The seasons look very different. Jacksonville State lost its opener at North Dakota State 33-7, then went 3-1. The only loss in that run was 29-27 at Ohio. It has also won 2 one-score-ish games at home, 31-27 over Georgia Southern and the 23-13 win over Middle Tennessee. Kennesaw State opened by beating West Georgia 47-0 and has lost 3 straight since, as of this week.
Eastern Kentucky49-7
West Georgia47-0Beating West Georgia by 47 is the only thing flattering Kennesaw State's numbers. The other results are a 31-17 home loss to Georgia State, a 42-9 loss at Tennessee and the loss at Arkansas State. Those look like a team whose defense can hang around while its offense can't finish drives. That plays right into what Jacksonville State wants to do. Creel can carry the ball himself, and when he's also throwing for over 200 yards, a defense stays on the field for a long time.
Jacksonville State isn't bulletproof. The 33-7 loss at North Dakota State was ugly, and a 2-point loss at Ohio shows how thin the margins have been. Most of its best football has also come at home, and this game is on the road. Still, a defending league champion that's a win away from 1-4 has a lot to prove on its own field, and the Gamecocks already have their conference win.
Kickoff is on a Wednesday night in Kennesaw, and 10 days is plenty of time for these teams to change. For now, one team has a quarterback who can beat you 2 ways, and the other is still trying to find its offense.