Jax State looks to end non-conference season with win over Southern Miss

After two very different away games, Jacksonville State will end this year's non-conference season with a home game.

The Gamecocks host Southern Miss of the Sun Belt Conference this Saturday at Burgess-Snow Field at AmFirst Stadium. It's the last game before Conference USA play begins on Oct. 4 against Kennesaw State.

Despite a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to Eastern Michigan last Saturday, Jax State coach Rich Rodriguez said he saw some improvement in the team's defense in the second half of the game.

“We were better against the run on our first try and made some stops,” Rodriguez said. “We still didn't force enough turnovers, but we're making progress.”

“With seven or eight new starters or whatever on defense and then a new system, I see a little improvement every week and little steps we're taking, which is good.”

Not only were the Gamecocks encouraged by his defense in the final part of last week, they also saw some really impressive performances from transfer quarterback Tyler Huff during his two starts.

Against Louisville and Eastern Michigan overall, Huff completed 41 of 61 passes for 471 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for 181 yards and one touchdown on 32 carries.

Rodriguez said that even though Huff has not participated in spring training with the team, he has been impressed so far with how well the quarterback has fitted in and learned the system.

“Every week I see him getting more comfortable with what we're doing, and that's a good thing,” Rodriguez said. “I think we have a strong quarterback room with some experience, and I thought that was a strength for us, and I still believe that.”

After being named the Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year his senior year at Furman, Huff said his options after exiting the portal would be to either play at Jax State or Arkansas State or be a backup at a Power Five program.

Although he played a very different style of offense at his previous stops, Furman (2022, 2023) and Presbyterian (2019-2021), than he does now, Huff feels he has learned it pretty well.

The quarterback's favorite target last week was Cam Vaughn, who caught six passes for 94 yards and a touchdown. Thompson alumnus Michael Pettway leads the team with 213 yards and two touchdowns on 10 catches this season as a redshirt junior.

“It's very different,” Huff said. “I've never been in a fast-paced attacking style like we play here. I've always been in a slow, methodical, huddled, perfect style of play, so there's a big learning curve, I would say.”

“I have to say, it took a little while to go through camp, do real reps and see how everyone moved after and before the snap. It's a little different, but I think I've got a good handle on it now.”

Rodriguez said that while he wanted his players to feel and reflect on the loss for 24 hours, he felt that team morale was good despite last week's game.

“They're more resilient and easier to get back into the game than coaches,” Rodriguez said. “I don't give coaches too many pep talks about that, they understand that. Our guys know the season is still long. We haven't played a conference game yet, we've only been at home once.”

“I expect us to play much better in this home game than in the last one, because we didn't play well in the last one.”

Punter Jack Dawson, who is playing his fifth season at Jax State and has played 47 games with the Gamecocks, said he has always been impressed with the performance of the team's fan base and hopes to get back on track at this week's home opener.

Kickoff against Southern Miss is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday and will be streamed on ESPN+.

“I think even when we were FCS, we had the highest attendance in FCS football,” punter Jack Dawson said. “A lot of those fans are loyal. In the 2021 season, we weren't great, we didn't have a winning season, but the stadium was packed.”