- For information on all Jacksonville State University sports, see Jacksonville State Gamecocks.
The Jacksonville State Gamecocks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Jacksonville State University (JSU) located in the U.S. state of Alabama. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Conference USA. Jacksonville State's first football team was fielded in 1904. The team plays its home games at the 24,000-seat Burgess–Snow Field at JSU Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama.[3]
On November 5, 2021, the school accepted an invitation to join Conference USA (C-USA) of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) beginning with the 2023 season.[4]
History
Jacksonville State University's first football team, the Eagle Owls, was formed in the late 19th century. During the first half century of play, Troy University and Samford University became their rivals. Before the start of the 1947 season, not only did the team change their colors from blue and gold to red and white but the mascot changed to the Fighting Gamecocks.
Jacksonville State joined the NCAA in 1973, and played at the NCAA Division II level from 1973 to 1994. In 1995, the team moved up to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and competed in the Southland Conference from 1996 to 2002 before moving to the Ohio Valley Conference from 2003 to 2020. Jacksonville State University planned to leave the Ohio Valley Conference for the ASUN Conference in July 2021, with the team temporarily competing in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC)'s "ASUN–WAC Challenge" partnership league.[5] However, a few months later on November 5, 2021, the school accepted an invitation to join FBS Conference USA (C-USA) beginning with the 2023 season.[4]
Classifications
- NAIA (1966–1969)
- NAIA Division I (1970–1981)
- NCAA Division II (1973–1994)
- NCAA Division I FCS (1995–2022)
- NCAA Division I FBS (2023–)
Conference affiliations
- Independent (1904–1937)
- Alabama Intercollegiate Conference (1938–1949)
- Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1938–1940)
- Independent (1950–1959)
- Alabama Collegiate Conference (1960–1969)
- Mid-South Athletic Conference (1970–1971)
- Gulf South Conference (1972–1992)
- Division II Independent (1993–1995)
- Southland Conference (1996–2002)
- Ohio Valley Conference (2003–2020)
- ASUN–WAC Challenge (2021)
- ASUN Conference (2022)
- Conference USA (2023 and beyond)
Championships
National championships
Jacksonville State has made four appearances in the NCAA Division II National Championship Game. The Gamecocks were defeated in their first three championship game appearances, losing 33–0 to Lehigh in 1977, 3–0 to Mississippi College in 1989 (later vacated), and 23–6 to Pittsburg State in 1991. The next year, the Gamecocks defeated Pittsburg State 17–13 in 1992, reversing the results in a rematch of their 1991 championship game.
| Season | Coach | Selector | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Bill Burgess | NCAA Division II | 12–1–1 |
Conference championships
Jacksonville State has won 25 conference championships, 18 outright and four shared.
| Season | Conference | Coach | Overall Record | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962† | Alabama Collegiate Conference | Don Salls | 4–3–2 | 3–0–1 |
| 1963† | 4–4–1 | 3–0–1 | ||
| 1964 | 4–4–1 | 3–0 | ||
| 1965 | Jim Blevins | 7–2 | 3–0 | |
| 1966 | 8–2 | 3–0 | ||
| 1970 | Mid-South Conference | Charley Pell | 10–0 | 5–0 |
| 1974 | Gulf South Conference | Clarkie Mayfield | 7–4 | 7–1 |
| 1977 | Jim Fuller | 11–3 | 7–1 | |
| 1978 | 7–3 | 6–1 | ||
| 1981 | 8–3 | 6–0 | ||
| 1982 | 10–2 | 7–0 | ||
| 1988† | Bill Burgess | 10–2 | 7–1 | |
| 1989 | 13–1 | 8–0 | ||
| 1991 | 12–1 | 6–0 | ||
| 1992 | 12–1–1 | 5–0–1 | ||
| 2003 | Ohio Valley Conference | Jack Crowe | 8–4 | 7–1 |
| 2004 | 9–2 | 7–1 | ||
| 2011† | 7–4 | 6–2 | ||
| 2014 | John Grass | 10–2 | 8–0 | |
| 2015 | 13–2 | 8–0 | ||
| 2016 | 10–2 | 7–0 | ||
| 2017 | 10–2 | 8–0 | ||
| 2018 | 9–4 | 7–1 | ||
| 2020 | 10–3 | 6–1 | ||
| 2022 | ASUN Conference | Rich Rodriguez | 9–2 | 5–0 |
† Co-championship
Bowl games
Jacksonville State has participated in nine bowl games, and has a record of 7–2. However, most of them are not Division I bowl games.[6] Consequently, after joining Division I FBS, they participated in one bowl game, and has a record of 1–0.
| Season | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1948 | Don Salls | Paper Bowl† | Troy | W 19–0 |
| 1949 | Don Salls | Paper Bowl† | West Alabama | W 12–7 |
| 1950 | Don Salls | Paper Bowl† | Pensacola Naval Alumni | L 6–7 |
| 1955 | Don Salls | Refrigerator Bowl† | Rhode Island | W 12–10 |
| 1966 | Jim Blevins | Space City Classic† | Arkansas–Monticello | W 41–30 |
| 1970 | Charley Pell | Orange Blossom Classic† | Florida A&M | W 21–7 |
| 1977 | Jim Fuller | Grantland Rice Bowl† | North Dakota State | W 31–7 |
| Jim Fuller | Pioneer Bowl† | Lehigh | L 0–33 | |
| 2023 | Rich Rodriguez | New Orleans Bowl | Louisiana | W 34–31 OT |
† non-Division I bowl game
Playoff history
Division I-AA/FCS Playoffs results
The Gamecocks have appeared in the I-AA/FCS playoffs ten times with an overall record of 7–10.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | First Round | Western Kentucky | L 7–45 |
| 2004 | First Round | Furman | L 7–49 |
| 2010 | Second Round | Wofford | L 14–17 |
| 2013 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals |
Samford McNeese State Eastern Washington |
W 55–14 W 31–10 L 24–35 |
| 2014 | Second Round | Sam Houston State | L 26–37 |
| 2015 | Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game |
Chattanooga Charleston Southern Sam Houston State North Dakota State |
W 41–35 OT W 58–38 W 62–10 L 10–37 |
| 2016 | Second Round | Youngstown State | L 24–40 |
| 2017 | Second Round | Kennesaw State | L 7–17 |
| 2018 | First Round Second Round |
East Tennessee State Maine |
W 34–27 L 27–55 |
| 2020 | First Round Quarterfinals |
Davidson Delaware |
W 49–14 L 14–20 |
Division II Playoffs results
The Gamecocks have appeared in the Division II playoffs ten times with an overall record of 15–9. They were National Champions in 1992.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game |
Northern Arizona North Dakota State Lehigh |
W 35–0 W 31–7 L 0–33 |
| 1978 | Quarterfinals | Delaware | L 21–42 |
| 1980 | Quarterfinals | Cal Poly–SLO | L 0–15 |
| 1981 | Quarterfinals | Southwest Texas State | L 22–38 |
| 1982 | Quarterfinals Semifinals |
Northwest Missouri State Southwest Texas State |
W 34–21 L 14–19 |
| 1988 | First Round Quarterfinals |
West Chester Portland State |
W 63–24 L 13–20 |
| 1989 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game |
Alabama A&M North Dakota State Angelo State Mississippi College |
W 33–9 W 21–17 W 34–16 L 0–3 |
| 1990 | First Round Quarterfinals |
North Alabama Mississippi College |
W 38–14 L 7–14 |
| 1991 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game |
Winston-Salem State Mississippi College Indiana (PA) Pittsburg State |
W 49–24 W 35–7 W 27–20 L 6–23 |
| 1992 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals National Championship Game |
Savannah State North Alabama New Haven Pittsburg State |
W 41–16 W 14–12 W 46–35 W 17–13 |
Rivalries
Samford
This unnamed rivalry started in 1904[7] back when Jacksonville wore blue and gold as the Eagle Owls and Samford University was still named Howard College. Jacksonville State leads the series 23–21–2.[citation needed][when?]
Troy
Jacksonville State used to play Troy in the annual Battle for the Ol' School Bell. The schools first played in 1924 and was one of the fiercest rivalries for both schools. The game hasn't been played since 2001 after Troy moved up to the FBS. Jacksonville State leads the series 32–29–2.[citation needed][when?]
Notable former players
Notable alumni include:
- Orlando Adams (drafted by Philadelphia Eagles)
- Jesse Baker (drafted by Houston Oilers)
- Alan Bonner (drafted by Houston Texans)
- A.J. Davis (signed by New Orleans Saints)
- Eric Davis (drafted by San Francisco 49ers)
- Jaylen Hill (signed by Baltimore Ravens)
- Peter Little Horn (signed by Detroit Lions)
- David Gulledge (drafted by Washington Redskins)
- Darrell Malone (drafted by Kansas City Chiefs)
- Keith McKeller (drafted by Buffalo Bills)
- Ryan Perrilloux (signed by New York Giants)
- Taureen Rhetta (signed by Kansas City Chiefs)
- David Robinson (drafted by Kansas City Chiefs)
- James Shaw (signed by Pittsburgh Steelers)
- Mike Wallace (drafted by Cleveland Browns)
- Pierre Warren (signed by New Orleans Saints)
- Alvin Wright (signed by Los Angeles Rams)
- Dieter Brock (signed by Los Angeles Rams)
- Troymaine Pope (signed by Seattle Seahawks)
- Chris Landrum (signed by San Diego Chargers)
- Siran Neal (drafted by Buffalo Bills)
- Roc Thomas (signed by Minnesota Vikings)
- Casey Dunn (signed by Washington Redskins)
- Mark Word (signed by Cleveland Browns)
- Delvin Hughley (signed by Denver Broncos)
- Riley Green (country music singer, played quarterback)
Future non-conference opponents
Future non-conference opponents announced as of January 16, 2024.[8]
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Carolina | at Georgia Southern | Georgia Southern | at UAB | UAB |
| at Louisville | Murray State | |||
| at Eastern Michigan | at Southern Miss | |||
| Southern Miss |
References
- ^ NCAA Statistics https://stats.ncaa.org/teams/history?utf8=✓&org_id=315&sport_code=MFB&commit=Search
- ^ Jacksonville State University Style Guide & Identification Standards Manual (PDF). Retrieved July 9, 2023.
- ^ "Jacksonville State Historical Data". College Football Data Warehouse. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-11.
- ^ a b "Conference USA to add Liberty, Jacksonville State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston State beginning in 2023". ESPN. 5 November 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
- ^ "ASUN, WAC Conferences Announce Football Partnership for 2021" (Press release). ASUN Conference. February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- ^ "Jacksonville State's forgotten bowl history". 14 December 2023.
- ^ McCann, Stu (November 25, 2013). "JSU will host Samford in first round of FCS playoffs". WBMA.
- ^ "Jacksonville State Gamecocks Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
