Jacksonville State football, Rich Rodriguez vs South Carolina: Score prediction, scouting report
Jacksonville State football and coach Rich Rodriguez are traveling to South Carolina for a matchup with the other Gamecocks on Saturday.
It's their second trip to the state this season, falling to Coastal Carolina earlier this year. Jax State is 7-2 on the year following back-to-back CUSA wins over Western Kentucky and FIU.
Defensive line play could be key
The Jacksonville State defense has gone as their defensive line and pass rush all season. In the two losses, the D-line struggled to get pressure against bigger offensive lines. It might seem on case going to play an SEC team would lead to those same issues but South Carolina is in the midst of its own offensive line issues. They have sent out a different starting five each game this season.
At their best the Jax State line can reek havoc, like against Middle Tennessee State when they had 14 TFLs and eight sacks. Everything on defense starts with them, especially considering how the defense is third in the nation in takeaways.
Watch for Spencer Rattler
The South Carolina offense goes as Rattler can go for them. Rattler has completed almost 70% of his passes while throwing for 264 yards a game. He's fallen off as of late but has thrown for 300 yards in three games along with three or more touchdowns in three games. He can be a ground threat, but sacks have cut into his totals, only running for 74 yards but has gained 308 yards, losing more than 200 yards from sacks and negative plays.
Passing defense could use work
The South Carolina passing defense is still a work in progress. They allow close to 300 yards a game and have allowed 11 touchdowns on the season. While throwing is not a strong suit of the Jacksonville State offense, Zion Webb has been improving throughout the season. Against Western Kentucky he threw for 218 yards, the total was 105 against FIU but the ground game was the focal point in a rainy game.
Jacksonville State vs. South Carolina: Official prediction
Max's pick (3-4): South Carolina 35, Jacksonville State 21 - There won't be a big upset but Jacksonville State should hold their own with South Carolina, in part due to a strong day from the defensive line.
Maxwell Donaldson covers high school sports and Jacksonville State athletics for the Gadsden Times. Find him on Twitter/X @_Max_Donaldson and contact him at MDonaldson@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Jacksonville State football vs South Carolina: Score prediction, scouting report
