The bigger story for Jacksonville State isn't the quarterback, it's what's around him. Cam Cook, the running back who anchored last year's Conference USA title-game run, transferred to West Virginia this offseason, and the Gamecocks felt it immediately — 170 total yards and two turnovers in a 33-7 loss to North Dakota State, their worst offensive output since they moved up to FBS. Eastern Kentucky has its own hole to patch: the defense allowed 508 total yards and let a 14-10 halftime lead evaporate in the second half against Western Carolina, with zero takeaways to slow anything down.
None of that has stopped the number from landing where you'd expect for an FBS program hosting an FCS opponent that dropped 21 losses combined between these programs' 2025 records. Jacksonville State went 9-5 last year with a Conference USA title-game appearance and a bowl win to show for it; Eastern Kentucky finished 5-7 in Walt Wells' seventh season, and Wells is again working through heavy roster turnover. The gap in program trajectory is real, and the market has priced it that way.
Jacksonville State still leads the all-time series 11-8, and the last meeting wasn't close — a 42-17 Gamecocks win. AmFirst Stadium has been a good home for Kelly's group too, and getting back there after a road loss to open the season should help settle a team that looked nothing like the one that made a conference title game just a few months ago.
The real question for Jacksonville State isn't whether it wins Saturday, it's whether the offense that stalled out against North Dakota State looks like the unit that carried them to nine wins a year ago or the one that managed 170 yards two weeks ago. Eastern Kentucky's defense gave up more than 500 yards to an FCS peer, so there's an opening if the Gamecocks' skill guys are healthy and Creel gets rolling early.