STATS Preseason FCS Top 25 Has Gamecocks 6th
8/6/2018 2:29:00 PM | Football
JACKSONVILLE – The first of the two major FCS polls was released on Monday and the Jacksonville State football team found itself at No. 6.
The STATS FCS Preseason Top 25 has the Gamecocks in familiar territory in the Top 10, barely outside of the top five. It marks the 60th-straight week that they have been in the Top 10 of at least one of the two major polls, a streak that dates back to the final polls of the 2013 season.
JSU was No. 9 in the final STATS poll of 2017, and it climbed three spots in the preseason poll voted on by members of the media that cover FCS football across the nation. Defending champion North Dakota State tops the preseason poll with all 151 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 60-straight weeks in the top 10 is the second-longest active streak in the nation, with North Dakota State being the only team to be in the Top 10 for as many weeks as JSU. The Gamecocks are the highest-ranked OVC team in the poll, with Austin Peay coming in at No. 22. Eastern Illinois and UT Martin also received votes in the poll.
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 STATS FCS Preseason Top 25:
1. North Dakota State (14-1), 3,919 points - 151 first-place votes; Final 2017 Ranking: 1
2. James Madison (14-1), 3,764 - 6; Final 2017 Ranking: 2
3. South Dakota State (11-3), 3,470; Final 2017 Ranking: 3
4. Sam Houston State (12-2), 3,228; Final 2017 Ranking: 4
5. Kennesaw State (12-2), 3,120; Final 2017 Ranking: 8;
6. Jacksonville State (10-2), 3,041; Final 2017 Ranking: 9
7. New Hampshire (9-5), 2,873; Final 2017 Ranking: 12
8. Weber State (11-3), 2,815; Final 2017 Ranking: 5
9. Eastern Washington (7-4), 2,541; Final 2017 Ranking: 21
10. Wofford (10-3), 2,087; Final 2017 Ranking: 6
11. Samford (8-4), 2,003; Final 2017 Ranking: 18
12. Elon (8-4), 1,812; Final 2017 Ranking: 20
13. Northern Iowa (8-5), 1,612; Final 2017 Ranking: 17
14. North Carolina A&T (12-0), 1,480; Final 2017 Ranking: 7
15. Delaware (7-4), 1,470; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
16. Central Arkansas (10-2), 1,383; Final 2017 Ranking: 10
17. McNeese (9-2), 1,133; Final 2017 Ranking: 22
18. Nicholls (8-4), 1,056; Final 2017 Ranking: 25
19. Villanova (5-6), 920; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
20. Stony Brook (10-3), 798; Final 2017 Ranking: 11
21. Illinois State (6-5), 795; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
22. Austin Peay (8-4), 709; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
23. Furman (8-5), 685; Final 2017 Ranking: 19
24. Montana (7-4), 626; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
25. Youngstown State (6-5), 541; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
Others Receiving Votes: South Dakota (8-5) 496, Western Illinois (8-4) 401, Southern Utah (9-3) 357, Northern Arizona (7-5) 312, Grambling State (11-2) 289, Idaho (4-8) 287, Yale (9-1) 252, Sacramento State (7-4) 208, San Diego (10-3) 202, Richmond (6-5) 91, Monmouth (9-3) 53, Colgate (7-4) 45, Lehigh (5-7) 27, Central Connecticut State (8-4) 23, North Dakota (3-8) 13, UC Davis (5-6) 12, Western Carolina (7-5) 10, Bethune-Cookman (7-4) 9, Montana State (5-6) 8, Stephen F. Austin (4-7) 7, Mercer (5-6) 6, Eastern Illinois (6-5) 6, Harvard (5-5) 4, Southern Illinois (4-7) 4, Howard (7-4) 4, Duquesne (7-4) 3, North Carolina Central (7-4) 3, Columbia (8-2) 3, Dartmouth (8-2) 3, Alcorn State (7-5) 2, The Citadel (5-6) 2, UT Martin (6-5) 1, Southeastern Louisiana (6-5) 1
The STATS FCS Preseason Top 25 has the Gamecocks in familiar territory in the Top 10, barely outside of the top five. It marks the 60th-straight week that they have been in the Top 10 of at least one of the two major polls, a streak that dates back to the final polls of the 2013 season.
JSU was No. 9 in the final STATS poll of 2017, and it climbed three spots in the preseason poll voted on by members of the media that cover FCS football across the nation. Defending champion North Dakota State tops the preseason poll with all 151 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 60-straight weeks in the top 10 is the second-longest active streak in the nation, with North Dakota State being the only team to be in the Top 10 for as many weeks as JSU. The Gamecocks are the highest-ranked OVC team in the poll, with Austin Peay coming in at No. 22. Eastern Illinois and UT Martin also received votes in the poll.
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 STATS FCS Preseason Top 25:
1. North Dakota State (14-1), 3,919 points - 151 first-place votes; Final 2017 Ranking: 1
2. James Madison (14-1), 3,764 - 6; Final 2017 Ranking: 2
3. South Dakota State (11-3), 3,470; Final 2017 Ranking: 3
4. Sam Houston State (12-2), 3,228; Final 2017 Ranking: 4
5. Kennesaw State (12-2), 3,120; Final 2017 Ranking: 8;
6. Jacksonville State (10-2), 3,041; Final 2017 Ranking: 9
7. New Hampshire (9-5), 2,873; Final 2017 Ranking: 12
8. Weber State (11-3), 2,815; Final 2017 Ranking: 5
9. Eastern Washington (7-4), 2,541; Final 2017 Ranking: 21
10. Wofford (10-3), 2,087; Final 2017 Ranking: 6
11. Samford (8-4), 2,003; Final 2017 Ranking: 18
12. Elon (8-4), 1,812; Final 2017 Ranking: 20
13. Northern Iowa (8-5), 1,612; Final 2017 Ranking: 17
14. North Carolina A&T (12-0), 1,480; Final 2017 Ranking: 7
15. Delaware (7-4), 1,470; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
16. Central Arkansas (10-2), 1,383; Final 2017 Ranking: 10
17. McNeese (9-2), 1,133; Final 2017 Ranking: 22
18. Nicholls (8-4), 1,056; Final 2017 Ranking: 25
19. Villanova (5-6), 920; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
20. Stony Brook (10-3), 798; Final 2017 Ranking: 11
21. Illinois State (6-5), 795; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
22. Austin Peay (8-4), 709; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
23. Furman (8-5), 685; Final 2017 Ranking: 19
24. Montana (7-4), 626; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
25. Youngstown State (6-5), 541; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
Others Receiving Votes: South Dakota (8-5) 496, Western Illinois (8-4) 401, Southern Utah (9-3) 357, Northern Arizona (7-5) 312, Grambling State (11-2) 289, Idaho (4-8) 287, Yale (9-1) 252, Sacramento State (7-4) 208, San Diego (10-3) 202, Richmond (6-5) 91, Monmouth (9-3) 53, Colgate (7-4) 45, Lehigh (5-7) 27, Central Connecticut State (8-4) 23, North Dakota (3-8) 13, UC Davis (5-6) 12, Western Carolina (7-5) 10, Bethune-Cookman (7-4) 9, Montana State (5-6) 8, Stephen F. Austin (4-7) 7, Mercer (5-6) 6, Eastern Illinois (6-5) 6, Harvard (5-5) 4, Southern Illinois (4-7) 4, Howard (7-4) 4, Duquesne (7-4) 3, North Carolina Central (7-4) 3, Columbia (8-2) 3, Dartmouth (8-2) 3, Alcorn State (7-5) 2, The Citadel (5-6) 2, UT Martin (6-5) 1, Southeastern Louisiana (6-5) 1
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