Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs Sam Houston State Bearkats Prediction, 9/28/2023 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Jacksonville State Gamecocks vs Sam Houston State Bearkats

Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023

Location: Elliott T. Bowers Stadium in Huntsville, TX

TV: ESPNU

Odds/Point Spread: Bearkats (+5)

Total/Over-Under: 36.5

The Sam Houston State Bearkats (0-3) are welcoming the Jacksonville State Gamecocks (3-1) at Elliott T. Bowers Stadium on Thursday, September 28, 2023. Jacksonville State is 5-point favorites from oddsmakers. The over/under has been set at 36.5.

The Jacksonville State Gamecocks head into this game 3-1 this season. In their last game, the Gamecocks went up against the Eastern Michigan Eagles and notched a win by a score of 21-0. Logan Smothers finished 9/19 with 93 yards through the air and 1 TD. He had a quarterback rate of 105.9 and finished the game without throwing an interception. Malik Jackson led the offense in rushing for the Gamecocks with 21 totes for 127 yards (6.0 yards per attempt). When the final whistle blew, they tallied 74 plays which gave them 388 yards. The Jacksonville State Gamecocks ran the football 55 different times and totaled 295 yds, which is an average of 5.4 yds per attempt. Against the run, the Gamecocks gave up 57 yards on 35 attempts, which is an average of 1.6 yds per run surrendered. Jacksonville State allowed 13 pass completions on 29 tries for a total of 95 yds, and a completion rate of 44.8%.

In terms of scoring, the Jacksonville State Gamecocks hold an average of 25.8 points per outing. As a team they're averaging 231.5 yards rushing which has them sitting 8th in D-1. The Gamecocks have racked up 1,420 yards in total for the year. When it comes to scoring touchdowns, Jacksonville State has compiled 2 touchdowns via the pass and 11 rushing touchdowns. Jacksonville State has accrued 84 first downs offensively, and they have been flagged for 22 penalties for 197 yds. They have given the ball to the opposition 1 time.

When it comes to yards via the pass, the Gamecocks are giving up 688 yards which has them ranked 18th in D-1. They have relinquished 172.0 yards per outing via the pass as well as conceding a completion percentage of 58.2%. For the season, they are giving up 279.8 yards per game which ranks them 17th in Division 1. They have yielded 2 touchdowns via the pass as well as 3 touchdowns on the ground. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 2.7 yards per running attempt and 107.8 rushing yards per game so far this season. During the season, they have conceded 431 yards via the ground game in 4 outings. The Gamecocks are sitting in 11th in the nation when it comes to team defense, allowing 11.8 points per game.

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The Bearkats head into this matchup 0-3 for this season. When they last stepped on the field, the Bearkats took a loss by a final score of 13-3 when they played the Air Force Falcons. Grant Gunnell ended the contest with 100 yds on 14/22 through the air while his quarterback rating was 92.7. He tossed 1 interception and his Y/A was 4.5. Tobias Weaver ran the football 6 times for 18 yds, ending the game with 3.0 yards per carry for Sam Houston State. Sam Houston State ran for 1.2 yds per carry, finishing the game with 36 yds on 30 carries. The Bearkats finished the contest with a total of 80 yards on 44 plays (1.8 yards per play). The Bearkats pass defense allowed a completion percentage of 33.3%, relinquishing 14 yards on 1 for 3 passing. Sam Houston State surrendered 59 rush attempts for 244 yards (4.1 yds per rush).

The Sam Houston State Bearkats average 147.7 yards per contest, which is good for 133rd in college football. The Sam Houston State offense has compiled 163 yds of penalties on 19 violations, which is good for 110th in college football in terms of helping out the opposition. They hold an average of 42.0 run yards per game and have run for 126 yards for the year. They have thrown 4 interceptions while losing 1 fumble and they have tallied 24 1st downs. Regarding their ability to score points, the Bearkats rank 133rd in Division 1 scoring 3.3 points per outing. For the year thus far, the Bearkats have racked up 317 yards through the air together with holding an average of 105.7 throwing yards per contest, which has them ranked 131st in the country.

Sam Houston State has yielded a total of 542 rushing yards (180.7 yards per game) as well as 6 touchdowns via the rush for the campaign. They have allowed the opposition 2 touchdowns from the passing game and 170.3 yards/outing, ranking them 19th in the nation. They have 1 fumble and 0 picks over the course of the season. The Bearkats defense has been on the field for 208 plays, ranking them 5th in the country. The Bearkats are relinquishing 21.7 PPG, which has them 55th in the country. Overall, they have surrendered 65 total points.

Who will win tonight's Gamecocks/Bearkats college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Gamecocks -5

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