WHAT: Jacksonville State at Louisiana Tech.
WHEN: 3:30 p.m., Saturday.
WHERE: Joe Aillet Stadium, Ruston, La.
SERIES: Jacksonville State leads 1-0.
TV: CBS Sports Network.
LINE: Jacksonville State by 10.
THIS GAME WILL DETERMINE: If Jacksonville State can clinch bowl eligibility and win its sixth straight game.
THREE THINGS TO LOOK FOR
1. Will Tre Stewart continue to dominate?
It’s beginning to sound like a broken record, but Stewart shined once again in last week’s game against Liberty, which pitted two of the best Group of Five running backs against each other. In Jax State’s four conference games, Stewart has run the ball 93 times for 694 yards and 11 touchdowns, being one of three FBS players with multiple games of running for four touchdowns; he’s run for over 100 yards in all four of those games and has eclipsed 200 in the last two. He’ll face a Louisiana Tech run defense that’s allowed the 28th-least rushing yards of the 134 FBS teams.
2. How will Jax State’s offensive line fare against Kolbe Fields?
If there’s one player who’s filled up the stat sheet this season, it’s Fields at linebacker. The LSU transfer currently sits at a team-high 57 total tackles (30 solo) to go along with 6.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, a pass breakup and an interception. The linebacker, who sat out last season after transferring to the program, has been the program’s highest-graded starter, according to PFF, and has excelled in the team’s run defense.
3. Will Jax State remain red hot?
After three straight losses to open its season, Rich Rodriguez‘s group has rattled off five straight wins and sits tied atop Conference USA with Western Kentucky at 4-0 in conference play. In the five-game span, the Gamecocks have totaled 2,649 yards of total offense (529.8 yards per game) and outscored opponents 234-85. Should Jax State win this game, it’ll clinch bowl eligibility for the second straight season and give the program its longest win streak since the 2017 season, when it won seven straight. Will the Gamecocks continue their dominant success on the road this Saturday?
KEY MATCHUP
Louisiana Tech receiver Tru Edwards vs. Jax State’s secondary
Edwards has been one of the most productive receivers in the conference, already having doubled his catches from last season with four games left on the schedule. The wideout has hauled in 46 catches for a team-high 566 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 12.3 yards per catch and over 70 yards per game.
BY THE NUMBERS
464.9 — The number of yards Jax State’s offense is averaging per game, which ranks atop Conference USA and 12th among all FBS teams.
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