Jacksonville State football at Sam Houston: Scouting report, prediction

Jacksonville State football enters its second week of AQ7 play following its open week and will face Sam Houston, the No. 1 ranked team in the FCS.

The Gamecocks will travel to Huntsville, Texas, on Saturday (2 p.m., ESPN+) to play the reigning national champion Bearkats at Bowers Stadium.

JSU (3-3, 1-0 ASUN) defeated Stephen F. Austin 28-24 two weeks ago, and Sam Houston (5-0, 3-0 WAC) beat Lamar 41-7 on Oct. 9.

Here are three things to know about the Saturday's game:

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Much needed open week

The open week for the Gamecocks last week could not have come at a better time. Injuries at key positions have plagued JSU all season, especially in the secondary and at receiver.

"I've never coached a team that needed an off week more than this one," JSU coach John Grass said. "We were able to get some guys well. Get some guys closer back to healthy. It's refreshing to have a week off."

One of the players that has been playing hurt most of the season is safety Nicario Harper, who has been playing through a high ankle sprain.

"He's a rep guy, he doesn't miss a rep," Grass said. "He tries to get extra reps with everything. A lot of times we have to slow him down."

Harper, who has 16 tackles, one interception and a fumble returned for a touchdown, missed games against UT-Martin and Kennesaw State earlier in the season.

"Right now I feel great, I couldn't feel better," Harper said. "I can run around. I can do all the things I love to do. Missing two games this season, it really hurt.

Sam Houston the class of the FCS

Coming off a 2020 championship, the Bearkats are No. 1 in FCS polls entering the week.

Sam Houston has outscored its opponents 201-92 and are one of six unbeaten teams currently the FCS, along with Eastern Washington (7-0), North Dakota State (6-0), Harvard (5-0), Princeton (5-0) and Dartmouth (5-0).

"Sam Houston always has a great team," Grass said. "Coach (K.C.) Keeler does a great job getting those guys ready. They always have a real talented team. This team is no exception. They won a National Championship for a reason.

The two teams have played one common opponent so far in Stephen F. Austin. The Gamecocks won their conference opener against the Lumberjacks 28-24 in a comeback, and the Bearkats scored 15 points in the fourth to defeat SFA 21-20 a week prior.

"Sam Houston comes up with two big drives at the end of the game to win the game," Grass said. "They had scores on a fourth-and-8 and fourth-and-4. You look back at their spring games, no matter how much they are down, they find a way to comeback."

Quarterback Eric Schmid and running back Ramon Jefferson lead an offensive attack that averages 220 rush yards per game.

First meeting since

Something will have to give in the 11th matchup between the two programs. This series is tied 5-5, with the record tied 2-2 in games in Huntsville.

The last time the two teams squared off was a 62-10 victory for the Gamecocks in the 2015 FCS semifinals. Sam Houston won 37-26 in an upset victory in the second round in 2014.

The matchup will mark just the second time JSU has played the No. 1-ranked team and the first since a 30-14 loss at No. 1 McNeese State in 1998.

"They are the defending national champions, so of course I'm very excited," Harper said. "I'm preparing a little harder, studying a little bit more. But every game is a big game. We have to approach this game like we approach any game."

Prediction

Sam Houston 34, Jacksonville State 21: The Gamecocks hang tough for three quarters, but Bearkats pull away late.

Contact Ehsan Kassim at 256-300-5313 or ekassim@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Jacksonville State football at Sam Houston: Scouting report, prediction