Jacksonville State Gamecocks
Overall Rank: #10
#1 Ohio Valley
Jacksonville State Team Page
2010 Record: (9-3, 6-2)
2010 Postseason: FCS Playoffs
Coach: Jack Crowe (74-48 at Jacksonville State, 88-78 overall)
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Calvin Middleton, RB, 514 yards
Passing: Marques Ivory, QB, 2,248 yards
Receiving: James Shaw, WR, 316 yards
Tackles: Jason Horton, S, 65
Sacks: Monte Lewis, DT, 4.0
Interceptions: Keginald Harris, S, 5
The one thing that may stop Jacksonville State from returning to the playoffs is the offensive line. Three all-conference honorees are gone and left tackle Odie Rush will have to lead the way. There are a few familiar faces on Coach Jack Crowe’s offensive line, but this unit will not be as strong as they were in 2010. However, that will not likely matter too much with the talent at the skill positions.
Strengths:
Not only do the Gamecocks return running backs Darius Barksdale and Calvin Middleton, but they add an even better back in Georgia transfer Washaun Ealey. Many times a transfer from an FBS school did not play too much and then opted to transfer. That is not the case with Ealey. As a sophomore last year he led the Bulldogs with 794 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. He can do great things at Jacksonville State and with the quality depth behind him, he will stay fresh. The ground game will certainly garner plenty of attention, but the Gamecocks have one of the best quarterbacks in the Ohio Valley Conference on the team too. Marques Ivory did a fine job during his first year as the starter. He passed for 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions, but did start making better decisions as the season progressed. The amazing number is that he got sacked just seven times. The now depleted offensive line deserves some credit, but Ivory is an elusive quarterback who can keep plays alive with his feet while looking down field. Ivory will miss Jeffrey Cameron, his favorite target in 2010, but James Shaw is back and a great target in the red zone. This group may be better than they were last year thanks to Western Michigan transfer Trey Smith. He had a great spring and should help replace Cameron.
Weaknesses:
The defense did a fine job last year, but they do have a couple players to replace, most notably Antonio Bonner and Morrell Jones, the Gamecocks top two tacklers in 2010. For a rush defense that ranked fifth in the conference, those two will be missed. Clarence Jackson, a transfer from Mississippi should help the depleted linebacker corps in the Gamecocks unique 5-2 defense. Jacksonville State returns plenty of talent on the front line. Monte Lewis will again spend a lot of time in the backfield and Jamison Wadley is an experienced run stuffer in the middle of the line. Finding an end that can get into the backfield on a consistent basis would be very beneficial. This is a team that ranked 103rd in the nation with a mere 1.17 sacks per game. The Ohio Valley Conference is not a big sack league, but that is pretty bad even for the OVC. The secondary was average last season, but they have a lot of hope for improvement with safeties Keginald Harris and Jason Horton leading the way. A.J. Davis is an extremely experienced cornerback and the coaching staff has high hopes for junior college transfer Aries Lockhart.
The Bottom Line:
With Ealey and Ivory leading the way, Jacksonville will sport a superb offense. Last year the unit was extremely efficient, ranking 12th in the nation in scoring offense. The Gamecocks offensive numbers should be up across the board this year. That alone may be enough to get this group back to the playoffs. However, the defense has the potential to be better than they were last year. Even if they are on the same level as 2010, the defense is still good enough and the improved offense will still put Jacksonville State right in the middle of the conference race. The big game will come on October 1st when the Gamecocks travel to Murray State in what could end up being the deciding game for the top spot in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Projected Postseason: FCS Playoffs
2010 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 167.00 (43rd in nation, 4th in conference)
Passing Offense: 217.17 (42, 3)
Total Offense: 384.17 (31, 3)
Scoring Offense: 32.17 (12, 2)
Rushing Defense: 161.50 (74, 5)
Pass Defense: 197.75 (51, 5)
Total Defense: 359.25 (67, 4)
Scoring Defense: 25.00 (61, 5)
Turnover Margin: .00 (55, 4)
Sacks: 1.17 (103, 6)
Sacks Allowed: .83 (11, 3)
Madness 2011 FCS Football Recruit Rankings:
#7 Thomas Williams
#27 Jakari Kinnie
#43 Jamaal Johnson
#73 DeMarcus James
#127 Taylor Williams
