CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. — The nation’s No. 1 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) team will visit Austin Peay State University for the 2015 Homecoming contest as Jacksonville State comes to Governors Stadium for a 4 p.m., Saturday, contest.
Topping the media poll and second only to Coastal Carolina in the coaches poll, Jacksonville State (5-1, 3-0 OVC) looks to avoid a letdown ahead of next weekend’s highly-anticipated matchup with consensus Top-15 squad Eastern Kentucky. The Governors (0-7, 0-4 OVC) look to not only play spoiler against the Gamecocks, but secure what would rank as possibly the biggest win in program history.
The Governors got another 100-yard rushing performance, this time from Julian Franklin, but continued struggles in the passing game (11-for-25 combined between Trey Taylor and Timarious Mitchell) have made the offense too one-dimensional in recent weeks. Mitchell has been a bright spot, entering in relief to throw touchdown passes to Jared Beard in back-to-back contests.
Despite losing Gino Roberson for the season due to a wrist injury, the Governors interior linemen have been the defensive anchors. Nicholis Matiere-Bey (5.5 TFL) and Branden Johnson (5.0 TFL) lead Austin Peay in tackles for loss and are responsible for two of Austin Peay’s four sacks in 2015.
Matiere-Bey has become a beast as the season rolls on, leading the defensive line with 25 total tackles despite near-constant double teams.
Johnson, Matiere-Bey and the defense will be up against one of the top offensive units in all of college football—FCS or otherwise. Boasting the fifth-best rushing attack in the nation, the Gamecocks have three rushers – Troymaine Pope (699 yards, 10th), Josh Clemons (359, 100th) and Eli Jenkins (318, 123rd) – rank in the top 150 nationally in rushing. Jenkins, the quarterback who has thrown for more than 1,100 yards and 10 scores, and Pope were both named to the CFPA Midseason Watch List this week.
Jacksonville State buoys a strong offensive attack with a stifling run defense, allowing just 93.0 yards per game on the ground (eighth-best nationally). That includes limited days allowed to UT Martin’s Trent Garland (seven carries, 38 yards), Tennessee State’s Telvin Hooks (seven carries, 24 yards) and Chattanooga’s Derrick Craine (12 carries, 59 yards) and Jacob Huesman (19 carries, 50 yards)—all ranked in the top 150 nationally in rushing this season.