESPNU | L 28–38 | 75,348 | |
| November 18 | 1:00 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | 
  | ESPN+ | W 56–17 | 20,252 | 
| November 25 | 3:00 p.m. | at New Mexico State | ESPN+ | L 17–20 | 15,702 | |
| December 16 | 1:15 p.m. | vs. Louisiana* | ESPN | W 34–31 OT | 14,485 | |
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Game summaries
vs UTEP
 
 
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| Statistics | UTEP | Jacksonville State | 
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 22 | 15 | 
| Plays–yards | 72–364 | 62–277 | 
| Rushes–yards | 156 | 210 | 
| Passing yards | 208 | 67 | 
| Passing: comp–att–int | 17–29–2 | 10–20–0 | 
| Time of possession | 34:38 | 25:22 | 
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics | 
|---|---|---|---|
| UTEP | Passing | Gavin Hardison | 17/29, 208 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT | 
| Rushing | Torrance Burgess Jr. | 12 carries, 58 yards | |
| Receiving | Kelly Akharaiyi | 4 receptions, 102 yards, 1 TD | |
| Jacksonville State | Passing | Zion Webb | 10/20, 67 yards | 
| Rushing | Malik Jackson | 13 carries, 76 yards, 1 TD | |
| Receiving | Ron Wiggins | 2 receptions, 24 yards | 
vs East Tennessee State
 
 
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| Statistics | East Tennessee State | Jacksonville State | 
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession | 
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics | 
|---|---|---|---|
| East Tennessee State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Jacksonville State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | 
at Coastal Carolina
 
 
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| Statistics | Jacksonville State | Coastal Carolina | 
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession | 
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Coastal Carolina | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | 
vs Eastern Michigan
 
 
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| Statistics | Eastern Michigan | Jacksonville State | 
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession | 
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Michigan | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Jacksonville State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | 
at Sam Houston
 
 
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| Statistics | Jacksonville State | Sam Houston State | 
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 20 | 25 | 
| Plays–yards | 393 | 435 | 
| Rushes–yards | 196 | 136 | 
| Passing yards | 197 | 299 | 
| Passing: comp–att–int | 16–33–1 | 23–39–1 | 
| Time of possession | 17:36 | 42:24 | 
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville State | Passing | Logan Smothers | 16/28, 197 yards, 3 TD | 
| Rushing | Malik Jackson | 13 rushes, 129 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | Michael Pettway | 3 receptions, 74 yards, TD | |
| Sam Houston State | Passing | Keegan Shoemaker | 22/38, 285 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT | 
| Rushing | John Gentry | 30 rushes, 97 yards | |
| Receiving | Noah Smith | 10 receptions, 97 yards, TD | 
at Middle Tennessee
 
 
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| Statistics | Jacksonville State | Middle Tennessee | 
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession | 
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Middle Tennessee | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | 
vs Liberty
 
 
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| Statistics | Liberty | Jacksonville State | 
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession | 
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Jacksonville State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | 
vs Western Kentucky
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Kentucky | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 
| Jacksonville State | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 20 | 
at Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium • Jacksonville, Alabama
- Date: Tuesday, October 17, 2023
 - Game time: 6:30 p.m. CST
 - Game weather: Clear, 56 °F (13 °C)
 - Game attendance: 17,977
 - Referee: -
 - TV announcers (ESPNU): Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Derek Mason (analyst)
 
| Game information | 
|---|
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  | 
| Statistics | WKU | JVST | 
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 16 | 27 | 
| Total yards | 72–339 | 95–484 | 
| Rushing yards | 24–89 | 55–262 | 
| Passing yards | 250 | 222 | 
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 24–48–1 | 23–40–1 | 
| Time of possession | 26:56 | 33:04 | 
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Kentucky | Passing | Austin Reed | 24/48, 250 yards, 2 TD, INT | 
| Rushing | Elijah Young | 10 carries, 39 yards | |
| Receiving | K.D. Hutchinson | 4 receptions, 52 yards | |
| Jacksonville State | Passing | Zion Webb | 22/39, 218 yards, INT | 
| Rushing | Zion Webb | 28 carries, 146 yards, TD | |
| Receiving | P.J. Wells | 5 receptions, 53 yards | 
at FIU
 
 
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| Statistics | Jacksonville State | Florida International | 
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession | 
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Florida International | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | 
at South Carolina
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
| South Carolina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 
at Williams-Brice Stadium • Columbia, South Carolina
- Date: Saturday, November 4, 2023
 - Game time: TBD EST
 - Game weather: -
 - Game attendance: -
 - Referee: -
 - TV announcers (TBD): TBD
 
| Game information | 
|---|
 
 
 
  | 
| Statistics | JVST | SC | 
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: Comp–Att–Int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| South Carolina | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | 
vs Louisiana Tech
 
 
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| Statistics | Louisiana Tech | Jacksonville State | 
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession | 
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisiana Tech | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Jacksonville State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | 
at New Mexico State
 
 
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| Statistics | Jacksonville State | New Mexico State | 
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Plays–yards | ||
| Rushes–yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession | 
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| New Mexico State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | 
References
- ↑ WBRC Staff (July 7, 2023). "Jacksonville State ushers in new era of athletics". WBRC. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
 - ↑ "2023 Jacksonville State Gamecocks Football Transfers". On3. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
 - ↑ "FB: CUSA Announces Media's Predicted Order of Finish". July 21, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023.
 - ↑ Stephenson, Creg (January 10, 2023). "Jacksonville State releases 2023 football schedule". The Birmingham News. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
 - ↑ Carter, Mo (January 10, 2023). "Jacksonville State & C-USA announce 2023 football schedule". WZDX. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
 
