We continue our series of an early look ahead to the teams on Liberty’s 2025 schedule. We will give a quick preview of all 12 teams that stand in the Flames’ way of another bowl trip and potentially a second CUSA championship as third-year head coach Jamey Chadwell prepares his team for the upcoming season.

Today, we look at Week 2 on the schedule which also serves as the road and conference opener for the Flames when they travel to play at Jacksonville State.

Jacksonville State

• When: Saturday, Sep. 6 at AmFirst Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama (12 noon, CBS Sports Network)
• Last year’s record: 9-5, 7-1 CUSA (1st)
• Coach: Charles Kelly, first year at Jax State
• 2025 SP+ ranking: 104
• Series History: JSU leads, 5-1

Last Meeting: Oct. 30, 2024: Jax State 31, Liberty 21

A fourth down stop in the fourth quarter allowed Jacksonville State to secure the win over the Flames, halting Liberty’s 12-game home winning streak. The Gamecocks rushed for 363 yards, 232 of those coming from Tre Stewart who also had four rushing touchdowns. Quinton Cooley’s 133 yards on the ground weren’t enough. The win kept JSU unbeaten in conference play as they went on to win their first ever CUSA title.

Program History:

National Championships: 0

Conference Championships: 1

Bowl Record: 1-1

Last Bowl Appearance: 2024: L, 30-27 vs Ohio in the Cure Bowl

The Gamecocks got off to a slow start last season, dropping their first three games. They would quickly rebound to win eight straight, including a 31-21 decision at Liberty. Jax State would go on to defeat Western Kentucky, 52-12, in the CUSA Championship before falling to Ohio, 30-27, in the Cure Bowl to finish the season at 9-5 overall and 7-1 in CUSA.

Following the season, Rich Rodriguez left JSU to return as head coach at West Virginia. The Gamecocks have hired Charles Kelly who is taking over in his first time being a head coach. The long-time defensive assistant was co-Defensive Coordinator at Auburn for the 2024 season and has also spent time previously at Colorado, Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida State.

The Gamecocks should have some talent to stay near the top half of the league, but there are question marks about this team and program moving forward in the post-Rich Rod era. It begins with Kelly. First time head coach hires are always risky. It could pay off, but we don’t currently know how good of a head coach Kelly can or will be. Based on his past, it can be expected that Jax State has a strong defense immediately under Kelly, but questions certainly linger on the offensive side of the ball.

No longer will Jacksonville State have the fast-tempo, run-first offense Rich Rod implored. It looks as though the new look Gamecocks offense will be more balanced and present a greater threat at throwing the football. Kelly and JSU turned some heads during the offseason with the addition of former four-star QB Gavin Wimsatt. He began his career at Rutgers where he played for three seasons, throwing for 2,537 yards, 14 touchdowns, 17 interceptions, a 47.8% completion percentage, 628 rushing yards, and 11 rushing touchdowns. He was the Rutgers starter in 2023 while helping lead Rutgers to a winning record for the first time since 2014. Following that season, Wimsatt transferred to Kentucky. The number two quarterback on the depth chart behind Brock Vandagriff last year, Wimsatt was mainly used in run packages. He is certainly a talented quarterback, especially at the CUSA level, and, if he can find some chemistry with his receivers, the Gamecocks should be competing at the top of CUSA once again.

What’s at Stake?

An early season meeting between the last two CUSA champs is certain to have an impact on this year’s Conference USA championship race. The winner of this Week 2 game will be in prime position to compete for a conference championship with an impressive early conference win. The loser might have an uphill battle to get to the CUSA championship game in the expanded 12-team league.

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