JACKSONVILLE STATE GAMECOCKS NEWS

Mike Franklin - Carries once in loss Franklin carried the ball once for a single yard in Jacksonville State's 49-14 loss to Louisville on Saturday.

Impact Franklin transferred to Jacksonville State in the offseason following a single season with UTEP. The senior running back ran for 180 yards and three scores in eight games for the Miners in 2023. Frankling will hope to earn himself a larger role within the Gamecocks' offense throughout the season, starting next week against Eastern Michigan.

SEPTEMBER 8 • ROTOWIRE

Logan Smothers - DNP prior to Saturday Head coach Rich Rodriguez indicated that Smothers (undisclosed) was hurt all week before Saturday's game against Loisville and did not practice much, per Thomas Ashworth of AL.com.

Impact Smothers split reps with fellow quarterback Tyler Huff in Jacksonville State's season opener against Coastal Carolina, but did not appear in Saturday's loss to Louisville. Although Smothers' status for Saturday's game against Eastern Michigan is thus far unknown, Rodriguez indicated that Huff would likely be the starter against the Eagles. Smothers will hope to get healthy in time for another chance to earn back the starting job.

SEPTEMBER 8 • ROTOWIRE

Logan Smothers - DNP prior to Saturday Head coach Rich Rodriguez indicated that Smothers (undisclosed) was hurt all week before Saturday's game against Loisville and did not practice much, per Thomas Ashworth of AL.com.

Impact Smothers split reps with fellow quarterback Tyler Huff in Jacksonville State's season opener against Coastal Carolina, but did not appear in Saturday's loss to Louisville. Although Smothers' status for Saturday's game against Eastern Michigan is thus far unknown, Rodriguez indicated that Huff would likely be the starter against the Eagles. Smothers will hope to get healthy in time for another chance to earn back the starting job.

SEPTEMBER 8 • ROTOWIRE

No. 22 Louisville runs all over Jacksonville State Five different players rushed for a touchdown and Tyler Shough threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns as No.22 Louisville cruised to a 49-14...

SEPTEMBER 8 • SUNHERALD.COM

No. 22 Louisville runs all over Jacksonville State Five different players rushed for a touchdown and Tyler Shough threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns as No.22 Louisville cruised to a 49-14...

SEPTEMBER 8 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM

Tyler Shough guides No. 22 Louisville in 42-14 win over Jacksonville State

Tyler Shough threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns as No. 22 Louisville cruised to a 49-14 victory over Jacksonville State Saturday

SEPTEMBER 7 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Michael Pettway - Has four receptions Pettway caught four passes for 30 yards against Louisville on Saturday.

Impact In JSU's opener, Pettway had one catch for a 92-yard touchdown. This time around, he led the team in receptions, with nobody else having more than two. It seems like Pettway may emerge as the lead receiver for the Gamecocks. It also seems like this passing game may not amount to much.

SEPTEMBER 7 • ROTOWIRE

Sean Brown - Catches TD Brown caught two passes for 28 yards against Louisville on Saturday.

Impact Brown turned 19 catches into five touchdowns last season. Given that he had three touchdowns total over two seasons when JSU was an FCS team, that feels like a fluke. It's hard to keep finding the end zone when you are so periphery to the offense.

SEPTEMBER 7 • ROTOWIRE

Anwar Lewis - Continues to struggle Lewis ran the ball six times for 14 yards versus Louisville on Saturday.

Impact Ron Wiggins is out until late October at the earliest due to a toe injury, and somebody needs to step up. Lewis ran for 452 yards as a backup in 2023, but he doesn't seem ready to be a lead back. Through two games he has run for 41 yards on 15 carries.

SEPTEMBER 7 • ROTOWIRE

Tyler Huff - Totals two TDs as clear starter Huff went 17-for-27 for 160 yards, one touchdown, and one interception against Louisville on Saturday. He also ran 18 times for 101 yards and a score.

Impact In JSU's opener, Huff, a transfer from Furman, and returning Gamecock Logan Smothers had roughly equal playing time. Smothers didn't get a single opportunity to throw the ball in this one, though, so Huff seems to have won the quarterback battle...for now.

SEPTEMBER 7 • ROTOWIRE

How to Watch Louisville vs. Jacksonville State: Time, TV Channel, Live Stream – September 7, 2024

Learn which TV channel or how to live stream the Louisville Cardinals vs. Jacksonville State Gamecocks game, Saturday, Sept. 7.

SEPTEMBER 7 • DATA SKRIVE

Louisville vs. Jacksonville State Prediction, Odds, Picks - September 7, 2024

Preview the Sept. 7 matchup between the Louisville Cardinals and Jacksonville State Gamecocks with predictions, odds, over/under, spread, be...

SEPTEMBER 5 • DATA SKRIVE

Jacksonville State loses projected starting receiver for the season Wide receiver Brannon Spector announced on social media that he will be out for the season, due to a “severe elbow injury.”

SEPTEMBER 2 • AL.COM

Brannon Spector - Out for season Spector suffered a severe elbow injury that will keep him out for the entire 2024 season, he announced via X.

Impact Spector transferred to Jacksonville State this offseason to serve out his final year of collegiate eligibility, so it is unknown whether this means he'll return to the team next year. The 6-foot-1 wide receiver previously played for Clemson, where he brought in four catches for 25 yards across five games in the 2023 season.

SEPTEMBER 2 • ROTOWIRE

Brannon Spector - Out for season Spector suffered a severe elbow injury that will keep him out for the entire 2024 season, he announced via X.

Impact Spector transferred to Jacksonville State this offseason to serve out his final year of collegiate eligibility, so it is unknown whether this means he'll return to the team next year. The 6-foot-1 wide receiver previously played for Clemson, where he brought in four catches for 25 yards across five games in the 2023 season.

SEPTEMBER 2 • ROTOWIRE

Louisville Opens as Significant Home Favorite vs. Jacksonville State The Cardinals host the Gamecocks in their second game of the season.

SEPTEMBER 1 • SI.COM

Vasko accounts for 3 TDs to help Coastal Carolina cruise past Jacksonville State 55-27

Ethan Vasko threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead Coastal Carolina to a 55-27 victory over Jacksonville State in the season opener for both teams

AUGUST 30 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Demarcus Lacey - Catches three passes Lacey caught three passes for 37 yards Thursday against Coastal Carolina.

Impact Last year, Lacey was playing at North Alabama. Also, he was a running back. Now a receiver for JSU, it does stand out in a blowout loss that Lacey led the team in receptions and had the third most yards from scrimmage.

AUGUST 29 • ROTOWIRE

Michael Pettway - Catches long TD Pettway had one catch for a 92-yard touchdown Thursday versus Coastal Carolina.

Impact Turning your sole catch into a long score is fairly fluky on paper as is. However, when Pettway scored in the fourth quarter, the Gamecocks were down 48-13. Let's just say the Chanticleers didn't have their foot on the gas at that point.

AUGUST 29 • ROTOWIRE

Tre Stewart - Rushes for TD Stewart ran four times for 62 yards and a touchdown against Coastal Carolina on Thursday, and he added one catch for 17 yards as well.

Impact With Ron Wiggins, JSU's ostensible top back, expected to miss much of the year with a toe injury, the battle for opportunity is open. Anwar Lewis got the most carries, but maybe by dint of breaking off a 38-year touchdown Stewart has earned a shot at a bigger role going forward.

AUGUST 29 • ROTOWIRE

Tyler Huff - Throws TD, two INTs Huff went 7-for-14 for 173 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions against Coastal Carolina on Thursday. He also ran five times for 11 yards.

Impact Huff transferred in from Furman to compete for the starting gig. It seems like a true competition, as Logan Smothers, who saw real action for JSU last year, got roughly the same number of snaps. Neither did well enough to really earn the job outright, though, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the timeshare continue.

AUGUST 29 • ROTOWIRE

Logan Smothers - Doesn't do much in opener Smothers went 7-for-13 for 61 yards against Coastal Carolina on Thursday. He ran eight times for 17 yards but lost a fumble as well.

Impact Smothers and Tyler Huff split the snaps pretty evenly as the Gamecocks look for their new starter. While Smothers should have the advantage, having started a few times last season, he certainly didn't earn the gig in any real way in an opener than saw JSU lose comfortably.

AUGUST 29 • ROTOWIRE

Logan Smothers - Likely starter for opener Smothers is warming up with the Gamecocks' starting center ahead of Thursday's opener versus Coastal Carolina, Max Donaldson of The Gasden Times reports.

Impact Smothers appears to be in line to start the season opener given he is warming up with Brock Robey, the team's starting center. There is still a chance he will share snaps with Tyler Huff or Zion Turner, but Smothers is at the very least the Week 1 starter.

AUGUST 29 • ROTOWIRE

Jacksonville State vs. Coastal Carolina: TV Channel, Live Stream, Time, How to Watch – August 29, 2024

Learn which TV channel or how to live stream the Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers game, Thursday, August 29.

AUGUST 29 • DATA SKRIVE

Tre Stewart - Listed in starting committee Stewart is among the co-starters at running back for Jax State ahead of the Week 1 matchup against Coastal Carolina on Saturday.

Impact The Gamecocks won't have Ron Wiggins (toe) for most of the season, meaning they're set to open the campaign with a committee at running back. Stewart might see some work out of the backfield, but he'll compete with Anwar Lewis and Andrew Paul for touches.

AUGUST 27 • ROTOWIRE