Jacksonville State vs Florida International: Gamecocks Eye MASSIVE Conference Win #5 on Wednesday

Originally posted on Gridiron Heroics | By Lucas Abrenica | Last updated 10/25/23

Jacksonville State takes on Florida International on Wednesday in a Conference USA clash. JSU is 6-2 after they squeaked by Western Kentucky 20-17. FIU was able to snap a three-game losing streak last game to get back to .500 at 4-4. Both teams have fared very differently in conference play, as the Gamecocks enter with a 4-1 conference record, while FIU is 1-4. Wednesday’s affair will be huge for both teams and even though the Panthers are big underdogs, we’ll see if they can defend their home turf before they head to Middle Tennessee.

The field design for tomorrow night is Blazin’

Brought to you by @BaptistHealthSF #PawsUp pic.twitter.com/FNRRnHsrjh

— FIU Football (@FIUFootball) October 24, 2023

Team	Spread	Total	ML
Jacksonville State	-8.5 (-105)	Over 49.5 (-105)	-320
Florida International	+8.5 (-115)	Under 49.5 (-115)	+255

Match Details

Fixture: Jacksonville State @ Florida International
Date and Time: October 25, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. EST
Location: Riccardo Silva Stadium, Miami, FL
Weather Forecast: Partially Cloudy, 78 degrees
Field Surface: FieldTurf

Key Stats

Jacksonville State

The Gamecocks’ defense has been slightly better compared to their offense, as they allow the 54th fewest yards & the 11th fewest yards per carry against in the nation. Opponents also have a 122.9 QB Rating when playing JSU’s defense, which is the 39th-lowest rating in college football. Their defense hasn’t been quite as stellar on the road, but FIU isn’t exactly a powerhouse.

JSU’s offense has been very run-heavy, as they average 46.6 rush attempts per game, the fourth-most in the country. Not only do they love to run the ball down teams’ throats, but they’re very effective at doing so. 4.5 yards per rush as a team ranks 50th-best, which is solid, but the overall volume wears down defenses.

Florida International

The Panthers are one of the worst teams on both sides of the ball, but they have managed three upset wins this year in games where they were sizeable underdogs. Their offense ranks 117th in rushing yards, and it won’t be surprising if they can’t get anything going on the ground versus a solid JSU run defense. The offensive line is subpar for FIU, to say the least, as they’ve allowed the eighth-most sacks, and JSU is 14th in sacks entering today’s contest.

On defense, FIU allows the 14th-most total yards, and even though they’re 4-4, they have an awful point differential. JSU doesn’t have the best offense around, but the Panthers have allowed over 30 PPG over their last four games, so they can’t be trusted, even at home.

Game Prediction

JSU has steamrolled through Conference USA, and they’ve been great against the spread this season. Meanwhile, FIU just picked up their first conference victory, and their inconsistency has been glaring. JSU’s running backs are banged up, but they should still be able to cover. Also, take the under here, as both offenses might not be that sharp early on.