# 2017 Jacksonville State Gamecocks football team

The 2017 Jacksonville State Gamecocks football team represented Jacksonville State University as a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) during the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by fourth-year head coach John Grass, the Gamecocks compiled an overall record of 10–2 with a mark of 8–0 in conference play, winning the OVC title for the fourth consecutive season. Jacksonville State received the OVC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs as the No. 3 overall seed, marking the program's fifth straight trip to the FCS playoffs. After a first-round, the Gamecocks were upset by Kennesaw State in the second round. The team played home games at Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama.
On October 14, the Gamecocks won their 27th straight OVC conference game, setting the conference record for consecutive games won.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 26 | 5:30 p.m. | vs. No. 12 Chattanooga* | No. 6 | Cramton BowlMontgomery, AL (FCS Kickoff) | ESPN | W 27–13 | 12,952 |
| September 9 | 11:30 a.m. | at Georgia Tech* | No. 5 | Bobby Dodd StadiumAtlanta, GA | ACCRSN | L 10–37 | 50,161 |
| September 23 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 16 Liberty* | No. 5 | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU StadiumJacksonville, AL | WEAC TV-24, OVCDN | W 31–10 | 23,944 |
| September 30 | 6:00 p.m. | at Tennessee Tech | No. 5 | Tucker StadiumCookeville, TN | WEAC TV-24, OVCDN | W 34–7 | 8,327 |
| October 7 | 4:00 p.m. | at Austin Peay | No. 4 | Fortera StadiumClarksville, TN | WEAC TV-24, OVCDN | W 34–14 | 7,102 |
| October 14 | 3:00 p.m. | Eastern Kentucky | No. 3 | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU StadiumJacksonville, AL | ESPN3 | W 41–25 | 18,045 |
| October 21 | 2:00 p.m. | at Eastern Illinois | No. 3 | O'Brien FieldCharleston, IL | ESPN3 | W 30–14 | 8,176 |
| October 28 | 3:00 p.m. | Southeast Missouri State | No. 3 | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU StadiumJacksonville, AL | WEAC TV-24 OVCDN | W 23–7 | 15,692 |
| November 4 | 1:00 p.m. | Murray State | No. 3 | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU StadiumJacksonville, AL | WEAC TV-24, OVCDN | W 59–23 | 16,453 |
| November 11 | 2:00 p.m. | at UT Martin | No. 2 | Graham StadiumMartin, TN | WEAC TV-24, OVCDN | W 14–7 | 2,493 |
| November 16 | 6:00 p.m. | Tennessee State | No. 2 | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU StadiumJacksonville, AL | WEAC TV-24, OVCDN | W 36–6 | 18,782 |
| December 2 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 18 Kennesaw State* | No. 2 | Burgess–Snow Field at JSU StadiumJacksonville, AL (NCAA Division I Second Round) | ESPN3 | L 7–17 | 17,412 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Central time ||||||||

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking т = Tied with team above or below ( ) = First-place votes :
| | 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 (1) | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| Coaches | 5 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 5т | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 |

## Game summaries
### vs Chattanooga

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 6 Gamecocks | 10 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 27 |
| No. 12 Mocs | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 13 |

### At Georgia Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 5 Gamecocks | 0 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 10 |
| Yellow Jackets | 3 | 7 | 20 | 7 | 37 |

### Liberty

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 16 Flames | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| No. 5 Gamecocks | 0 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 31 |

### At Tennessee Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 5 Gamecocks | 7 | 7 | 6 | 14 | 34 |
| Golden Eagles | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |

### At Austin Peay

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 4 Gamecocks | 14 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 34 |
| Governors | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |

### Eastern Kentucky

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colonels | 0 | 3 | 7 | 15 | 25 |
| No. 3 Gamecocks | 14 | 17 | 3 | 7 | 41 |

### At Eastern Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 3 Gamecocks | 0 | 9 | 14 | 7 | 30 |
| Panthers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |

### Southeast Missouri State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redhawks | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 3 Gamecocks | 7 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 23 |

### Murray State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Racers | 13 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 23 |
| No. 3 Gamecocks | 7 | 21 | 10 | 21 | 59 |

### At UT Martin

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 2 Gamecocks | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Skyhawks | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |

### Tennessee State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Tigers | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| No. 2 Gamecocks | 0 | 10 | 14 | 12 | 36 |

### Kennesaw State—NCAA Division I Second Round

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 18 Owls | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| No. 2 Gamecocks | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |