Jacksonville State hosts New Mexico State tonight at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2 in a Conference USA matchup with title implications. DraftKings has JSU favored by 3.5 points.
Both teams sit near the top of the CUSA standings. Jacksonville State is 3-0 in conference play tied with Liberty, while New Mexico State is 2-1. The Gamecocks are -200 to reach the CUSA Championship Game for a third straight year. The loser faces real trouble in the league race, as Liberty does not face Jacksonville State in the regular season.
Jacksonville State enters on a four-game winning streak, including a 27-24 home win over FIU on Oct. 13 where kicker Garrison Rippa made the game-winning 26-yard field goal with 44 seconds left. Rippa's six career game-winning field goals in the final minute or overtime are a CUSA record. Dual-threat QB Caden Creel passed for two scores and has at least two total TDs in six straight games. He is the only FBS quarterback averaging at least 225 passing yards and 70 rushing yards per game.
Jacksonville State has extended its NCAA-best streak to 65 consecutive games with a rushing touchdown thanks to Justus Savage's run against FIU. The Gamecocks are 13-1 in weekday CUSA games over the past four years with 11 straight wins.
New Mexico State comes off a 30-24 road win at Sam Houston. Tailback James Jones rushed for 178 yards and a score, the most by an NMSU back since November 2019. Jones is averaging 111.0 rushing yards per game, leading CUSA and ranking 10th nationally.
Both offenses rely heavily on the run. Jacksonville State allows 156.4 rushing yards per game. New Mexico State allows just 109.1 rushing yards per game, leading CUSA and ranking 30th nationally. In