Samford at Jacksonville State FCS Football 2013 Playoffs 1st Round Game Breakdown
Samford at Jacksonville State, Saturday, 8:00
If you’re looking for offense, this is your game. These two Alabama schools light up the scoreboard, and should make for a pretty compelling matchup. The schools are even within two yards of each other in total offense (Jacksonville State averages 435.5 yards per game, Samford 433.5). Samford features a pass-first offense behind redshirt senior Andy Summerlin, who ranks sixth in the FCS in passing yards with 3,559 yards. Summerlin’s arsenal is loaded with weapons, including senior wideout Kelsey Pope (67 catches, 783 yards, 3 TD) and fellow senior running back Fabian Truss (877 yards, 8 TD; 36 receptions, 295 yards, 1 TD). Summerlin is eighth in the FCS in passing yards per game (296.6), despite having four outings (at Georgia State, at Arkansas, at Florida A&M and Chattanooga) in which he threw for fewer than 200 yards. Jacksonville State is led by the quarterback tandem of monstrous, 6’6”, 240, Minnesota transfer Max Shortell and redshirt freshman Eli Jenkins. Shortell (102-for-178, 1435 yards, 6 TD, 5 INT) is more of the passing threat, while Jenkins (44-for-76, 525 yards, 2 INT; 100 carries, 623 yards, 7 TD) looks to run. Summerlin faces a challenge in the Gamecocks’ top-twenty pass defense, but this may be the time for Truss to get on track, assuming he is cleared to play. Truss has five hundred-yard games to his credit this season, but has battled an injury since the second half of the Chattanooga game. The teams have an interesting common opponent, as both have played FBS opponent Georgia State. Samford defeated Georgia State 31-21 in week one, while Jacksonville State took a 32-26 overtime decision in Atlanta. Interestingly, as our friends over at OVC Ball point out, two of the Gamecocks’ three losses this season have come at Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium. JSU suffered a 35-34 overtime defeat to Murray State and a 31-15 loss to fellow playoff participant Tennessee State at home. If Samford’s offense shows up on Saturday, JSU will need to stay up to the task to avoid their third loss in the friendly confines.
Projected Score: Samford 38, Jacksonville State 31
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