The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers'and Jacksonville State Gamecocks begin their seasons Thursday. Kick-off from AmFirst Stadium is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Coastal Carolina vs. Jacksonville State odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.
Coastal Carolina finished last season with an 8-5 overall record and tied for 3rd place in the Sun Belt’s East Division with a 5-3 record in conference play. It finished off the season with a 24-14 win over San Jose State in the Hawaii Bowl. The Chanticleers lost QB Grayson McCall to NC State in the offseason and will be led by QB Ethan Vasko, who threw for 7 touchdowns and an interception last season as the 2nd-string signal-caller, with the possibility of Michigan State transfer QB Noah Kim'also seeing reps.
Jacksonville State finished last season with a 9-4 overall record, including 5-1 at home and 6-2 in C-USA, good 3rd in the conference. It ended the season with a 34-31 victory over Louisiana in the New Orleans Bowl. QB Logan Smothers, who threw for 6 TDs and 4 INTs as a 2nd-stringer last year, and Furman transfer QB Tyler Huff'will be co-starters Thursday. Gamecocks coach Rich Rodriguez has yet to announce a full-season starter after QB Zion Webb completed his 7th year of eligibility in 2023 and declared for the NFL Draft.
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