Jacksonville State Football: How will the Gamecocks fare in CUSA?
By Dante Pryor
Can the Jacksonville State football defense hold up in Conference USA?
The defense is the biggest transition for any team moving from FCS to FBS. Jacksonville State football plays fast, which puts its defense at a disadvantage by default. However, the Gamecock defense held up fairly well last season, allowing 22.9 points per game.
JSU relied on turnovers and pressure to get teams off the field last season. The Gamecocks forced 23 turnovers (15 fumble recoveries, eight interceptions), good for 15th in FCS last season. Jacksonville State will give up yards, but they can turn the football over.
JSU isn’t big along the defensive line, but they are deep with quick, strong defensive ends. Chris Hardie lived in the backfield last season, leading the Gamecocks with 5.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss. His bookend, Jaylen “J-Rock” Swain, had five sacks of his own. Don’t let his stature (5-foot-10) fool you; he can get to the quarterback.
They lost a lot of tacklers from last season’s team, but the back end should be okay if the front can consistently get pressure on the quarterback. Auburn transfer Kolbi Fuqua and Jamari Jenson project to be key contributors, but safety Deco Wilson transferring to Florida A&M will be a significant loss.