Gamecocks 6th In AFCA FCS Preseason Coaches Poll
8/13/2018 12:00:00 PM | Football
WACO, Texas – The American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches Preseason Poll was released on Monday, and the Jacksonville State football team found itself at No. 6.
The AFCA took control of administering the poll for the first time this season and it had the Gamecocks in a familiar spot. The No. 6 ranking is the same spot the other major preseason FCS poll from STATS listed JSU, extending its streak of consecutive weeks inside the top 10 to 60 weeks. That streak, the longest active in FCS behind defending national champion and Preseason No. 1 North Dakota State, dates back to the final polls of 2013.
JSU was No. 10 in the final coaches poll of 2017, and it climbed four spots in the preseason poll voted on by a panel of FCS coaches from across the nation. NDSU tops the preseason poll with all 23 first-place votes, just ahead of 2017 runner-up James Madison at No. 2. South Dakota State is ranked third, while Sam Houston State and Kennesaw State round out the top five, respectively.
The Gamecocks are the highest-ranked OVC team in the poll, with Austin Peay coming in at No. 23.
The Gamecocks are coming off a 10-2 season in 2017 that saw them go 8-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play and win a fourth-straight league title. They've now won 32-straight OVC games, the second-longest conference win streak in FCS history, and are 31-0 in OVC play under head coach John Grass.
2017 also saw JSU tie the OVC record for consecutive championships, joining Middle Tennessee (1956-59), Tennessee Tech (1958-61) and Eastern Kentucky (1981-84) as the only programs in league history with four titles in a row.
The Gamecocks open the season in front of a national audience on Aug. 25, when they will play on ESPN in the Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff for the second-straight season. The game at Montgomery's Cramton Bowl will pit JSU against North Carolina A&T, who is No. 14 in the STATS Poll, at 6 p.m. The non-conference slate closes the year against No. 5 Kennesaw State on Nov. 17 in the first football game ever played at SunTrust Park, the home of the Atlanta Braves.
JSU returns a pair of All-Americans for the 2018 season, one on offense and one on defense. Junior safety Marlon Bridges was an All-American for the second-straight season as a sophomore and has beennamed the OVC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year by both the league's head coaches and the media. Senior center Tyler Scozzaro returns after being granted a sixth year of eligibility after his All-America campaign.
Bridges is joined on the defensive side by second-team All-OVC defensive lineman Randy Robinson, while veteran returning starters and seniors Connor Christian (defensive line) and Quan Stoudemire (linebacker) also look to lead in 2018. Bridges partner at safety, Traco Williams, also returns as a junior after starting every game in 2017.
On offense, the Gamecocks also return first team All-OVC lineman B.J. Autry and second-team All-OVC lineman Darius Anderson to help pave the way up front, while freshman All-American tight end Trae Barry and OVC All-Newcomer running back Tramel Terry return, as well. Terry also received a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA. An experienced receiving corps will be led by senior Shaq Davidson and junior Jamari Hester.
Senior placekicker Cade Stinnett enters his senior season after grabbing second team All-OVC honors as a junior in 2017.
Season tickets are available for purchase online at www.JSUGamecockSports.comor by calling the ticket office at (256) 782-8499.
The AFCA FCS Preseason Coaches Poll:
1. North Dakota State (23), 2017 record: 14-1, 647 points, Final 2017 Ranking: 1
2. James Madison (3), 14-1, 623, 2
3. South Dakota St., 11-3, 579, 4
4. Sam Houston St., 12-2, 557, 3
5. Kennesaw St., 12-2, 543, 9
6. Jacksonville State, 10-3, 530, 10
7. Eastern Washington, 7-4, 454, 22
8. Weber St., 11-3, 446, 5
9. New Hampshire, 9-5, 430, 15
10. Samford, 8-4, 393, 17
11. Wofford, 10-3, 340, 7
12. Northern Iowa, 8-5, 338, 19
13. Elon, 8-4, 319, 21
14. North Carolina A&T, 12-0, 292, 6
15. Central Arkansas, 10-2, 269, 8
16. Delaware , 7-4, 257, NR
17. Nicholls St., 8-4, 241, 23
18. McNeese St., 9-2, 187, 18
19. Villanova, 5-6, 165, NR
20. Illinois St., 6-5, 144, NR
21. Furman, 8-5, 128, 20
22. Stony Brook, 10-3, 120, 11
23. Austin Peay, 8-4, 119, NR
24. Youngstown St., 6-5, 88, NR
25. Montana, 7-4, 67, NR
Others Receiving Votes: Idaho, 41; Northern Arizona, 36; Yale, 22; Grambling St., 14; Monmouth (N.J.), 12; Southern Utah, 11; Sacramento St., 9; Colgate, 8; South Dakota, 6; San Diego, 5; Richmond, 4; Western Illinois, 3; Western Carolina, 2; Lehigh, 1.
The AFCA took control of administering the poll for the first time this season and it had the Gamecocks in a familiar spot. The No. 6 ranking is the same spot the other major preseason FCS poll from STATS listed JSU, extending its streak of consecutive weeks inside the top 10 to 60 weeks. That streak, the longest active in FCS behind defending national champion and Preseason No. 1 North Dakota State, dates back to the final polls of 2013.
JSU was No. 10 in the final coaches poll of 2017, and it climbed four spots in the preseason poll voted on by a panel of FCS coaches from across the nation. NDSU tops the preseason poll with all 23 first-place votes, just ahead of 2017 runner-up James Madison at No. 2. South Dakota State is ranked third, while Sam Houston State and Kennesaw State round out the top five, respectively.
The Gamecocks are the highest-ranked OVC team in the poll, with Austin Peay coming in at No. 23.
The Gamecocks are coming off a 10-2 season in 2017 that saw them go 8-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play and win a fourth-straight league title. They've now won 32-straight OVC games, the second-longest conference win streak in FCS history, and are 31-0 in OVC play under head coach John Grass.
2017 also saw JSU tie the OVC record for consecutive championships, joining Middle Tennessee (1956-59), Tennessee Tech (1958-61) and Eastern Kentucky (1981-84) as the only programs in league history with four titles in a row.
The Gamecocks open the season in front of a national audience on Aug. 25, when they will play on ESPN in the Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff for the second-straight season. The game at Montgomery's Cramton Bowl will pit JSU against North Carolina A&T, who is No. 14 in the STATS Poll, at 6 p.m. The non-conference slate closes the year against No. 5 Kennesaw State on Nov. 17 in the first football game ever played at SunTrust Park, the home of the Atlanta Braves.
JSU returns a pair of All-Americans for the 2018 season, one on offense and one on defense. Junior safety Marlon Bridges was an All-American for the second-straight season as a sophomore and has beennamed the OVC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year by both the league's head coaches and the media. Senior center Tyler Scozzaro returns after being granted a sixth year of eligibility after his All-America campaign.
Bridges is joined on the defensive side by second-team All-OVC defensive lineman Randy Robinson, while veteran returning starters and seniors Connor Christian (defensive line) and Quan Stoudemire (linebacker) also look to lead in 2018. Bridges partner at safety, Traco Williams, also returns as a junior after starting every game in 2017.
On offense, the Gamecocks also return first team All-OVC lineman B.J. Autry and second-team All-OVC lineman Darius Anderson to help pave the way up front, while freshman All-American tight end Trae Barry and OVC All-Newcomer running back Tramel Terry return, as well. Terry also received a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA. An experienced receiving corps will be led by senior Shaq Davidson and junior Jamari Hester.
Senior placekicker Cade Stinnett enters his senior season after grabbing second team All-OVC honors as a junior in 2017.
Season tickets are available for purchase online at www.JSUGamecockSports.comor by calling the ticket office at (256) 782-8499.
The AFCA FCS Preseason Coaches Poll:
1. North Dakota State (23), 2017 record: 14-1, 647 points, Final 2017 Ranking: 1
2. James Madison (3), 14-1, 623, 2
3. South Dakota St., 11-3, 579, 4
4. Sam Houston St., 12-2, 557, 3
5. Kennesaw St., 12-2, 543, 9
6. Jacksonville State, 10-3, 530, 10
7. Eastern Washington, 7-4, 454, 22
8. Weber St., 11-3, 446, 5
9. New Hampshire, 9-5, 430, 15
10. Samford, 8-4, 393, 17
11. Wofford, 10-3, 340, 7
12. Northern Iowa, 8-5, 338, 19
13. Elon, 8-4, 319, 21
14. North Carolina A&T, 12-0, 292, 6
15. Central Arkansas, 10-2, 269, 8
16. Delaware , 7-4, 257, NR
17. Nicholls St., 8-4, 241, 23
18. McNeese St., 9-2, 187, 18
19. Villanova, 5-6, 165, NR
20. Illinois St., 6-5, 144, NR
21. Furman, 8-5, 128, 20
22. Stony Brook, 10-3, 120, 11
23. Austin Peay, 8-4, 119, NR
24. Youngstown St., 6-5, 88, NR
25. Montana, 7-4, 67, NR
Others Receiving Votes: Idaho, 41; Northern Arizona, 36; Yale, 22; Grambling St., 14; Monmouth (N.J.), 12; Southern Utah, 11; Sacramento St., 9; Colgate, 8; South Dakota, 6; San Diego, 5; Richmond, 4; Western Illinois, 3; Western Carolina, 2; Lehigh, 1.
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