Burl Ashcraft-Neeley · Jacksonville State Insider · College Debut · Week 8
Meet Your Insider
Low and slow wins the fourth quarter! I'm Burl Ashcraft-Neeley, and I'm your Jacksonville State insider here at The Cover Window. The short version: I'm a calhoun County barbecue pitmaster who has never lived more than ten miles from campus. I follow this team from the stands, every week, and I love it out loud. On the podcast, my segment is called Smokehouse Talk. The show card describes it like this: the Fanatic's weekly signature column and podcast segment. My rules are simple. I keep it clean and kind, I celebrate players as people, I respect every opponent, and I never invent a stat, a quote or a fact. If I can't source it, you won't hear it from me. This week the Gamecocks have an open date, so instead of a game preview you get the full tour: the school, the coach, the players, the league and what's next.
The School in 60 Seconds
Home is AmFirst Stadium in Jacksonville, AL, built in 1947 with a listed capacity of 24,000. The band is the Marching Southerners, per Wikipedia. The last five seasons went 5-6, 9-2, 9-4, 9-5 and 9-5, from 2021 through 2025. The most frequent opponents from 2016 through 2025 tell you who matters around here: Kennesaw State (3-4 in 7 meetings), Eastern Kentucky (4-2 in 6 meetings), Murray State (6-0 in 6 meetings), North Alabama (5-0 in 5 meetings). That's a list of games, not an official rivalry list. The 2026 recruiting class ranked No. 86 nationally in CFBD's team rankings. And if you visit, ask somebody about Cocky the Gamecock; it's the tradition I'd show you first.
The Coach and the Scheme
Charles Kelly leads the Gamecocks; CollegeFootballData dates the hire to Dec. 21, 2024. Through 7 games, Jacksonville State scores 27.3 points a game and allows 22.7. By our math from CFBD figures, the offense runs on about 54% of its plays, gaining 150.1 rushing yards and 240.4 passing yards a game. That's a balanced menu. On third down, Jacksonville State converts 46.2% of the time and opponents convert 45.8%. The defense has 11 sacks and 36 tackles for loss, and the turnover ledger reads 10 giveaways against 6 takeaways. Penalties cost 61.1 yards a game. The high-water mark so far was 49 points against Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 5, 2026, and 4 of the 7 games were decided by eight points or fewer. Over the season, Jacksonville State has outscored opponents by a combined 32 points. Every one of those numbers is a little homework for the open week.
Players to Know
QB Caden Creel (passing leader): 129/192, 1637 yards, 12 TD, 6 INT.
QB Caden Creel (rushing leader): 105 carries, 500 yards, 4 TD.
WR Deondre Johnson (receiving leader): 22 catches, 431 yards, 3 TD.
On defense, S Caleb Nix leads with 43 tackles and has 2 interceptions; DL Tae Floyd has 2 sacks.
Injury news: we found no official availability report during an open week, so we're not listing any. Official reports return before the next game.
The Conference Picture
Jacksonville State is 5-2 overall, 4-0 at home and 1-2 away. In Conference USA play the Gamecocks are 3-0, which sorts them No. 1 of 10 by record. That's the top spot in the table, at least for now. Right around us: Liberty (2-0). The top of the table: Jacksonville State (3-0), Liberty (2-0), Western Kentucky (2-1). That order is a sort by record, not the official tiebreaker order. Every league game from here is a chance to move up, and the open week is when the plan for that climb gets built. An open date in late October is a chance to heal up and study the stretch run.
This Week: Open Date
No game for Jacksonville State this week. The last time out, on Oct. 14, 2026, the Gamecocks beat Florida International at home, 27-24. Next up: Wednesday, Oct. 28, at NM State, in Las Cruces, N.M., with a 7 p.m. kickoff. New Mexico State comes in at 2-4. After that, CFBD lists vs. Sam Houston (Nov. 8), at Western Kentucky (Nov. 14), vs. Missouri State (Nov. 21), at Delaware (Nov. 28). Until then: rest, film and a little extra time in the ice tub.
My Open-Week Take
Here's how I see it, friends. An open date isn't a day off; it's a deep breath. The coaches get to fix the little things, the players get their legs back, and we fans get a Saturday to call our families, clean the grill and argue happily about the depth chart. When the Gamecocks come back, I'll be right there in the stands, same seat, same voice, and I'll bring you every sourced detail. Thanks for spending part of your open week with me. Low and slow wins the fourth quarter!