South Carolina Football: Jacksonville State Gamecocks preview

South Carolina football will take on Jacksonville State on Saturday for the first-ever collegiate matchup between two teams nicknamed Gamecocks. In a game that some have dubbed “The Cock Fight,” the Gamecocks from Columbia, South Carolina will welcome the Gamecocks from Jacksonville, Alabama to Williams-Brice Stadium for a 12:00 kick.

JSU will bring a well-known name to town as their head coach. Former West Virginia, Michigan, and Arizona headman Rich Rodriguez is in his second year with the Jacksonville State program. After going 9-2 in the Gamecocks’ first year in FBS in 2022, Rich Rod has his team sitting at 7-2 this year with losses only to Group of 5 powerhouses Liberty and Coastal Carolina.

In sharp contrast to South Carolina football’s 126th national rank in rushing, the “other” Gamecocks rank inside the top-15 of all Division-1 offenses on the ground. JSU has five players who have rushed for over 200 yards this season (South Carolina has just one) and five players (four of the same plus one new player) who have at least 4 rushing touchdowns (USC has one).

South Carolina football has been inconsistent in stopping the run this season, but they have shown some capability to slow down opposing teams’ ground attacks outside of short-yardage situations.

Against Furman, Mississippi State, Florida, and Texas A&M, the Gamecocks allowed less than 3 yards per carry but struggled near the goal line and on 3rd (and 4th) down carries in short-yardage situations. Keeping Jacksonville State out of 3rd (and 4th) and short will be one of the biggest keys this Saturday.

Rich Rod’s squad doesn’t have much of a passing game to speak of as both quarterbacks who have played this year average under 200 yards per game through the air and complete right around 50% of their passes. Instead, the JSU offense will rely on the quarterbacks’ legs as they team up with lead back Malik Jackson.

JSU’s defensive strategy has been to use their fast-paced run game to eat up yards and time of possession, keeping the defense off the field. When they are on the field, the defense has some vulnerabilities, especially against the pass.

Quarterback Spencer Rattler could have a big day on Saturday, and the top-end speed of Carolina receivers Xavier Legette, Nyck Harbor, Tyshawn Russell, and Ahmarean Brown could be major factors (Legette and Brown are questionable for the game, however).

The Gamecocks have a long list of players who are banged up heading into the game. South Carolina football fans can expect the Gamecocks to hold several of them out for the game and utilize a few others with just light duty so that they can recover more for the end-of-season stretch that will determine if USC will be invited to a bowl game.

Even with the injuries and the record discrepancy between the two teams, this is a game that the South Carolina Gamecocks should win. However, because of good coaching (especially on offense) on the other sideline, if things don’t go well on Saturday, there is a chance that the final outcome could be in doubt.

A good performance could serve as a springboard to the Gamecocks having a legitimate chance at “salvaging” the season with a bowl bid. A poor performance, even in a win, could lead to mass hysteria in the fan base and loud demands for coaching changes.

The Gamecocks and Gamecocks will play at 12:00 on ESPNU and the ESPN app.