Saturday, December 8, 2012

That's All Folks.

After several years and lots of fun, Gamecock Illustrated is shutting down.  Thanks to all of the players and coaches that were gracious with their time.  Go Gamecocks!

Friday, December 7, 2012

JSU Softball Signs Gillespie

 click here.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Jacksonville State Football 2012 Highlight


Monday, December 3, 2012

Alan Bonner In the Senior Bowl!

click here.

Friday, November 30, 2012

Thank You Coach Crowe

Shocking news tonight with the dismissal of Coach Crowe.

The Gamecocks did not achieve all of their goals under his tenure, but they accomplished much including: 1) three conference championships and the best record in the OVC the year we were not eligible; 2) several playoff appearances; 3) something like 9 straight winning seasons, all accomplished without scheduling out of conference cupcakes;  3) a shock the world win over Ole Miss that brought JSU more publicity than any event in the history of the institution; and 4) 53 seconds away from a monumental upset over Florida State.  Thank you Coach Crowe.

Indeed, even his harshest critics would have to acknowledge that our "program" is light years ahead of where it was before he took over in 2001.   For instance, thanks to his refusal to accept the status quo, we are no longer losing assistants to high school jobs because of only paying them $22k per year.    There is literally no comparison between the weight training equipment Jacksonville State has now and what they had before he started.  There is now academic support for football players, whereas none existed before.  On that note, if you want to place the APR failure a few years back at his feet, then surely you will recognize that our football team's graduation rate now exceeds that of the general student body and we are now bringing in numerous players that have ACT scores that place them in the academically elite at JSU.  Thank you Coach Crowe.

And, of course, JSU plays in a stadium that establishes the foundation for JSU to have a successful program for decades.  A stadium that routinely draws more fans now than JSU ever has drawn in the history of the program.  Thank you Coach Crowe.

It did not stop there, however. Coach Crowe reached out to successful JSU graduates and made them feel a connection with our program.     As a result of his efforts, large contributions were made that led to direct enhancements in JSU's facilities.  While the donors wrote the checks, Coach Crowe was proactive in his outreach to these folks refusing to accept the status quo.  Thank you Coach Crowe.

But, there is more.  After seeing that some of our young men lacked the life skills necessary to succeed at JSU and beyond, he found a way to bring Jamie Strange to JSU who has been leading the team for several years working on character education.  Of course, some of this came at the expense of practice time, but we made the commitment that some things are more important.   Just this year, Coach Crowe was leading private fundraising efforts to support Jamie in the good work that he does. Thank you Coach Crowe.

Of course, so much of the inside story is not known.  For instance, a  four star defensive lineman from Georgia, Derrick Lott, wanted to transfer to Jax State from Georgia.  Amazingly, he was eligible at Georgia (a pretty good school) and had no problem transferring to Chattanooga,  but at JSU he was going to lose a ton of credits.  Thus, we missed out on a player that would have made a huge difference at our thinnest position this year.  Rather than complain publicly, Coach Crowe worked with the administration to change the rules.  Thus, in the future when the right player comes along- maybe we will get him.  Thank you Coach Crowe.

There is probably no program at JSU that is more loved than the Southerners.  Because of Coach Crowe's efforts, the bond between the football team and the band has never been stronger. Little things like making Ken Bodiford honorary coach at the Spring Game and having the players recognize the band after the game go along way.   This connection will pay dividends for years to come. Thank you Coach Crowe.

To sum it up, Coach Crowe was terminated after having the best record in the league in 2009, JSU hosting a playoff game for the first time ever in 2010, winning the conference in 2011 and going 6-3 in the FCS and undefeated at home in 2012.  If our future coaches have to exceed this to be considered successful, the bar has been raised pretty high at JSU.  Thank you Coach Crowe.




More Nick Mullens Information

This is a big pickup for the Gamecocks. Mullens is a 2 Star Scout player link here and we understand he was named Gatorade Player of the Year in Birmingham.

Nick Mullens Commits to Jacksonville State


Thursday, November 29, 2012

Crowe making plans to do without Blanchard

Crowe making plans to do without Blanchard: Jacksonville State football coach Jack Crowe expects to use as many as three quarterbacks in the Gamecocks’ 2013 season opener — whether it’s a yet-to-be-named opponent Aug. 31 or Jacksonville Univ...

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Who Is Losing Who?

Now that the season is over, its time to focus on recruiting and next year.  With that in mind, here is a preliminary analysis of which OVC teams were losing the most players (and most impact players) from this past season:

1.  Eastern Kentucky.  Attrition will really hurt the Colonels.  They lose seven starters on offense and five on defense. Among their losses is running back Matt Denham who has eviscerated the Gamecocks.  EKU also loses their starting quarterback, and two tackles (AdamsFord) and a wide receiver (Goard) that are NFL prospects.  On defense, EKU's notable  losses include all Conference DL, Robert Knowles, all conference safety, Brooklyn Fox,  and a linebacker,  Ceniza, that had about 1,000 tackles against JSU.

2.  Tennessee Tech.  Tennessee Tech was supposed to contend for the conference title in 2012.  Unfortunately, they were devastated by injuries.  The good news is that the injuries probably allowed them to build depth for future years. The bad news is that they are probably going to need it. TTU will lose twelve starters in all-- six on each side of the ball. On offense, the most notable loss is all-world transfer Da' Rick Rogers, but Tech will also lose quarterback Tre Lamb and running back Adam Urbano.

3.  UTM.  UTM had a very good team this year beating FCS Memphis in the opening game of the season. Their surprising loss to Tennessee Tech at the end of the year probably kept them out of the playoffs.  UTM will definitely have some rebuilding to do in 2013 as they lose four offensive starters and five defensive starters.    Among the losses are three of the very best players in the conference- quarterback Derrick Carr, wide receiver Quentin Sims and DL Montori Hughes.

4.  Murray State.   The good news is that Murray only loses three defensive starters.  The bad news is that Murray only loses three defensive starters because they could not stop anyone last year.  Aside from that, Murray loses five on offense, most notably their all-star quarterback, Casey Brockman.

5.  EIU.  The surprise team in the OVC will lose six offensive starters, but notably return their two best players, quarterback Jimmy Garroppolo and wide receiver Erik Lora.   Among EIU's losses are Jake Walker, a 2nd team all conference running back, and Kevin Kapellas, an all-OVC center. The Panthers only lose four on defense, but will have to replace their entire starting defensive line.

6.  Jacksonville State.  The Gamecocks will suffer some significant losses on offense with Ivory, Mobley, Rush, Bonner, Ealey and Trey Smith all out of eligibility. There is exceptional depth on the offensive line and at running back, but finding a replacement quarterback (assuming Blanchard does not return) will be job  # 1.  On defense, the Gamecocks lose Dimetrio Tyson, Mike Whittier, Brooks Robinson and Nick Johnson. 

6.  Tennesse State.  The Tigers may be the team to beat next year.  They only lose  2-3 starters, but the losses do include two first team all conference offensive linemen.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Gamecock Chatter

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Coop's Big Play

http://t.co/wEqw94Mi

Alligator Army Breaks Down JSU's First Drive

click here.

McGuire, West headed to JSU

McGuire, West headed to JSU: Early signing day came and went smoothly. With it, two defending state champions decided to continue their careers just down Alabama 21.

Monday, November 19, 2012

GANGNAM STYLE PARODY (강남스타일) - Jax State Gamecock Style


Florida game a glimpse of Jax State's future

Florida game a glimpse of Jax State's future: If Jacksonville State fans paid even the least bit of attention during Saturday’s game, they might have caught a glimpse of the Gamecocks’ future in the Florida team that beat them 23-0.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

EIU is OVC's Sole Representative

EIU will travel to South Dakota for the first round of the playoffs.  UTM lost to Tennessee Tech last weekend which knocked Martin out of the playoffs.

The Florida Game

Behind the Florida State and Ole Miss games, this was probably the best performance ever by the Gamecocks against one of the "big boys."  A few post-game observations:

THE SENIORS:

*Marquez Ivory played a really great game against what may be the best defense in college football.

*Trey Smith made a lot of really nice catches in one of his best games as a Gamecock.

*Kevyn Cooper made ESPN with an effort play that is symbolic of his whole career.

*Dimetrio Tyson was all over the field.  I hope there is a place for him in pro football.



DEFENSE

*One of the best performances in the last 10 years by a JSU defense. Held a powerhouse SEC team to one offensive touchdown.  The Gamecocks must learn to translate that effort to games against OVC opponents.

*Don't know how many tackles he had, but Sean "Real Papa" Watson was all over the field yesterday.  For JSU to do big things next year,Watson must emerge as an impact player.   Watson was heavily recruited by SEC teams before a high school knee injury.

*Pierre Warren gets very little publicity, but makes a ton of plays.  Looking forward to watching the rest of his career.

*It seems that a defense needs to play with a little bit of an edge. I like how Jordan Jackson and Ben Endress don't back down from anyone regardless of circumstances.  This is second hand, but Jackson's unsportsman like was apparently in retaliation for a cheap shot on Endress.

*Nick Johnson made a tackle on the four yard line saving a touchdown.  Didn't seem that big of a deal at the time, two penalties later the Gamecocks blocked a field goal.

*Rob Gray barely missed an interception. Wish he could have gotten it, he grew up a Florida fan.

*The obvious need area on defense is interior defensive line.  The coaching staff needs to find some help for Adam Wright and Caleb Lawrence. One coach told me that they are working on it starting today.

THE OFFENSE

*JSU put some good stuff together in the first half.  

*Field position really hurt JSU. It seemed like the Gamecocks were starting every drive around the 8 yard line.

*Buster Pope's season was an enigma.  After a remarkable start to the season, he rarely played. Every time I thought he was done for the season, he would come in for a snap or two.   The future is really bright at running back for JSU.

*The Florida announcers made an interesting comment about Trey Burton running the wildcat. They said it was hard for him to be effective when the other team knew he was not going to throw.  To a lesser extent, that holds true for Coty Blanchard.  Our plays when he is in the game are fairly predictable. The guy can do anything as he proved last year. That being said, it seemed that Ivory was particularly sharp yesterday which may have led to the coaches' decision to play him more.  The million dollar question- is Coty coming back next year?

 *Ealey announced on twitter yesterday that he was done at JSU, but expressed love for his teammates.  Hopefully, he doesn't give up on a degree, making the NFL and a college degree aren't mutually exclusive.

*Hamish M. had a really good day punting the football.

I love the Gamecocks.  The theme starting today needs to be THIS IS NEXT YEAR.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Green talks JSU hoops with the Exchange Club

Green talks JSU hoops with the Exchange Club: Jacksonville State University men’s basketball coach James Green issued a challenge to the city’s Exchange Club last month: to come out and show their support for the Gamecock basketball team.

Jayce Barber Hilights

click here.

Highlight for JSU vs. FLA 2012


Thursday, November 15, 2012

Dalton Screws Interview


Randall Smith Video (A-Star tweets he has committed to JSU)


Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Another Preview of the Jax State v. Florida Game

Why didn't the game with Peay get this kind of interest? click here.

Bleacher Report Previews the Jax State - Florida Game

click here.http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1407799-jacksonville-state-vs-florida-complete-game-preview

SBR Forum Previews the Game

click here.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

With Gators, JSU to keep things simple

With Gators, JSU to keep things simple: The Gamecocks haven’t cobbled together a game plan yet, but they go into what coach Jack Crowe agreed is the most demanding play-up game in the program’s history by taking out rather than putting i...

Florida's Starting QB Likely Out

Gators QB Driskel 'doubtful' with ankle injury; Brissett ready

Monday, November 12, 2012

Da'Rick Rogers Turning Pro.

click here.

Jacksonville State University Gamecocks - Gamecocks Get Tough In 61-54 Win Over Eastern Michigan

Jacksonville State University Gamecocks - Gamecocks Get Tough In 61-54 Win Over Eastern Michigan

Crowe may phone a friend (or two) for answers to Florida

Crowe may phone a friend (or two) for answers to Florida: Gamecocks coach Jack Crowe has two “close professional associates” he could tap who just happen to have had a reasonable amount of success against the Gators the past couple weeks – Georgia offensi...

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Austin Peay Post Game Observations

We only do post-game observations after a win. Hopefully, there will be one more this season.

*Undefeated at home in 2012!  Two of JSU's 3 FCS losses were gut wrenching affairs that could have gone either way; however, you can't forget that JSU also won close games against Murray, T. State and UTC.

*A win is a win, but this one was frustrating.  Peay's quarterback looked like Joe Montana.  Credit to him, but he had not looked that good against anybody else this year.

*Peay dominated JSU statistically.

*As Butch Barker said in the telecast, JSU has to learn to put teams away.  Twice during the second half, Peay was driving to get within one score.  After living through the horror of Tenn. Tech in 2010 and EKU in 2011, no lead is safe.   We will know we have arrived when JSU has a game that does not come down to the 4th quarter.

*It seemed that Peay ran about 500 screen passes and quick lateral passes to their wide receivers.  JSU's cornerbacks really struggled to get off the blocks to make the tackle.

*Defensive struggles aside, Dimetrio Tyson had an excellent game. What a great leader and player.  Likewise, Spiderman Smith made a lot of plays as well. If Jack Jackson comes back, it would be exciting to see a linebacking group of Tolson, Jackson, Smith and Endress.

*The Gamecocks are a run first team, but it seemed that they could have thrown for about 300 yards yesterday.  JSU's receivers have been outstanding all year. I can't remember more than about 5-6 drops this season.

*Good job by Griffin Thomas kicking a 40+ yard field goal to put the game out of reach.

*Thinking about next year.   JSU has so much depth at certain positions that it seems that they could really recruit for need next year.  On offense, wide receiver is a big need spot with Coop, Trey Smith and Alan Bonner all graduating.  Likewise, quarterback is a worry.  Ivory graduates and we don't know if Coty will return. Steven Coates is a big, talented player but has really battled injury.

*On defense, the Gamecocks only lose four seniors:   Nick Johnson, Brook Robinson, Keginald Harris and Dimetrio Tyson.  The entire starting secondary returns along with quality reserves, Bynum, Bender and Buxton.  Likewise, Endress, Spiderman, Tolson, Jamaal Johnson, Blake Glaze, JaJuan Lee and Dustin Gayton all return at linebacker.

The immediate recruiting need is defensive linemen.  Help is already on the way with Ked Wolfe and a tranfer from Georgia Southern, but it seems that this would be a position where JSU would look hard at JUCOs and scour the nation for FCS transfers looking for immediate playing time.  JSU just missed this past year on JUCO transfer Lucas Melo and Georgia transfer Derrick Lott. What a difference those guys would have made.

BEAT FLORIDA.






JSU-Austin Peay Post Game Press Conference

Friday, November 9, 2012

Week 11 APSU


A Statistical Look At Where the Gamecocks Stand

This is a neat look at all of the major statistical categories.  click here.  Hopefully, JSU's stats will improve after playing the last place team in the league on Saturday.  At the start of the year, we knew we were going to be good on offense and young on defense.   To paraphrase Dennis Green, we are who we thought we were.  Lots of good young talent returning on the defensive side of the ball next year, plus we are supposed to have Ked Wolfe, Jack Jackson and Omari Jones.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Club Level Ticket Available - Free

If you are in the Atlanta area and would like a free ticket to the club level for Saturday, shoot me an email.  It is really a great experience and the food is fantastic.

EKU's Hood Shows JSU Some Love.

In an article about how much better the OVC is this year, EKU's Hood says that even w/ 3 FCS losses JSU should be worthy of playoff consideration.  click here.

Ty Anderson Hilights

A-Star tweets that JSU has a commit from Ty Anderson of West Forsyth High School. Anderson, a 6-4 220 lb tight end, chose JSU over EKU and the Air Force Academy.  Here is a link to his hilights.  click here.

Omari Jones Interview


Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Gamecock Chatter With Trey Smith


Receiver Smith considering playing basketball at JSU

Receiver Smith considering playing basketball at JSU: Trey Smith came into the Jacksonville State athletics program two years ago as a sure-handed receiver on the football team, but that might not be the only sport he’s destined to play. Imagine him i...

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Will Trey Smith Play Basketball?

Al Muskewitz has tweeted that there is some speculation that JSU senior wide receiver, Trey Smith, will suit up for the basktetball team in 2013.  Josh Barge, a wide receiver from Carrollton, was also an excellent high school basketball player but have not heard anything on him.

Alan Bonner's Quest For the Records

Alan Bonner only has two more games as a Gamecock. While JSU is only playing for pride at this point, Bonner has a chance to put his name all over the JSU record book as a receiver.

Going in to the Peay game, Bonner has 109 career receptions for 1872 yards and 20 tds.  On the season, he has 45 receptions for 745 yards and 8 tds.  Based on a late night review of the media guide, here is an overview of the records Bonner holds and what he needs to do in the final two games to reach certain records by category.

SINGLE GAME

Bonner's 10 catch, 235 yard, 5td performance against UTM was:

#1 -most receptions in a game.

#1- most receiving TDs in a game.

#2- most yards receiving in a game.

SINGLE SEASON

TDs in a Season:
 
*Bonner needs 3 more receiving TDs to pass the great Maurice Dupree for receiving TDs in a season.

Receiving Yards in a Season:

*Bonner has 745 yards.  The current single season record holders are: 1) Ronald  Bonner (no known relation)- 1010 yards; 2) Joey Hamilton- 943 yards; and 3) Mornen - 823 yardes.  With two big games, these records are not out of reach.

Receptions in a Season:
 
*Bonner needs 17 more catches to pass Ronald Bonner  as JSU's single season reception leader.  With 15 more catches he will tie  Donald Young at the #2 spot and with 13 catches he will tie Joey Hamilton at the # 3 spot.

CAREER

Rec. TDs:

*Bonner needs 4 more TDs to pass Joey Hamilton for most receiving touchdowns in a career;

Rec. Yards:
 
*The record is out of reach (Joey Hamilton- 2903), but with just 104 more receiving yards Bonner can pass Derrick Thomas to become 2nd in JSU history for most career receiving yards;

Receptions

*Bonner is already #4 for most career receptions, passing the legendary Butch Barker.  He only needs 17 catches to become #2 on the list for career receptions (Donald Young) and needs 12 to pass Rusty Fuller at #3 on the list.

JSU's loss Saturday had familiar feel

JSU's loss Saturday had familiar feel: The Jacksonville State football team was eliminated from the Ohio Valley Conference title chase Saturday through a 49-47 loss at UT Martin, which no longer is the automatic win it used to be. It wa...

Friday, November 2, 2012

Gamecocks QB Ivory searching for a good game

Gamecocks QB Ivory searching for a good game: As his long and storied career heads into the home stretch, Marques Ivory finds himself searching in the desert of his own high expectations for just one thing — a good game.

WEEK 10 HIGHLIGHTS


Thursday, November 1, 2012

Halloween Havoc w/ Brandt Thomas v. Jimmy Welker


Gamecocks having success limiting OVC’s top QBs

Gamecocks having success limiting OVC’s top QBs: In a season where quarterbacks are king and the Ohio Valley Conference has four aces, Jacksonville State seems to have the defense that’s holding all the cards.

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

UTM's Preview of the JSU game

click here.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Profile on Redshirt Eli Jenkins

Gamecock Chatter With Odie Rush

Sagarin Rates OVC as 3rd Toughest FCS Conference

click here.

G-Times Previews the UTM Game

click here.

Jax State, Auburn cancel 2013 game

Jax State, Auburn cancel 2013 game: Jacksonville State and Auburn have canceled a football game between the schools' teams that had been set for next season, but JSU will get an expected $500,000 guarantee.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Tennessee Tech Athletics: OVC statement: Officials missed calling penalty on game-tying TSU touchdown

See below:

Tennessee Tech Athletics: OVC statement: Officials missed calling penalty on game-tying TSU touchdown

This is notable for at least the following reasons:

1- Tennessee Tech is promoting it on their own website.

2- While it is surely not intentional, it is certainly notable that a team that already gets the gift of playing one less game in the league (against one of the best teams in the league), is now given a gift of winning a game because of a missed call.  Wow.  I'm guessing that the TSU coach did not have to be restrained from going after the officials on this one.

Jacksonville State University Gamecocks - Jax State vs Auburn Football Game Dropped for 2013 Season

Jacksonville State University Gamecocks - Jax State vs Auburn Football Game Dropped for 2013 Season

Jax State hitches its wagon to Ealey

Jax State hitches its wagon to Ealey: Washaun Ealey did yeoman’s work Saturday in the Gamecocks’ 38-35 Homecoming win over Murray State. He carried 37 times – second most in program history – for 146 yards and three touchdowns. He was ...

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Tennessee State Wins on the Last Play of the Game.

Tennessee State made a miracle comeback to beat Tennessee Tech. This makes two OVC wins for the Tigers in the waning moments as they also beat EKU in similar fashion.   Read about all of the OVC action here:

OVCSports.com - Football Recaps - October 27

Post-Game Thoughts - Murray State Edition

Its a great day to be a Gamecock.  Some random thoughts following the Murray State game:

*What a turn around.   After the first few games of the season, including the EKU debacle it would have been difficult to predict that JSU's defense could play this well.  This may have been the best performance of the year considering the opposition and that 14 Murray points came off turnovers.

*Shut-down corners.  Nothing is more frustrating than when you are sitting in the stands and the secondary appears to be giving a 10 yard cushion.  JSU does not play pass defense like that this year. It is largely attributable to the emergence of not one, but two, shut-down, ball hawking corners.  Junior Hough and Rashod Byers are fun to watch.  The exciting thing is Hough is a freshman and Byers is a sophomore.  We also saw Trubb Buxton get in the action last night with a good pick.

*Interesting decision.   It would have been neat to learn the thought process on attempting the field goal with thirty seconds left.  Seemed to be very risky under the circumstances.   Granted JSU was only up three and a Murray field goal would have tied the game, but they were out of timeouts and had a long way to go.

*Another good running back.  The future is bright at running back for the Gamecocks.  Freshman Miles Jones looked impressive in limited action.

*The Boss.  Having Washaun Ealey as your feature back is like driving a BMW.   It is high maintenance and sometimes you ask - is it really worth it-  but when it comes time to perform, there he is.Thirty-seven carries yesterday against a Murray defense that was selling out to stop the run.   On that note, a halfback pass from Ealey would be a guaranteed touchdown the way teams bring the dbs up to stop the run.

*Good game for the birthday boy.     In his eighth season for the Gamecocks, wide receiver Kevyn Cooper celebrated his 31st birthday last week.    Unlike the BMW, Coop is like a low maintenance Chevy truck that just gets it done.  He has somewhat quietly put together a nice season.

*What a joke.  It is what it is, but the Mickey Mouse (no offense to Mickey Mouse) OVC rule where Tennessee State plays one less game than its conference foes is a sham.  It really wouldn't matter if the skipped game was against a cellar dweller, because in all likelihood TSU would win the game anyway.  This year, however,  the absurdity of the rule is particularly apparent.  There are two one loss teams in the league, EIU and TSU, that don't play each other.  Hats off to whatever TSU administrator negotiated that deal.

*The impact of two five yard penalties.  Its a little scary to think about where we would be but for a false start on a game winning field goal by TSU and an offsides on Murray that allowed JSU to get a touchdown instead of a field goal.  The difference between winning and losing is so small.

*He's not Mike Vick, but . . . Marques Ivory is not the fastest quarterback in college football, but he made some great runs yesterday.  He has a good sense of where the chains are.  One area of possible improvement for Ivory, however, is to either take a sack or throw it away. Twice yesterday he just flung it up in the air instead of taking a loss.  In this instance though, no harm, no foul.

*Hamish gets it done.  Not much has been made of it, but Hamish M. is a darn good punter.


*It doesn't get easier.  JSU may be in for its toughest game of the year next week.  Martin is always tough and they get up to play JSU- perhaps it lingering anger over some of the beatdowns they received in the GSC days.   Martin put over sixty up on Murray, beat EIU, beat Memphis and lost to EKU in a tight game, plus they have had a bye week to prepare for JSU.  I hope JSU goes out with an underdog, let it fly mentality.

Gameccocks give Crowe 100th 'W'

Gameccocks give Crowe 100th 'W': Milestone wins always have something that makes them easy to remember. The occasion of his 100th win as a head coach is likely to hold a special play in Jack Crowe’s heart for a long time.

JSU-Murray State Post Game Press Conference Part 2

Friday, October 26, 2012

Brockman Looking to Break Record

click here.

JSU defensive coordinator making changes every week

JSU defensive coordinator making changes every week: Going back to the drawing board apparently isn’t just an exercise for teams at wits’ end trying to find something that will work. The Jacksonville State defense has done it every week this season w...

Hilights From The Tennessee State Game


Racers Looking to Stay Alive

Click here.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Max Holcombe Has The Title Belt


College Sports Madness Predicts This Weekend's OVC Games

courtesy of JaxSigEp 94.  click here.

Former running back Byers excelling at corner for JSU

Former running back Byers excelling at corner for JSU: Rashod Byers might have come to Jacksonville State as a running back, but it didn’t take long to show proficiency at the position where he’s now making his name.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Gamecock Chatter With Kevyn Cooper


OVC Tiebreaker Procedures

Pulled this from the EKU message board, but believe the original source is the OVC website:


FCS PLAYOFFS/OVC TIEBREAKER

In the event of a tie for the OVC Championship,
the following procedures will be used to break
all ties and to determine the league’s NCAA
playoff representative.

TWO-WAY TIES
1.) A two-way tie shall exist only if the tied
teams have the same number of losses.
2.) Should two teams have the same number of losses, and the two teams played each
other during the regular season, the winner of
the head-to-head contest shall be the league’s
postseason representative.
3.) If the two tied teams have the same
number of losses, but did not play each other
during the regular season, the following procedure shall be utilized to break the tie:
a.) A comparison of each team’s headto-head record against the team occupying the
highest position in the regular-season standings
that each team has played. If one team won its
game against that team, the winning team shall
be declared the representative.
b.) Should the procedure outlined in
Item a. fail to break the tie, the process will
continue to the next-place team and beyond
until the tie is broken.
c.) When arriving at another group of
tied teams, composite records between the tying teams shall be utilized to determine if one
of the tied teams has won more games against
the group of tied teams.
4.) If the procedures described previously
fail to break the tie, the representative shall be
determined by a coin flip.

MULTIPLE TIES
1.) A multiple tie (three or more teams)
shall exist only if the tied teams have the same
number of losses.
2.) If all of the teams involved in the multiple
tie played each other during the regular season,
then the composite records among the tied
teams shall be compared to break the tie.
3.) If the process outlined in Step 2 reduces
the tie to a tie among two teams, the two-team
tiebreaker formula shall then be utilized.
4.) If not all of the tied teams played each
other during the regular season, or if step 2
does not break or reduce the tie, the following
procedure shall be utilized:
a.) A comparison of each of the tied
teams’ head-to-head record against the team
occupying the highest position in the regularseason standings that each team has played. If
one team won its game against that team, the
winning team shall be declared the representative.
b.) Should the procedure outlined in
Item a. fail to break the tie, the process will
continue to the next-place team and beyond
until the tie is broken.
c.) When arriving at another group of
tied teams, composite records between the tying teams shall be utilized to determine if one
of the tied teams has won more games against
the group of tied teams.
5.) If the procedures described previously
fail to break the tie, the representative shall be
determined by a blind drawing.

Watson Brown Says The OVC Is Tougher Than Ever

This was an interesting quote from Tennessee Tech coach Watson Brown  on how tough the OVC is this year:

" It wasn’t a good year to have all of this happen with the league as good as it is. This league is bona fide. There are some good football teams in this league. There are four teams in this league this year who are better than any team that has won the championship in the last four years, and that’s counting us that won it last year. "


Read more: Herald Citizen - Mistakes costly for Golden Eagles

G-Times Previews the Murray Game

click here.

Passing fad: JSU defense faced with task of stopping top-notch quarterback yet again

Passing fad: JSU defense faced with task of stopping top-notch quarterback yet again: In what seems like an every week occurrence, Jacksonville State faces another of the Ohio Valley Conference’s dynamic passing attacks — and this one is the best of the bunch.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Jacksonville State University Gamecocks - Jermaine Hough Named National Freshman of the Week

Jacksonville State University Gamecocks - Jermaine Hough Named National Freshman of the Week

Nice Story About an Injured UTM Player

click here.

November already? Jax State preps for strong finish

November already? Jax State preps for strong finish: The calendar still says October, but in Gamecocks coach Jack Crowe’s mind it’s already November and it’s the way the Gamecocks play this month that will define them. From here on out, it’s all abou...

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Jacksonville State tops Tennessee State 31-28 OT

Jacksonville State tops Tennessee State 31-28 OT: Washaun Ealey posted 190 all-purpose yards as Jacksonville State upset Tennessee State 31-28 Saturday.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

JSU v. Tennessee State: Post-Game Thoughts

A dramatic win for the Gamecocks today.  Here are a few observations:

*Down goes Frazier:  The Gamecocks beat a very good 7-0 football team today.  Need to look up to see when the last time JSU beat an undefeated team this late in the season.

*Nice to have a visiting crowd:  TSU bought a large contingent of fans and a great band.  It would be great if other teams in the league did the same.

*Redemption.  Last week was not a great week for M. Ivory and G. Thomas. There was no hangover.  Ivory completed 11-17 with no interceptions or fumbles against a very good defense.  G. Thomas hit his second game winner of the season!

*Great 2nd Half by the Defense:  The defense played an outstanding second half.  After giving up 21 in the first half, JSU only surrendered 7 in the second half.  The pressure on TSU's quarterback in the second part of the game was remarkable.  Mike Whittier, Dimetrio Tyson and Jordan Jackson among others were applying the pressure.

*Gamecocks overcome back to back turnovers:  In the 4th quarter the Gamecocks were driving to take the lead 2 times. Both drives ended in turnovers, one a Washaun Ealey fumble and the second a Coty Blanchard pick.  Washaun said that he saw a hole, got excited and momentarily took his eyes off of the ball. Coty said that he misread the coverage and if he would have checked down he would have hit a wide open receiver. Despite the int., Coty was tough all day and was really hurting TSU with his legs.

*Miles Jones loses his shirt.  With the game on the line and Coot and Buster injured, the Gamecocks elected to play freshman running back Miles Jones for the first time this season.  Coach Crowe is confident that they can get Jones enough work for the remainder of the season to justify the decision.

*Pick City.   After not getting any interceptions in the first half of the season, they seem to be coming in droves.  Spiderman had one and the freshman phenom, Junior Hough, had another.

*31-28.  For the second straight week, JSU played to a 31-28 game.  It's nice to be on the winning end of it.

*He's Back.  For the 2nd straight week, Washaun Ealey eclipsed 100 yards rushing with a workman like performance.  Ealey is also showing NFL Scouts that he can catch, totalling 82 receiving yards on the day. The Voice said in pre-game that Ealey had been banged up all year and was finally healthy.

*What Can Brown do for you.  TSU had so much respect for kick return Telvin "Downtown" Brown (his nickname at Carrollton high school) that they twice went with a high short kick to an up man.  I wish JSU would put another returner at that up spot to make teams think twice about that strategy.

*Ben Endress.  That's all I've got to say about that.

*Gamecocks overcome injuries.  This win was all the more impressive considering the number of players out with injuries.  Pope and Ivory were injured during the game.  JSU was also missing dynamic wide receivers, Gabriel Chambers and Markis Merrill, DL Martez House and  cornerback Francis Duncan.




Friday, October 19, 2012

Week 8 TSU


G-Times Article on The Gamecocks

click here

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Auburn, JSU working to resolve scheduling conflict

Auburn, JSU working to resolve scheduling conflict: When the Southeastern Conference released its conference football schedule for 2013 Thursday, it threw up a big red flag for Jacksonville State.

JSU Football Blog Analyzes the Stats

click here.

TSU Alters Practice Because of a Bye

click here.

Holcombe following in father’s footsteps at JSU

Holcombe following in father’s footsteps at JSU: Almost every conversation the Jacksonville State coaches have with people outside the program about center Max Holcombe invariably contains the phrase “football is in his blood” or “he was born to ...

Jacksonville State tries to bounce back against league-leading Tennessee State

Jacksonville State tries to bounce back against league-leading Tennessee State

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Good Article on Tenn. State's Coach

click here.

Keep Hope Alive

Emotionally devastating loss last weekend.  While the odds are long, the Gamecocks still have a lot to play for this season.  Essentially, the Gamecocks need to win out and hope that the other teams in the league have two losses. Here is a look at whats in front of each of the contenders:

TENNESSEE STATE - currently undefeated:

@ Jacksonville State, Tennessee Tech, @ Murray, UTM.

EASTERN KENTUCKY- currently one conference loss:

@ Tennessee Tech, Eastern Illinois, @ SEMO, Murray State.

EASTERN ILLINOIS- currently one conference loss:

@EKU, Tennessee Tech, SEMO.

UTM- currently one conference loss:

@ SEMO, Jacksonville State, @ Tennessee Tech, Tennessee State


Analysis: 

First off, the Gamecocks running the table is anything but a given.  Even if JSU upsets TSU, they still have a game against a very good Martin team and unpredictable Murray State. 

Second, JSU fans need to become big fans of Tennessee Tech.  If they get hot and beat EKU and/or Tennessee State, it would do wonders for JSU's chances.

Third, what an amazing break that EIU and Tennessee State don't have to play each other.  What I don't know is whether if these teams finish with two losses, but one less win, whether they get to share in the title with a team that plays a full OVC schedule and finishes with two losses.




How Good Is the OVC?

Due to a lack of playoff success, the OVC does not enjoy a very good reputation in football.  However, results on the field show that for this year- perception may not be reality.  Here is a look at how teams from the OVC have done against non-conference foes this year:

Against FCS competition:   8 wins, 3 losses.

Against BCS competition:   1 win, 8 losses.

Against other teams:  2 wins, 0 losses.

Overall:  12- 11.

However, the most important statistic is against FCS competition.  While the games against BCS teams generate a lot of excitement, they are an unfair measuring stick. The games are always played on the BCS' teams field and, more importantly, the BCS teams have about 20 more scholarships.

Tennessee State looks to stay unbeaten against JSU

Tennessee State looks to stay unbeaten against JSU: Rod Reed knows each week as the winning streak grows, so does the pressure to maintain it. Reed’s Tennessee State football team is 7-0, one of four undefeated teams in the Football Championship Sub...

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

JSU Director of Player Performance Thomas Twitty


From Abbeville to Hamilton

Just learned that a great Gamecock, Monte Lewis, is playing in the CFL for the Hamilton Tiger Cats. Stay warm Monte!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

JSU’s comeback attempt falls short

JSU’s comeback attempt falls short: Jacksonville State suffered its most bitter and potentially damaging Ohio Valley Conference loss of the season Saturday, 31-28 at Eastern Illinois in a game one might say the clock simply ran out on.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Highlights for Week 7 EIU


EIU Will Pose a Huge Challenge

EIU has been down for a couple of years.  Some fans may be expecting an easier game because of that.

Not so fast.  Under new head coach, Dino Babers, EIU is putting up staggering offensive numbers and has played well against stiff competition.  If the Gamecocks  manage to pull this one out, it will be a great road win.

Here is a quick review of EIU's season:

Week 1- A twenty-one point win over Southern Illinois.  Since then, Southern Illinois has wins over SEMO, Missouri State and Illinois State.

Week 2- A thirty point loss to FCS Western Michigan.  Probably EIU's worst loss of the season.

Week 3- a three point loss to Illinois State. This is one of EIU's most impressive performances.  Illinois State only has one loss on the year and  a win over FCS Eastern Michigan.

Week 4- a one point win over Murray State in a 50-49 overtime shootout.

Week 5- a fourteen point loss to a really good UT Martin team that has a win over Memphis.  Here is the rest of the story: EIU turned it over 5 times  and outgained Martin by almost three hundred yards.

EIU has not done much defensively, but they are solid against Jacksonville State's strenth- the run. EIU's apparent weakness is against the pass, where most opponents have feasted on their defense.  Tennessee Tech's primary weakness was pass defense as well, but the Gamecocks stayed primarily with the run- perhaps because they were missing Alan Bonner and Gabriel Chambers.  It remains to be seen whether these two playmakers will be ready to go this week.

EIU's offensive numbers are off the charts and most of that offense runs thru two players, quarterback Jimmy Garopollo and receiver Erik Lora.  Will the Gamecocks employ the same defense they used to slow Da' Rick Rogers down?  While Lora is  tough, JSU has two bona fide cover corners in Rashod Byers and true freshman, Junior Hough.


Gamecocks preparing to deal with EIU’s dynamic duo

Gamecocks preparing to deal with EIU’s dynamic duo: Just how fast does Eastern Illinois run a play in its fast-paced offense? Dont blink, you might miss it.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Great Preview Article From EIU's Local Paper

*Sounds like Alan Bonner and Gabriel Chambers might be out for the Gamecocks- ouch.

*EIU's coach is worried about JSU's press coverage.

*EIU struggles on kick returns and punt returns.  As good as Telvin Brown is, it would be great to have Bonner and Chambers.


Jacksonville St.’s pressing man-to-man concerns EIU

G-Times Article on Telvin Brown

click here.

Wide receiver Brown living a dream at JSU

Wide receiver Brown living a dream at JSU: Telvin Brown is just living the dream. Really. The true freshman receiver was thrust into triple duty in Jacksonville State’s win at Tennessee State last Saturday and he delivered a night that wou...

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Gamecock Chatter With Nick Johnson


JSU FOOTBALL 10/8/12


Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Lots of yards, lots of guts but only a loss

Lots of yards, lots of guts but only a loss

Jacksonville State defense emerges to potential in road win

Jacksonville State defense emerges to potential in road win: Three games into the season, the Jacksonville State defense looked like a group that couldn’t get out of its own way. Today, it’s starting to play like the unit head coach Jack Crowe envisioned whe...

Saturday, October 6, 2012

We'll Take Your Injuries and Raise You One- TTU Post Game Observations

As the week progressed, I really thought JSU would be able to exploit a banged up TTU secondary.  Of course, I did not know that the Gamecocks were going to be playing without Alan Bonner and Gabriel Chambers, two of their top three wideouts, not to mention Markis Merrill who was lost right before the season.

In no real order, here are a few post-game observations:

*A great part of this game was the way the Gamecocks closed it out. Far too many times in the last few years, JSU has been unable to put teams away.  Tonight, the defense made several 4th quarter stops and, after going three and out on one drive, the offense got the ball back and iced the game.

*Marques Ivory is having a spectacular year.  His performance tonight with the depleted receiving corps was remarkable.

*If we had game balls to give, Telvin Brown and Trey Smith both deserve them. Brown, who did not see much action against SEMO, got JSU back in it with a long kick return and an even longer td reception.   TT had no answer for Trey Smith. Every time the Gamecocks needed a clutch catch he made it.

*Coot James continued his remarkable string of games.  For the most part, even when TT knew he was going to get the ball they could not stop him.

*Not sure what is wrong with Ealey, but you have to admire the way he keeps banging.  While his yards per carry are way down, he is blocking well for Coot and is also a nice pass receiving threat out of the backfield.  

*You wonder if Buster Pope tweaked his knee again. One run - 20 yards and you did not see him again.

*The defense appears to be improving.  They really shut TT' run game down and made a lot of plays in the secondary.  Dimetrio Tyson, Caleb Lawrence and Sean "Real Papa" Watson applied the pressure all night long.  

*A linebacker that makes the most of the playing time he gets is Brent Tolson.  Speaking of linebackers, I wish Spiderman could get that club off his hand. It cost him a pick in the SEMO game and a tfl in this game.

*Hamish is a really good punter.

*Da'Rick Rogers went out in the 4th with an injury. No question it helped the Gamecocks, but JSU did a fairly good job of containing him before that point in the game.  

*It appears with JSU's offensive line this year you have to be ready when your number is called.   It looked like Colt Kennedy played most of the entire first half and Tee Hardin played almost all of the second. Not sure who was out, but don't remember seeing much of Tori Mobley.

*TSU beat EKU today so JSU controls its own destiny.  The conference is probably tougher than it ever has been.  While Peay can't quite get it going, the rest of JSU's games all appear tough.




Friday, October 5, 2012

TTU FOOTBALL: Crowe says Gamecocks have to be consistent in matchup with Tech

TTU FOOTBALL: Crowe says Gamecocks have to be consistent in matchup with Tech: JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — If there’s anything that has been in the back of Jacksonville State head coach Jack Crowe’s mind, it’s that his Gamecocks have lost the last two years t...

Highlights for TTU Week 6


Big Distraction: JSU's Pendleton demands attention

Big Distraction: JSU's Pendleton demands attention: Terrence Pendleton is the biggest player on the Gamecocks’ roster, a man-mountain who got first chance to play just this week. The team lists him at 6-feet, 329 pounds, although he’ll tell you it’s...

Thursday, October 4, 2012

JSU Players Mixing It Up At Practice


JSU Football Blog Reviews the SEMO Game

click here.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Can JSU Take Advantage of Tech's Injuries?

Tennessee Tech has been plagued with injuries this year.   Coach Brown mentioned something along the lines of 21 players have missed games this year in contrast to last year where they did not suffer a single serious injury until midseason.

According to their game notes, Tech will be missing the following former starters: Marty Jones- safety;
Zack Ziegler- wide receiver; and Tremaine Hudson- running back.  In addition, Austin Tallant, a standout safety, is questionable. 

It appears that the injury bug has hit Tech particularly hard in the secondary.  They will be starting Jimmy Laughlin, a true freshman from Vestavia Hills, at safety and William Dillard, another young player from Vestavia, at corner.  

Can the Gamecocks can take advantage of the situation?  With the exception of the EKU game where there may have been a problem with the game balls, Ivory has been amazingly efficient and the Gamecock receivers have looked great.  Alan Bonner has shown why he is an NFL prospect, Kevyn Cooper is having his best season and Gabriel Chambers is emerging as more than just a return man.  Its a shame that we did not get to see what Markis Merrill could have done this year- reportedly a special player.  

The Golden Eagles'  losses on offense do not appear to be as significant.  While Hudson is a starter, it appears that his role is primarily as a blocker as he only has eight attempts on the year.  It will be interesting to see whether his absence will impact the performance of Tech's outstanding running back, Adam Urbano.  Likewise, the loss of Zack Ziegler at wide receiver (3 games, 5 catches) appears to be something they can overcome given the presence of Da'Rick Rogers and Tech's other fine receivers.

OVC race may come down to who plays best away from home

OVC race may come down to who plays best away from home: As close as the Ohio Valley Conference race is shaping into this season, the deciding factor in determining a champion likely will be which of the emerging contenders does the best in the most host...

Great Video On JSU's Academic Center for Excellence


Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Barry "the Butcher" Stafford on Gamecock Chatter


G-Times Previews the T. Tech Game

click here.

Gamecocks preparing for some of FCS’s best passers

Gamecocks preparing for some of FCS’s best passers: All those early-morning wake-up calls and pre-dawn workouts the Jacksonville State defensive backs dutifully put themselves through this summer were done specifically with these next four weeks in ...

TTU FOOTBALL: ]Back to the drawing board

TTU FOOTBALL: ]Back to the drawing board: MURRAY, Ky. — It was an experience that the Tennessee Tech football team would probably like to forget, giving up 70 points to Murray State in a 70-35 loss on Saturday at Roy Stewart St...

Monday, October 1, 2012

OVCball.net Reviews JSU's B-ball Schedule

click here.

Having bounced back, JSU looks ahead

Having bounced back, JSU looks ahead: The Gamecocks spent all of last week trying to exorcize the demons of that lopsided loss, but it was only after their 31-16 victory Saturday could they tell if they had been successful.

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Mocs Roll to 28-10 Win at No. 11 The Citadel

Pretty impressive win by a team that the Gamecocks beat.



Mocs Roll to 28-10 Win at No. 11 The Citadel

Watson Brown: "We are in disarray right now."

@White=[C] Murray mauls Tech: @White=[C] By THOMAS CORHERN MURRAY, Ky. — The injuries took a bigger toll than any one probably expected for the Tennessee Tech football team. Casey Brockman, Walter Powell, Duane Brady and...

OVCSports.com - Football Recaps - September 29

OVCSports.com - Football Recaps - September 29

Friday, September 28, 2012

JSU Video - The SEMO Game


SEMOball previews the game

click here.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

JSU Tennis Preview


Article on SEMO's Safety

click here.

Gamecocks hopes to limit turnovers against Division I-leading Redhawks

Gamecocks hopes to limit turnovers against Division I-leading Redhawks: The last thing a team coming off four turnovers needs is a game with an opponent that’s leading the nation in takeaways. But that’s exactly what Jacksonville State faces Saturday looking to stay in...

JSU freshman Jermaine Hough to get his 1st start at corner this week

JSU freshman Jermaine Hough to get his 1st start at corner this week: Put me in, coach, I'm ready to play. The pop-tune line is coming true for a young JSU cornerback

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Trivia Question

In 2010, Eastern Kentucky went 6-2 in the conference and put up the following point totals: 7, 35, 21, 28, 49, 42 and 17.

Question:  Who was the defensive coordinator of the team that held EKU to seven points?

Answer:   Chris Boone.

Luke Smith Gets On the Board

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2012/sep/25/college-sports-notebook-sept-25-2012/

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Gamecock Chatter With Dimetrio Tyson

Country Does It Again

Perhaps overlooked as a result of the loss was Gabriel Chambers having another huge return.  He gave the Gamecocks a real chance to change the momentum bringing an EKU kick back to the 20.  Unfortunately, we were not able to turn it into points.   In any event, that's three games and two big returns for Chambers.   He should be All Conference if he stays at it.

Anatomy of a Problem

The 2012 Gamecocks' biggest weakness appears to be depth on the defensive line.  Yesterday, Coach Crowe announced that virtually every line spot other than Dimetrio Tyson would be up for competition.  While we may have been looking with rose colored glasses, it should have been apparent that there was a potential for problems on the defensive front when JSU went into Arkansas with a former quarterback starting at defensive end, a converted offensive lineman as the backup defensive tackle and a converted tight end on the two deep.

The current lack of depth appears to be the result of: 1) not signing many defensive linemen in 2009 and 2010; 2) attrition; and 3) untimely injuries and/or suspensions.  A review of JSU's online media guides and other sources shows the following defensive line signees/additions by year:

2009

David Maness (a highly regarded player who never played significant time and appears to be off of the team)
Denzell Cheeks (converted to tight end)
Torrey Davis (transfer, only played one year)

2010

Mike Lewis (now at Valdosta State)
Armani Williams (we believe he is now at Delta State)
Erik Bailey (may have been a walk-on. No longer on the roster)
Tim McGee (transfer, only played one year)
Barry Stafford (came to the program late, but is #2 on the depth chart)
Bryant Hawkins (played some in 2011, but left the program)
Marquis George (juco transfer out of eligibility)

2011

Caleb Lawrence (current starter)
Adam Wright (currently #2 on the depth chart)
Martez House (current co-starter)
Jakari Kinnie (no longer on the team)

2012
Ked Wolfe (apparently redshirting)
Cody Sanfratello (walk on transfer from South Florida)
Omari Jones (transfer from Georgia Southern and JUCO that has to sit out this year)

PROBLEM #1 - 2009 AND 2010.

Much like running a vineyard, your current product is the fruit of your labor years ago.  Looking at the above information, it is easy to see where the problem lies.  Of all of the incoming defensive lineman for 2009 and 2010 (the guys that would be juniors and seniors now), the only one left is Barry Stafford, currently working as a reserve.  Note-  Dimetrio Tyson, the undisputed leader of the defensive line, came in in 2008 and redshirted.

In contrast, the Gamecocks appeared to go 3 for 4 in recruiting defensive lineman in 2011. Lawrence is a starter and Watson and Wright are playing meaningful snaps.  The only loss from that class was Kinnie, a 3 Star Recruit from Gadsden that switched to JSU from Georgia State on signing day.  Not sure why he is no longer on the roster.

PROBLEM #2- Lack of Eligibility of Two Key Players.

The Gamecocks brought in two JUCO transfers, Ked Wolfe and Omari Jones, who might be good enough to be starters this year.  Unfortunately, neither is eligible to play this year.  The loss of Wolfe is particuarly devastating as he was brought in specifically to replace Texas Garrott.

PROBLEM #3- Near Misses.

The Gamecocks narrowly missed on three players in 2012, all of whom would have materially contributed this year.  Derrick Lott, a four star transfer from Georgia, wanted to come to Jacksonville State, but academic hurdles made it impossibile.  Lucas Melo, a three star JUCO defensive lineman, committed to JSU, but then signed with South Alabama.  Finally, the Gamecocks had a verbal commitment from a three star Mississippi product, who ended up signing with Cal.   There are others as well.

THE FUTURE.

The problems on the defensive line appear to be short term.  Everyone returns from the current roster except Tyson and Mike Whittier.  Young players like Jordan Jackson and Sean Watson appear to be progressing.  Presumably, Wolfe and Omari Jones will be available next year.  Hopefully, however, the Gamecocks can right the ship this year and get back to playing Red Bandit defense.



Moving On: Gamecocks hope to put blowout loss to EKU behind them

Moving On: Gamecocks hope to put blowout loss to EKU behind them: It's easy to keep going when things are going good. The tough thing is to reach down and carry on when a result was something less than good. There was no bigger stinker than the 51-21 egg Jacksonv...

Gamecocks looking for a spark on defense

Gamecocks looking for a spark on defense: Even as Jacksonville State’s national rankings continue to slide, coach Jack Crowe remains committed to the approach the Gamecocks are taking to playing defense. There is, however, the chance for ...

Monday, September 24, 2012

Tennessee Tech Is Really Banged Up

http://herald-citizen.com/view/full_story/20254418/article-Injuries--mistakes-cost-Tech-at-SEMO?instance=main_article

JSU Gets Basketball Commit

link here.

Looking For A Pony

The cold reality that our defense is probably not good enough to compete for a title this year is staring me right in the face.  Nevertheless, in an attempt to be optimistic, here are a few silver linings:

*Saw that Martez House played on Saturday. House was listed as a co-starter coming out of summer camp and suffered a freak foot injury.  That injury necessitated Adam Wright moving from offense to defense.

*Leaving everything else aside, if someone would have told me the Gamecocks were going to turn it over four times, including a pick six, on Saturday I would have known we were going to lose.  If the offense stays on the field, it helps the defense.

*EKU was something like 7 out of 11 on third downs.  If JSU can improve on this stat, and that's a big if, we might have a chance.

*While it appears the Gamecocs bring out the best in opposing offenses, EKU is probably more talented than any other OVC team on that side of the ball.   In pre-season we wrote about the fact that they have four pro prospects- two offensive tackles, Denham and Tyrone Goard.

*Lets stay behind the team and get after SEMO this weekend.

Gamecock Links

This article details incredible receiving performances by Eric Lora at EIU and Da'Rick Rogers at Tennessee Tech.  click here.

I am even more worried about our defense after reading this, UTC's offense was ineffective against Appalachian State after scorching the Gamecocks for almost 500 yards.

No link, but A-Star twitter indicates Jerry Slota is banged up, but will probably play this weekend. Also, Pope is likely out a couple of weeks with a knee strain.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

SEMO's Incredible Win Over T-Tech

Story here.

In Other News . . .

D. Rogers catches 18 passes for 303 yards in T. Tech's overtime loss to SEMO.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Harris Joins the Gamecocks' Bball Staff

click here.

Mr. Versatility: JSU's Bonner capable of making an impact in many ways

Mr. Versatility: JSU's Bonner capable of making an impact in many ways: Jacksonville State's Alan Bonner has grown into a role for the Gamecocks that may not be accurately described by the title

Smith rounding up opposing ball carriers in well-cast web

Smith rounding up opposing ball carriers in well-cast web: Rashad Smith isn’t a superhero in real life, but he does play one on the football field.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

JSU Highlight Video Week 4

5 Burning Questions About the EKU Game.

1) Will revenge be a big factor?  Probably not.  In 2010, JSU blew a huge lead to Tennessee Tech.  The Gamecocks were unable to use the revenge factor to get a win over TTU in 2011.  The bottom line is emotion only goes so far and the best team will usually win the game.

2)  Can the Gamecocks stop the deep ball?  No one burns JSU deep the way EKU does (okay, maybe Arkansas). In each of the last two games, EKU has had 4 completions of 20 yards or more including multiple 40+ yard receptions.  There is little reason to think the outcome will be different this year.  The Colonels have an All American receiver in Tryone Goard and also return Cameron Bailey both of whom had over 100 receiving yards against JSU in the 2011 game.  While it was against an FCS team with a great quarterback, the Gamecocks were unsuccessful stopping the pass against Arkansas.

3)  Is Washaun Ealey ready to explode?   All reports out of summer camp were that Ealey was in amazing shape and was poised to continue the dominance he showed beginning midway in to the 2011 campaign.  Unfortunately, Ealey was injured early in the  Arkansas game and was suspended for Chattanooga.  GI predicts that Ealey will go for over 200 yards against EKU behind an improved offensive line.  The biggest thing holding Ealey back may be lack of carries given the emergence of Coot James and Buster Pope.

4)  Can the Gamecocks stop Matt Denham?   Last year, EKU wonderback Matt Denham burned the Gamecocks for 214 yards.  Denham has been tough this year going for over 100 yards against Morehead State (a non-scholarship team) and Coastal Carolina. The Colonels have two all conference tackles, but suffered a serious loss on their offensive line when center OJ Enasobi was apparently declared academically ineligible and they also apparently loss their starting tight end.  This attrition aside, stopping Denham will be a monumental challenge for the Gamecocks.

5) Will the horseshoe fall out of EKU's hat?  Last year, EKU finished +15 in turnover margin.  While they certainly deserve credit for creating turnovers, this stat tends to even out over time.  Last year against JSU, EKU got a pick in the endzone that saved seven points, recovered two onsides kicks, returned a fumble 60+ yards for a touchdown and stopped JSU on the 1 yard line at the end of the game.   If JSU can win the turnover battle this year, it should win the game.

JSU Football Blog Previews EKU

click here.

2 QBs, Part II: Jax State, EKU follow similar plan

2 QBs, Part II: Jax State, EKU follow similar plan: Jacksonville State has been alternating fifth-year senior Marques Ivory and junior Coty Blanchard all season — sometimes within the same set of downs — and Eastern Kentucky is aspiring to do the sa...

Jacksonville State, Eastern Kentucky clash in showdown of OVC powers

Jacksonville State, Eastern Kentucky clash in showdown of OVC powers

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Link to OVC Coaches' Interviews

OVCSports.com - OVC Football Previews - Week 4

Gamecock Chatter With Alan Bonner


G-Times Article On EKU Preparation

click here.

Gamecocks looking to put last season’s loss to EKU behind them

Gamecocks looking to put last season’s loss to EKU behind them: Nine months ago Jacksonville State suffered one of the biggest fourth-quarter collapses in all of college football and it has haunted its players from the moment the JSU Stadium clock hit all zeroes.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Gamecocks sticking to their guns with dual quarterback system

Gamecocks sticking to their guns with dual quarterback system: There’s a saying Jack Crowe likes to quote from his days as an Auburn assistant that holds if you’ve got two quarterbacks in your football plan you don’t have one.

Friday, September 14, 2012

Reader Poll- Are You Pulling For EKU To Win Or Lose This Week and Why?

Gamecock Players Talk About The Bye Week

Click here.

JSU kicker goes from walk-on to walk-off

JSU kicker goes from walk-on to walk-off: Griffin Thomas toiled as an active walk-on in his first two seasons at Jacksonville State, but Saturday night he got to experience the ultimate kicker’s high — for the first time in his life.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Coach Watts' Has A Vision

click here.

How Coot Got His Name.

Click here.

JSU v. UTC Video Hilights

click here. Thanks to JSU Parent for the information.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

T. Tech Headed to Oregon

click here.

"We knew . . . they were really good on offense."

UTC's Coach on the Jacksonville State offense:

"It was not shocking but a little frustrating. We knew coming in that they were really good on offense. They moved the ball up and down the field on Arkansas, and they had a great scheme. Both of their quarterbacks are good. They're different, but they both make plays. The freshman tailback ran for 85 yards against Arkansas. We knew they were good, but I thought we could have played better. We gave up 20 points on defense. While a lot of places would take that and feel really good about it, we don't. Our guys were a little embarrassed about how they played, and they'll play better this week."

Source:  UTC athletics website.

No Down Time: Gamecocks preparing for EKU during off week

No Down Time: Gamecocks preparing for EKU during off week: The Gamecocks are coming off a dramatic 27-24 win over UT Chattanooga that kept them ranked 24th. After an open week, they'll face No. 20 Eastern Kentucky, the OVC favorite, in their conference ope...

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Gamecock Chatter With Coty and Ques


OVC Power Rankings

click here.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Quote of the Year By Spiderman Smith

The full interview is here but the quote of the year so far is from Rashad "Spiderman" Smith:

When I go out there I go out with the mentality that I hate everybody on the other side of the ball . . . I tell everybody bring contact and play fierce and don't give up no matter what the score is . . . When I am playing the game I don't pay attention to the score as much . . . . I just try to hit people constantly and I try to stress that to everybody on the defense.  The reason I play football is I like to see the person on the other side of the ball lose their pride and the confidence they have.

JSU Football Blog Reviews the UTC Win

click here.

1 Second Left - the Non-Controversy

Some Mocs fans claim they were homered by OVC refs that ruled that there was one second left when Coot James went down in the fourth quarter.  Even Coach Huesmann made some comment like you expect those calls on the road (or something to that effect).  Of course, there was no mention of the Gamecocks being called for seven penalties and the Mocs none. 

But, as the title suggests- there is no controversy. Here is what MocsFan2 had to say on the UTC message board:


"Two - The "Timeout Play". Runner was down with two seconds left and there is a JSU player clearly calling timeout with one second left. If that were to be reviewable they would get the timeout." 

 


OVC Ball Analyzes Murray's Loss

One of JSU's big rivals in the OVC is Murray State. They are off to a disappointing 0-2 start, losing to UCA after getting pounded by Florida State.  click here.

Great Story About Gamecock Golfer Tomasz Anderson

click here.http://golfweek.com/news/2012/sep/09/jacksonvilles-anderson-sacrifices-his-family/

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Chattanooga Articles

Click here.

Times-Free Press here.

UTC Post-Game Quotes

Gamecocks boot Mocs on last-second FG

Gamecocks boot Mocs on last-second FG: From the moment he walked into his team’s home opener Saturday night, Jack Crowe had no problem with the game going into overtime. Griffin Thomas had other ideas.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Another Gamecock Blog!

http://jaxstate.wordpress.com/ Looks like this will be an excellent site.

Let It Roll - Flo Rida - Cocky Mascot Tribute

Pope's role just got a bit bigger

Pope's role just got a bit bigger: Ealey suspension opens door to more playing time for Anniston product

Friday, September 7, 2012

JSU Football Blog Previews the UTC Game

click here

Tweet of the Day

From Coach Crowe:  "This game represents a significant evaluation to what we are as a football team.FYI Washaun passed a drug test.Just got down to bad company."

JSU vs UTC week 2


MacInnes gets 1st taste of big-time football

MacInnes gets 1st taste of big-time football: It was about two hours before kickoff in the most ambitious season opener in program history and the Jacksonville State players were milling about the field to get comfortable with the place. For o...

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Jacksonville State University - JSU Suspends Washaun Ealey for Home Opener

Jacksonville State University - JSU Suspends Washaun Ealey for Home Opener

OVCSports.com - OVC Football Previews - Week 2

OVCSports.com - OVC Football Previews - Week 2

The Leaf Chronicle Reviews OVC Week 1

http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120904/SPORTS/309040112/Ohio-Valley-Conference-off-strong-start-season?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFrontpage%7Cp&nclick_check=1

JSU couldn’t bring home the bacon

JSU couldn’t bring home the bacon: FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Jacksonville State football team put an early scare into 10th ranked Arkansas and its 71,062 fans on Saturday night, but the high-octane Razorbacks handed the Gamecocks a 4...

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Mocs' quarterback Terrell Robinson leaves the team - WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & Sports

Link courtesy of JaxSigEp.


Mocs' quarterback Terrell Robinson leaves the team - WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & Sports

Jacksonville State University - GAMECOCK CHATTER with Hamish MacInnes

Jacksonville State University - GAMECOCK CHATTER with Hamish MacInnes

UTC Will Go With Hot Hand At QB

click here.

JSU’s game with Mocs may be season’s most important

JSU’s game with Mocs may be season’s most important: It might be only the second week of the season but in many ways Saturday’s home opener against Chattanooga may be Jacksonville State’s most important game of the year.

TJ Heath Makes the Bills Practice Squad

click here.http://blogs.buffalonews.com/press-coverage/2012/09/bills-add-tj-heath-lamark-brown-to-practice-squad.html

Monday, September 3, 2012

Sunday, September 2, 2012

JSU Football Blog Recaps the Ark. Game

click here.

OVC Ball Recaps Saturday Night.

Really good recaps of the games someone other than the SID's from the schools.  Click here.

UTC's Defensive Line Will Be a Huge Test for the Gamecocks


Chattanooga's defensive line will likely be the best unit the Gamecocks face for the rest of the year prior to Florida.  UTC boasts two all conference defensive ends and two division one transfers in the interior.  One of the transfers is Derrick Lott, a 4 star high school player, who played two years for Georgia.  Chattanooga's coach, Russ Heusmann, said that the Mocs defensive line won the battle at the line of scrimmage against South Florida:

"This is one matchup I think we won: our defensive line versus their offensive line," Huesman said. "Whether [USF coach Skip Holtz] agrees with me or not, we won that battle."



Saturday, September 1, 2012

Post Game Observations- JSU v. Arkansas

Random late night observations on the JSU - Arkansas game

OFFENSE:

WIDE RECEIVERS

*Alan Bonner was an absolute beast with over 100 yards receiving;

*Highly touted freshman Telvin Brown looked impressive;

*This new kick rule has nullified one of JSU's best weapons in Gabriel Chambers.  Chambers had a couple of nice catches though as did Kevyn Cooper.  All in all, this wide receiving corps may prove to be a strength of the team.  It would have been great to have Markis Merrill in the mix.

RUNNING BACKS

*Buster Pope was as good as advertised. Pope had a nice move on a reception and ended up scoring;

*Coot James had an excellent game running the ball and was every bit as physical as anything Arkansas offered;

*Ealey went out relatively early, but appeared to be ok on the sideline. It was great to see Ealey constantly encouraging Pope.

*JSU ran a fullback, #46, that, to my knowledge, was not on the roster until this summer.  He seemed to play well, but we hope we continue to see Jerry Slota as well.

OFFENSIVE LINE

*T. Hardin made a surprise start on the offensive line.   It was great to see how many people played on the offensive line.  In addition to the starters, Rush, Colt Kennedy, Preston Hatcher and others played meaningful minutes.  I think I saw Thomas Williams in the game as well.

*Most of the time, the line gave Ivory and Blanchard time to throw.  You don't always see that in games between SEC and FCS teams.

QUARTERBACKS

*JSU mixed Coty and Ivory in seamlessly and seemed to run about four different offensive schemes.  UTC will have a challenging week of preparation.  Its amazing how effective Blanchard is after missing spring/summer with baseball.

*Considering the level of competition, Ivory made some great throws and had one of his better games as a Gamecock. He looked particularly good throwning mid to deep balls down the sidelines.

DEFENSE

*The number of new faces on defense was amazing.  Leon Jones, Dustin Gayton, JR Hough, Jordan Jackson, Santavious Oden, Sean Watson and Trub Buxton all got their first meaningful minutes.  While the defense gave up a lot of points, they also created several turnovers and played much better in the second half.

DEFENSIVE LINE.

*Dimetrio Tyson had a great game finishing with one sack and a tackle for a loss.

*Caleb Lawrence is a force in the middle.  Adam Wright played a lot as his backup.  Its remarkable that Wright was a backup offensive lineman two weeks ago.

LINEBACKERS

*Although he appeared to get beat on one ball, Rashad "Spiderman" Smith was all over the field finishing with eight tackles.

*Nick Johnson, who we thought was injured, played a ton for the Gamecocks.

*Brent Tolson played a really good game at linebacker and appears to be emerging as a star for the Gamecocks.

SECONDARY

*Rashod Byers had some bright spots at cornerback.

*It is unlikely that JSU will see a team that can throw it like Arkansas. Their QB put the ball on the money time and time again.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Griffin Thomas kicked a 49 yard field goal.

Coty and Hamish looked good punting the ball.

G-Times Previews the Game

click here.

Friday, August 31, 2012

Are you ready to get fired up?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5N7lt_qDrzk&feature=youtu.be

Trouble at EKU

click here.

A Big Night for the OVC

OVC Ball has a nice review, click here. (note- they have the SEMO score reversed). Bottom line, SEMO gave a MAC team a run for their money, EIU pounded Southern Illinois and Tennessee Tech had a comfortable win over Hampton.

Does JSU Really Want to Be In the Sun Belt?

One of the premier programs in the Mighty Sun Belt, MTSU, went down at the hands of FCS  McNeese State last night.  Sun Belt elect member Georgia State was pounded by FCS South Carolina State.  I know they are happy to be in major media markets sothat they get plenty of coverage for these games.  The bottom line is Troy didn't want Jacksonville State in their league because their scared.  Hey Troy- if you're scared, say scared.

Arkansas Blogger Notes JSU's Youth On Defense.

Click here for a study of just how young the JSU defense is based on career starts.  click here.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

OVC Ball Previews Tennessee State

An excellent preview of a conference foe from an excellent site.  click here.

The 5 Biggest Questions Facing the 2012 Gamecocks.

1.   WILL THE DEFENSE RISE TO THE CHALLENGE?

The Gamecocks were a middle of the pack defensive team in 2011.  There is every reason to be concerned that the defense could take a step back in 2012.  Why?  The Gamecocks lost a ton of starters from the 2011 team, including AJ Davis, Jawaan Booker,  Monte Lewis, Jack Jackson, Jameson Wadley and Rodney "Big Texas" Garrott.    That's six starters and some really good ones (Davis and Lewis both signed with NFL teams).

Unfortunately, several players that were slated to step in to replace these guys are either injured or no longer with the team.  Clemson transfer Desmond Brown, who might have started at safety, is no longer on the roster.  Ked Wolfe, who was likely going to start at defensive end, is no longer on the roster.  Finally, redshirt freshman Martez House was slated to start at defensive tackle and went out with what may be a season ending injury.  If you count these players as lost starters, the Gamecocks have lost 9 defensive starters in the last year.

The latest depth chart certainly raised anxiety levels among pessimistic fans.  Mike Whittier, a 220 pound former quarterback/ reserve linebacker, is the starting defensive end.  Brooks Robinson, another former quarterback and former starting safety, is listed as a starting linebacker, a position he has never previously played.   Rashod Byers, who played running back last year, is now a starting cornerback.  To put the icing on the cake, when House went down, the Gamecocks inserted redshirt freshman Adam Wright as the backup nose tackle, even though he had spent the entire camp working on the offensive side of the ball.

However, there does not appear to be any panic in Jacksonville.  The players appear to be growing more comfortable in the second year under defensive coordinator Chris Boon's complicated scheme.  Further, while the defensive line is young, one insider told us that they could be very good as the season progresses.  The secondary has a lot of experience and appears to be very deep.  For example, Denzell Bynum and Keginald Harris, who have both started before are listed as backups at corner and safety respectively.  Transfer, Trub Buxton, who started as a true freshman at corner for Western Michigan has yet to crack the two deep.

Finally, the Gamecocks have at least three potential stars on defense, led by Pierre Warren, a bona fide playmaker at safety.  Warren simply glides across the field.  At linebacker, Spiderman Smith, an equally accomplished rapper, leads a young, but talented group.  And, as young as the defensive line is, they are led by the pride of Elba, Alabama senior Dimetrio Tyson who has proven himself in big game environments.  

In closing on this point, Chris Boone and Coach Crowe have been optimistic about the defense in recent media interviews.  Lets see if that optimism was justified.


2.   HOW GOOD CAN THE OFFENSE BE?

For every question mark on defense, there is an answer on offense.  The quarterback position is loaded with two game changing players, Marques Ivory and Coty Blanchard.  Ivory is in good shape and should benefit from sitting in the coaches box last season.  Blanchard has not shown any rust after playing baseball all summer.

The Gamecocks have never been deeper at running back, with Washaun Ealey, Coot James, Buster Pope and several other talented players.  The running game will be boosted by a veteran offensive line that has a ton of career starts between them and two players who have earned all conference honors at one time or another (Tori Mobley and Odie Rush).  At tight end the Gamecocks have a three headed monster with Denzell Cheeks, Luke Smith (Navy  transfer) and Gavin Ellis (Troy State transfer) all vying for playing time.

The biggest question mark on offense for the Gamecocks is wide receiver.   JSU suffered a devastating preseason loss when future superstar, Markis Merrill, went down with a knee injury.  Trey Smith, a transfer from Western Michigan, will miss the Arkansas game. But, we must keep hope alive.  The Gamecocks receiving corps will be led by Alan Bonner who was rated as one of the top 100 pro prospects among small college players.  Another returning veteran is Kevyn Cooper , Marques Ivory's cousin, and a hero of the Ole Miss game.

There are two x factors at wide receiver. The first is Country Chambers.  He has demonstrated that he is one of the preeminent return men in the country, but he needs to become a big play wide receiver for the Gamecocks to truly succeed.  Finally, you don't want to get too excited about a true freshman, but Telvin Brown has really turned some heads.


3.   CAN WASHAUN EALEY AVERAGE 7 YARDS PER CARRY?

Last year, after a slow start, Washaun Ealy began to dominate, averaging over six yards per carry including over 100 yards against SEC foe Kentucky.  Ealey's year was particularly notable because he did it behind a patchwork offensive line.  The Gamecocks went into 2011 losing several key veterans (Curt Porter, Tyler Ogletree and Justin Kay), then disaster struck.  Pre-season all OVC Odie Rush was lost for the season with a knee injury and offensive guard, Matt Jones play was severely limited by knee injuries that ultimately ended his career.  Several players were rushed into action- perhaps a year earlier than the coaches would have liked.

This year is a different story.   Every starting offensive line has proven his mettle in game conditions.  Rush and Mobley are battle tested and will not be intimidated in Fayetteville.  One coach described guard Blake Burks as a "road grader."  Max Holcombe is everything you want out of a center.   Finally, Tarik Milner was good enough at tackle that Coach Adam Ross moved Mobley to guard.  Finally, the Gamecocks are two deep at every line position with veterans such as Tee Hardin, Colt Kennedy, Preston Hatcher, Tree Johnstone and Clay Squires all ready to step in if duty calls.

Back to the point.  If Ealey ran for 6 yards per carry behind the 2011 line, seven yards per carry behind what should be a much improved offensive line is realistic for 2012.  In addition, Ealey's conditioning and attitude are vastly improved since he arrived at the Friendliest Campus in the South.

4.   WHICH OF THE FABULOUS FRESHMAN MAKES THE BIGGEST IMPACT?

The 2012 signing class has created some buzz.  Running back, Troymaine a/k/a Buster a/k/a "Nascarlife Pope", is a guy that is capable to taking it to the house everytime he touches the ball.  As mentioned, Carrolton product, Telvin Brown has emerged as a big play threat at wide receiver. On the defensive side of the ball, watch out for JR Hough (pronounced Huff), a Lovejoy product that will appear in nickel and dime packages.  Even though he is not a freshman, Baylor transfer Sean "Real Papa" Watson, is ready to hit somebody after not playing his first two years of college football.  On special teams, we may hear a Thunder from Down Under, as Australian Hamish Maccines, plays his first down of American football at punter.

5.   CAN THE GAMECOCKS "FINISH THE DRILL?

The inability to hold big leads has plagued JSU for the past couple of years.  If the Gamecocks can improve in this area, by getting a first down when they need it on offense and getting that key stop on defense, it should be a good year.