# Jacksonville State Gamecocks football

The Jacksonville State Gamecocks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Jacksonville State University (JSU) located in the U.S. state of Alabama. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Conference USA. Jacksonville State's first football team was fielded in 1904. The team plays its home games at the 24,000-seat AmFirst Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama.
On November 5, 2021, the school accepted an invitation to join Conference USA (C-USA) of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) beginning with the 2023 season.

## History

Jacksonville State University's first football team, the Eagle Owls, was formed in the late 19th century. During the first half century of play, Troy University and Samford University became their rivals. Before the start of the 1947 season, not only did the team change their colors from blue and gold to red and white, but their nickname changed to the Fighting Gamecocks.
Jacksonville State joined the NCAA in 1973, and played at the NCAA Division II level from 1973 to 1994. In 1995, the team moved up to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and competed in the Southland Conference from 1996 to 2002 before moving to the Ohio Valley Conference from 2003 to 2020. Jacksonville State University planned to leave the Ohio Valley Conference for the ASUN Conference in July 2021, with the team temporarily competing in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC)'s "ASUN–WAC Challenge" partnership league. However, a few months later on November 5, 2021, the school accepted an invitation to join FBS Conference USA (C-USA) beginning with the 2023 season.

### Classifications

* NAIA (1966–1969)
* NAIA Division I (1970–1981)
* NCAA Division II (1973–1994)
* NCAA Division I FCS (1995–2022)
* NCAA Division I FBS (2023–)

## Conference affiliations

* Independent (1904–1937)
* Alabama Intercollegiate Conference (1938–1949)
* Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1938–1940)
* Independent (1950–1959)
* Alabama Collegiate Conference (1960–1969)
* Mid-South Athletic Conference (1970–1971)
* Gulf South Conference (1972–1992)
* Division II Independent (1993–1995)
* Southland Conference (1996–2002)
* Ohio Valley Conference (2003–2020)
* ASUN–WAC Challenge (2021)
* ASUN Conference (2022)
* Conference USA (2023 and beyond)

## Championships
### National championships

Jacksonville State has made four appearances in the NCAA Division II national championship game. The Gamecocks were defeated in their first three championship game appearances, losing 33–0 to Lehigh in 1977, 3–0 to Mississippi College in 1989 (later vacated), and 23–6 to Pittsburg State in 1991. In 1992, the Gamecocks defeated Pittsburg State 17–13, reversing the results in a rematch of their 1991 championship game.
| Season | Coach | Selector | Record |
| 1992 | Bill Burgess | NCAA Division II | 12–1–1 |

### Conference championships

Jacksonville State has won 25 conference championships, 18 outright and four shared.
| Season | Conference | Coach | Overall record | Conference record |
| 1962† | Alabama Collegiate Conference | Don Salls | 4–3–2 | 3–0–1 |
| 1963† | Alabama Collegiate Conference | Don Salls | 4–4–1 | 3–0–1 |
| 1964 | Alabama Collegiate Conference | Don Salls | 4–4–1 | 3–0 |
| 1965 | Alabama Collegiate Conference | Jim Blevins | 7–2 | 3–0 |
| 1966 | Alabama Collegiate Conference | Jim Blevins | 8–2 | 3–0 |
| 1970 | Mid-South Conference | Charley Pell | 10–0 | 5–0 |
| 1974 | Gulf South Conference | Clarkie Mayfield | 7–4 | 7–1 |
| 1977 | Gulf South Conference | Jim Fuller | 11–3 | 7–1 |
| 1978 | Gulf South Conference | Jim Fuller | 7–3 | 6–1 |
| 1981 | Gulf South Conference | Jim Fuller | 8–3 | 6–0 |
| 1982 | Gulf South Conference | Jim Fuller | 10–2 | 7–0 |
| 1988† | Gulf South Conference | Bill Burgess | 10–2 | 7–1 |
| 1989 | Gulf South Conference | Bill Burgess | 13–1 | 8–0 |
| 1991 | Gulf South Conference | Bill Burgess | 12–1 | 6–0 |
| 1992 | Gulf South Conference | Bill Burgess | 12–1–1 | 5–0–1 |
| 2003 | Ohio Valley Conference | Jack Crowe | 8–4 | 7–1 |
| 2004 | Ohio Valley Conference | Jack Crowe | 9–2 | 7–1 |
| 2011† | Ohio Valley Conference | Jack Crowe | 7–4 | 6–2 |
| 2014 | Ohio Valley Conference | John Grass | 10–2 | 8–0 |
| 2015 | Ohio Valley Conference | John Grass | 13–2 | 8–0 |
| 2016 | Ohio Valley Conference | John Grass | 10–2 | 7–0 |
| 2017 | Ohio Valley Conference | John Grass | 10–2 | 8–0 |
| 2018 | Ohio Valley Conference | John Grass | 9–4 | 7–1 |
| 2020 | Ohio Valley Conference | John Grass | 10–3 | 6–1 |
| 2022 | ASUN Conference | Rich Rodriguez | 9–2 | 5–0 |
| 2024 | Conference USA | Rich Rodriguez | 9-4 | 7-1 |
† Co-championship

## Bowl games

Jacksonville State has participated in ten bowl games, and has a record of 7–3. However, most of them are not Division I bowl games. Consequently, after joining Division I FBS, they participated in two bowl games, and have a record of 1–1.
| Season | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
| 1948 | Don Salls | Paper Bowl† | Troy | W 19–0 |
| 1949 | Don Salls | Paper Bowl† | West Alabama | W 12–7 |
| 1950 | Don Salls | Paper Bowl† | Pensacola Naval Alumni | L 6–7 |
| 1955 | Don Salls | Refrigerator Bowl† | Rhode Island | W 12–10 |
| 1966 | Jim Blevins | Space City Classic† | Arkansas–Monticello | W 41–30 |
| 1970 | Charley Pell | Orange Blossom Classic† | Florida A&M | W 21–7 |
| 1977 | Jim Fuller | Grantland Rice Bowl† | North Dakota State | W 31–7 |
| 1977 | Jim Fuller | Pioneer Bowl† | Lehigh | L 0–33 |
| 2023 | Rich Rodriguez | New Orleans Bowl | Louisiana | W 34–31 $^{OT}$ |
| 2024 | Rod Smith | Cure Bowl | Ohio | L 27–30 |
† non-Division I bowl game

## Playoff history
### Division I-AA/FCS playoffs results

The Gamecocks have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs ten times, with an overall record of 7–10.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 2003 | First round | Western Kentucky | L 7–45 |
| 2004 | First round | Furman | L 7–49 |
| 2010 | Second round | Wofford | L 14–17 |
| 2013 | First round Second round Quarterfinals | Samford McNeese State Eastern Washington | W 55–14 W 31–10 L 24–35 |
| 2014 | Second round | Sam Houston State | L 26–37 |
| 2015 | Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals National championship game | Chattanooga Charleston Southern Sam Houston State North Dakota State | W 41–35 $^{OT}$ W 58–38 W 62–10 L 10–37 |
| 2016 | Second round | Youngstown State | L 24–40 |
| 2017 | Second round | Kennesaw State | L 7–17 |
| 2018 | First round Second round | East Tennessee State Maine | W 34–27 L 27–55 |
| 2020 | First round Quarterfinals | Davidson Delaware | W 49–14 L 14–20 |

### Division II playoffs results

The Gamecocks have appeared in the Division II playoffs ten times, with an overall record of 15–9. They were national champions in 1992.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1977 | Quarterfinals Semifinals National championship game | Northern Arizona North Dakota State Lehigh | W 35–0 W 31–7 L 0–33 |
| 1978 | Quarterfinals | Delaware | L 21–42 |
| 1980 | Quarterfinals | Cal Poly–SLO | L 0–15 |
| 1981 | Quarterfinals | Southwest Texas State | L 22–38 |
| 1982 | Quarterfinals Semifinals | Northwest Missouri State Southwest Texas State | W 34–21 L 14–19 |
| 1988 | First round Quarterfinals | West Chester Portland State | W 63–24 L 13–20 |
| 1989 | First round Quarterfinals Semifinals National championship game | Alabama A&M North Dakota State Angelo State Mississippi College | W 33–9 W 21–17 W 34–16 L 0–3 |
| 1990 | First round Quarterfinals | North Alabama Mississippi College | W 38–14 L 7–14 |
| 1991 | First round Quarterfinals Semifinals National championship game | Winston-Salem State Mississippi College Indiana (PA) Pittsburg State | W 49–24 W 35–7 W 27–20 L 6–23 |
| 1992 | First round Quarterfinals Semifinals National championship game | Savannah State North Alabama New Haven Pittsburg State | W 41–16 W 14–12 W 46–35 W 17–13 |

## Rivalries
### Samford

This unnamed rivalry started in 1904, when Jacksonville wore blue and gold as the Eagle Owls and Samford University was still named Howard College. Jacksonville State leads the series 23–21–2.

### Troy

Jacksonville State used to play Troy in the annual Battle for the Ol' School Bell. The schools first played in 1924, and this was one of the fiercest rivalries for both schools. The game has not been played since 2001, after Troy moved up to the FBS. Jacksonville State leads the series 32–29–2.

## Notable former players

Notable alumni include:
* Orlando Adams (drafted by Philadelphia Eagles)
* Jesse Baker (drafted by Houston Oilers)
* Alan Bonner (drafted by Houston Texans)
* Dieter Brock (signed by Los Angeles Rams)
* A.J. Davis (signed by New Orleans Saints)
* Eric Davis (drafted by San Francisco 49ers)
* Casey Dunn (signed by Washington Redskins)
* Riley Green (country music singer, played quarterback)
* David Gulledge (drafted by Washington Redskins)
* Jaylen Hill (signed by Baltimore Ravens)
* Peter Little Horn (signed by Detroit Lions)
* Delvin Hughley (signed by Denver Broncos)
* Chris Landrum (signed by San Diego Chargers)
* Darrell Malone (drafted by Kansas City Chiefs)
* Keith McKeller (drafted by Buffalo Bills)
* Siran Neal (drafted by Buffalo Bills)
* Ryan Perrilloux (signed by New York Giants)
* Troymaine Pope (signed by Seattle Seahawks)
* Taureen Rhetta (signed by Kansas City Chiefs)
* David Robinson (drafted by Kansas City Chiefs)
* James Shaw (signed by Pittsburgh Steelers)
* Roc Thomas (signed by Minnesota Vikings)
* Mike Wallace (drafted by Cleveland Browns)
* Pierre Warren (signed by New Orleans Saints)
* Mark Word (signed by Cleveland Browns)
* Alvin Wright (signed by Los Angeles Rams)

## Future non-conference opponents

Future non-conference opponents announced as of July 22, 2024.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2031 |
| at UCF | Georgia Southern | at UAB | UAB | Buffalo |
| at Georgia Southern | at Auburn | | at Buffalo | |
| Murray State | | | | |
| at Southern Miss | | | | |