# 2018 Jacksonville State Gamecocks football team

The 2018 Jacksonville State Gamecocks football team represented Jacksonville State University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by fifth-year head coach John Grass, the Gamecocks compiled an overall record of 9–4, with a mark of 7–1 conference play, winning the OVC title for the fifth consecutive season. Jacksonville State received the OVC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoff marking the program's sixth straight trip to the FCS playoffs. The Gamecocks defeated East Tennessee State in the first round before losing to Maine in the second round. The team played home games at Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama.

## Preseason
### OVC media poll

On July 20, 2018, the media covering the OVC released their preseason poll with the Gamecocks predicted to win the OVC championship. On July 23, the OVC released their coaches poll with the Gamecocks also predicted to become OVC champions.
Media poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Jacksonville State | 134 (14) |
| 2 | Austin Peay | 114 (1) |
| 3 | UT Martin | 96 |
| 4 | Tennessee State | 91 |
| 5 | Eastern Illinois | 83 |
| 6 | Eastern Kentucky | 64 |
| 7 | Murray State | 39 |
| 8 | Southeast Missouri State | 35 |
| 9 | Tennessee Tech | 19 |
Coaches poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Jacksonville State | 126 (14) |
| 2 | Austin Peay | 112 (4) |
| 3 | UT Martin | 95 |
| 4 | Eastern Illinois | 73 |
| 5 | Eastern Kentucky | 69 |
| 6 | Tennessee State | 64 |
| 7 | Southeast Missouri State | 62 |
| 8 | Murray State | 24 |
| 9 | Tennessee Tech | 23 |

### Preseason All-OVC team

The Gamecocks had six players selected to the preseason all-OVC team. Defensive lineman Randy Roberinson was also selected as the preseason defensive player of the year.

### Award watch lists

| Award | Player | Position | Year |
| Buck Buchanan Award | Marlon Bridges | S | JR |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 25 | 7:00 p.m. | vs. No. 14 North Carolina A&T* | No. 6 | Cramton BowlMontgomery, AL (FCS Kickoff) | ESPN | L 17–20 | 13,500 |
| September 8 | 6:00 p.m. | Mississippi Valley State* | No. 13 | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU StadiumJacksonville, AL | ESPN+ | W 71–0 | 21,864 |
| September 22 | 6:00 p.m. | Tennessee Tech | No. 10 | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU StadiumJacksonville, AL | ESPN+ | W 48–20 | 17,403 |
| September 29 | 3:00 p.m. | Austin Peay | No. 8 | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU StadiumJacksonville, AL | ESPN3 | W 48–32 | 19,388 |
| October 6 | 3:00 p.m. | at Eastern Kentucky | No. 8 | Roy Kidd StadiumRichmond, KY | ESPN+ | W 56–7 | 6,820 |
| October 13 | 3:00 p.m. | Eastern Illinois | No. 8 | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU StadiumJacksonville, AL | ESPN3 | W 49–22 | 15,649 |
| October 20 | 1:00 p.m. | at Southeast Missouri State | No. 5 | Houck StadiumCape Girardeau, MO | ESPN+ | L 14–37 | 3,103 |
| October 27 | 3:00 p.m. | at Murray State | No. 12 | Roy Stewart StadiumMurray, KY | ESPN+ | W 42–15 | 8,053 |
| November 3 | 1:00 p.m. | UT Martin | No. 10 | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU StadiumJacksonville, AL | ESPN+ | W 21–14 | 16,093 |
| November 10 | 2:00 p.m. | at Tennessee State | No. 8 | Hale StadiumNashville, TN | ESPN+ | W 41–14 | 6,718 |
| November 17 | 3:00 p.m. | vs. No. 2 Kennesaw State* | No. 6 | SunTrust ParkAtlanta, GA | FSS | L 52–60 $^{5OT}$ | 16,949 |
| November 24 | 6:30 p.m. | No. 22 East Tennessee State* | No. 8 | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU StadiumJacksonville, AL (NCAA Division I First Round) | ESPN3 | W 34–27 | 11,024 |
| December 1 | 11:00 a.m. | at No. 12 Maine* | No. 8 | Alfond StadiumOrono, ME (NCAA Division I Second Round) | ESPN3 | L 27–55 | 6,145 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### vs North Carolina A&T

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 14 Aggies | 7 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 20 |
| No. 6 Gamecocks | 0 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 17 |
Scoring summary :
| Quarter | Time | Drive | Drive | Drive | Team | Scoring information | Score | Score |
| Quarter | Time | Plays | Yards | TOP | Team | Scoring information | NCAT | JSU |
| 1 | 6:31 | 9 | 65 | 4:38 | NCAT | Zachary Leslie 24-yard touchdown reception from Lamar Raynard, Noel Ruiz kick good | 7 | 0 |
| 2 | 3:55 | 10 | 57 | 4:00 | JSU | 23-yard field goal by Cade Stinnett | 7 | 3 |
| 3 | 6:13 | 3 | 75 | 0:58 | JSU | Daniel Byrd 49-yard touchdown reception from Zerrick Cooper, Cade Stinnett kick good | 7 | 10 |
| 3 | 5:57 | | | | NCAT | Malik Wilson 98 yard kickoff return for touchdown, Cade Stinnett kick good | 14 | 10 |
| 3 | 4:49 | 3 | 65 | 1:08 | JSU | Josh Pearson 40-yard touchdown reception from Zerrick Cooper, Cade Stinnett kick good | 14 | 17 |
| 3 | 2:36 | 5 | 31 | 2:13 | NCAT | Elijah Bell 4-yard touchdown reception from Lamar Raynard, Noel Ruiz kick failed | 20 | 17 |
| "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. | 20 | 14 |

### Mississippi Valley State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Delta Devils | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 13 Gamecocks | 15 | 21 | 21 | 14 | 71 |

### Tennessee Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Golden Eagles | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 20 |
| No. 10 Gamecocks | 10 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 48 |

### Austin Peay

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Governors | 9 | 3 | 14 | 6 | 32 |
| No. 8 Gamecocks | 0 | 14 | 14 | 20 | 48 |

### At Eastern Kentucky

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 8 Gamecocks | 14 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 56 |
| Colonels | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |

### Eastern Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Governors | 3 | 6 | 0 | 13 | 22 |
| No. 8 Gamecocks | 14 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 49 |

### At Southeast Missouri State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 5 Gamecocks | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| Redhawks | 7 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 37 |

### At Murray State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 12 Gamecocks | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 42 |
| Racers | 6 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 15 |

### UT Martin

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Skyhawks | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 14 |
| No. 10 Gamecocks | 10 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 21 |

### At Tennessee State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 8 Gamecocks | 20 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 41 |
| Tigers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |

### vs Kennesaw State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | 3OT | 4OT | 5OT | Total |
| No. 6 Gamecocks | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 52 |
| No. 2 Owls | 0 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 60 |

### East Tennessee State—NCAA Division I First Round

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 22 Buccaneers | 10 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 27 |
| No. 8 Gamecocks | 7 | 3 | 10 | 14 | 34 |

### At Maine—NCAA Division I Second Round

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 8 Gamecocks | 7 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 27 |
| No. 12 Black Bears | 21 | 21 | 7 | 6 | 55 |

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS FCS | 6 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| Coaches | 6 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 13 |