Jacksonville State (0-0, 6-6 in 2019) at Florida State (0-2, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) Game 1 • Oct. 3, 2020 • 3 p.m. CT • ACC RSN 2020 FOOTBALL Doak Campbell Stadium (79,560) • Tallahassee, Fla. /JSUGamecocks @JSUGamecocks @JSUGamecocks JSUGamecocks QUICK HITS ON THE AIR • This week marks the third meeting between the Gamecocks and Seminoles, with the two splitting the two JSU Radio Network previous meetings. JSU claimed a 7-0 win in 1947, and FSU rallied in the final minute to win 19-9 in 2009. Mike Parris, play-by-play • This week's game will be JSU's first trip to the state of Florida since closing the 2012 season at Florida in Eric Mims, analyst Gainesville. JSU is 1-6 all-time in the Sunshine State: 1-1 at FSU, 0-1 at Florida, 0-1 at USF and 0-3 at Tampa. ACC RSN • Jacksonville State enters this week's game with a 1-4 all-time record against current members of the Atlantic Tom Werme, play-by-play Coast Conference. JSU is 0-3 vs. Georgia Tech and is 1-1 vs. Florida State. James Bates, analyst • The Gamecocks are opening a season in October for the first time since 1926. JSU's conference schedule was Lyndsay Rowley, sidelines moved to the spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving the Gamecocks four non-conference games in the fall. They will play them in four consecutive weeks beginning on Saturday. JSU SPORTS INFORMATION • The Gamecocks finished the 2019 season with a 6-6 record, their 17th-straight season at .500 or better. That Associate AD/Football SID....Josh Underwood streak is the longest active streak in the FCS, ahead of McNeese State in second with 14. [email protected]; 256-782-5915; cell-256-453-0545 • Senior Zerrick Cooper enters this season with several school records in his sights, but none as close as the Assistant SID/Football SID .......Tyler Brown JSU's career touchdown passes record. He needs just one to tie Ed Lett's record of 60 set from 1979-82. [email protected]; 256-782-5977; cell-423-619-0557 JSUGamecockSports.com THE GAMECOCKS BY THE NUMBERS 2020 SCHEDULES .763 - John Grass' career 17 - Consecutive seasons at .500 96 - Tackles by Zack Woodard in winning percentage as a head or better by the Gamecocks heading 2019, most on the team. His 8.0 Jacksonville State coach, eighth-highest among all into 2020, the longest active streak tackles per game were 4th in the Gamecocks (0-0, 0-0 OVC) active Div. I coaches and second in the FCS. OVC. DATE OPPONENT TIME (CT) among active FCS coaches 28 - Touchdown passes by OCTOBER (0-0) (minimum 30 games). 1,076 - Career receiving yards Zerrick Cooper last season, eighth by senior Trae Barry, third-most in 3 at Florida State (ACC RSN) 3 p.m. 2 - Times a JSU player has thrown nationally and second-most in a school history by a tight end and 10 MERCER (ESPN+) 2 p.m. for 3,000 yards in a single season, season in JSU history. He holds the just 104 shy of Butch Barker (1,180) 17 at North Alabama (ESPN+) 1 p.m. both of which have come from record of 32 set in 2018. in second place and 424 away from 23 at Florida International (ESPN+) 6 p.m. *- Ohio Valley Conference Game Zerrick Cooper (2018 and 2019). 60 - Career touchdown passes Rusty Fuller (1,500) in first. 3 - Gamecocks that have received by Zerrick Cooper, one away from 3,404 - Passing yards by Zerrick Florida State Preseason All-America honors prior tying Edd Lett's school record. He Cooper in 2019, 14th nationally (0-2, 0-2 ACC) to the 2020 season: QB Zerrick joins Lett as the only players in JSU and second-most in a season in JSU Seminoles DATE OPPONENT TIME (CT) Cooper, TE Trae Barry and DE DJ history with 50 TD Passes. history (behind his .3,416 in 2018). SEPTEMBER (0-2) Coleman. 72 - Touchdowns responsible for 6,820 - Passing yards by Zerrick 12 *GEORGIA TECH L, 16-13 by Zerrick Cooper in his JSU career, 6 - Gamecocks Named to the Cooper in his career, making him 26 *at Miami L, 52-10 Preseason All-OVC Team: QB Zerrick second only to Eli Jenkins' 89 from the fourth player in school history to OCTOBER (0-0) Cooper, TE Trae Barry, OL Michael 2013-16. throw for 6,000 yards. He is third on 3 JACKSONVILLE STATE 3 p.m. Shaddix, DE DJ Coleman, LB Zack 91 - Consecutive games in which JSU's career passing yards list and 10 *at Notre Dame 7:30 p.m. Woodard and CB Yul Gowdy. the Gamecocks have scored, with 325 away from Edd Lett in second. 17 *NORTH CAROLINA TBA 11 - JSU's last shutout coming in the 24 *at Louisville TBA Games with at least 300 final game of 2012 at No. 7 Florida. NOVEMBER (0-0) passing yards by Zerrick Cooper 7 *PITTSBURGH TBA in his JSU career, the most of any 14 *at North Carolina State TBA player in school history. 21 *CLEMSON TBA MEET THE TEAMS 28 *VIRGINIA TBA Jacksonville State Florida State DECEMBER (0-0) Record 0-0, 0-0 Ohio Valley Conference Record 0-2, 0-2 Atlantic Coast Conference 5 *at Duke TBA Ranking RV in STATS Poll Ranking NR in Coaches Poll * - Atlantic Coast Conference Game NR in Coaches Poll NR in AP Poll Last Game Dec. 23 vs. Eastern Kentucky Last Game Oct. 26 at Miami Lost, 29-23 Lost, 52-10 Head Coach John Grass (Jacksonville State, ‘90) Head Coach Mike Norvell (Central Arkansas, ‘05) Career Record 58-18/7th year Career Record 38-17/5th year JSU Record 58-18/7th year FSU Record 0-2/1st year Grass vs. FSU 0-0 vs. JSU 0-0 vs. Norvell 0-0 vs. Grass 0-0 JSU vs. FSU 1-1 CHAMPIONS • 2003 • 2004 • 2011 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017 • 2018 2020 Jacksonville State FOOTBALL GAME NOTES Florida State Week Schedule (Schedule subject to change) 28 29 30 1 2 3 4 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Practice Grass Weekly Presser Practice Practice Walk Through Game Day Off Day 4 p.m. 11:30 a.m. - Zoom 4 p.m. 4 p.m. TBA JSU at FSU No Player Availability Please contact Josh No Player Availability No Player Availability Doak Campbell Stadium Underwood Travel to Tallahassee 3 p.m. CT ([email protected]) Post Game for access. Coach Grass and Players Practice will be available via 4 p.m. Zoom JACKSONVILLE STATE SPORTS INFORMATION MEDIA POLICIES OVC TELECONFERENCE PRESS CONFERENCE The Ohio Valley Conference postponed its conference John Grass’ weekly press availability will be done virtually via Zoom schedule to the Spring and will not have a weekly for the 2020 season. He will be available on Tuesday at 11:30 teleconference during the fall season. a.m. Any media wishing to access Coach Grass’ press conference should contact Associate Ad for Media Relations Josh Underwood ([email protected]) for the link to join. Select players will also be on hand during the press conference. If a specific player is needed, contact Josh Underwood by Sunday to make arrangements for the interview. JOHN GRASS ON THE WEB Media members can watch John Grass’ full press conference each week. The video will be uploaded by 4 p.m. CT on Tuesday at JSUGamecockSports.com. PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPTIONS JSU SPORTS INFORMATION STAFF Transcriptions of John Grass’ weekly press conferences are available The Jacksonville State Sports Information offices are located by 4 p.m. each Tuesday on the athletic web site at on the third floor of Pete Mathews Coliseum. JSUGamecockSports.com. COACHES INTERVIEWS Outside his regular Tuesday press conference, the best time for Coach Grass interviews is between 10-11 a.m. until Wednesday. Please contact the JSU SID office to make specific arrangements. PLAYER INTERVIEWS If at all possible, player interviews need to be conducted during JOSH UNDERWOOD TYLER BROWN TONY SCHMIDT Monday’s weekly press conference. Associate AD Assistant SID Assistant SID FB Contact FB Contact [email protected] @JSUGamecocksFB [email protected] [email protected] @Coach_Grass Office: 256-782-5915 Office: 256-782-5977 #JSUGamecocks Cell: 256-453-0545 Cell: 423-619-0557 @josh_underwood1 @tylerbrown_91 facebook.com/JSUGamecocks instagram/JSUGamecocks Snapchat/JSUGamecocks Daniel Porter Assistant SID [email protected] 2 CHAMPIONS • 2003 • 2004 • 2011 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017 • 2018 2020 Jacksonville State FOOTBALL GAME NOTES THE COACHES Jacksonville State Head Coach John Grass FSU Head Coach Mike Norvell John Grass has a 58-18 record in his seventh season as JSU's head Mike Norvell was named Florida State’s 11th full-time head football coach, the best 76-game start in JSU history. He is 41-6 in OVC play. coach on Dec. 8, 2019. Grass’ unprecedented start to his collegiate head coaching career Norvell spent the previous four seasons as the head coach has seen the 1990 JSU graduate win five-straight OVC titles, while also at Memphis, compiling a record of 38-15, including the 2019 American becoming the first person to claim the Roy Kidd OVC Coach of the Year Athletic Conference championship and a spot in the New Year’s Six Cotton Award outright in three-straight seasons. He is also the first FCS coach to be Bowl. His 71.7 winning percentage is the highest in Memphis history and named the AFCA’s Region Coach of the Year in five-straight seasons and was ranks ninth among active coaches with at least four years of experience the first Gamecock in Division I to be voted the AFCA’s National Coach of the at the FBS level.