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Jacksonville State will come out of a bye week on Wednesday and begin its stretch of five Conference USA matchups a few hours north. The Gamecocks will travel to Middle Tennessee on Wednesday with hopes of remaining unbeaten in CUSA play. Jax State (4-3, 3-0 CUSA) had a bye week after beating Delaware 38-25, while Middle Tennessee (1-6, 0-3 CUSA) lost to Delaware 31-28 on Wednesday. RELATED: Meet Jacksonville State’s rowdiest fans who created cocky campus craze Here’s everything you need to know about Wednesday’s game, including a key matchup, storylines and a score prediction. Key matchup Middle Tennessee defensive lineman Damonte Smith vs. Jax State offensive line One of the few bright spots so far for a one-win Blue Raiders squad, Smith has emerged as one of the top defensive linemen in college football during his fifth season with Middle Tennessee. So far, he has a team-high 8.5 tackles for loss, three quarterback hurries and two sacks. He’s been the highest-graded defender on his squad, per Pro Football Focus (87.7) with 21 pressures. Storylines Caden Creel good to go After being taken out of Jax State’s matchup with Delaware following an elbow injury, Charles Kelly said the quarterback is expected to make this third straight start for the Gamecocks after a bye week. Immediate X-rays on his arm were negative following the win over the Blue Hens, but suffered an injury to his UCL his non-throwing arm. “He’s been practicing, he’s worn a sleeve,” Kelly added. “It doesn’t look like to me that it’s bothered him any. He’s out there practicing; all of our quarterbacks are. We expect him to be able to play.” In the last three games, the Fairhope native has 59 carries for 350 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He’s also 36-for-55 passing (65.4%) with 354 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Facing an experienced passer Middle Tennessee quarterback Nicholas Vattiato will likely be the most seasoned quarterback Jacksonville State faces all year, with the graduate student set to start his 38th college football game at quarterback. He ranks second in Blue Raiders history in career passing yards (9,197) and touchdowns (57). In his last two games against Jax State, he’s a combined 51-for-77 passing (66.2%) with 705 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions; both picks were two seasons ago. Prediction Jacksonville State 34, Middle Tennessee 13 Jax State hasn’t lost a matchup against Middle Tennessee since joining Conference USA, and it doesn’t look like that will change on Wednesday. Granted, the Blue Raiders have had some tough luck: all three of their league games have been single-possession losses, including a missed game-winning field goal against Missouri State. But, the athletic backfield of Cam Cook and Caden Creel along with a talented Jax State defensive line with plenty of experience will likely make a big difference in this one as the Gamecocks look to start 4-0 in league play for the second straight season. Game info Who: Jacksonville State (4-3) at Middle Tennessee (1-5) Where: Floyd Stadium, Murfreesboro, Tenn. When: Wednesday, Oct. 29 – 6:30 p.m. CT Watch: ESPN2 On the call: Jack Gordon, Taylor McHargue (TV); Mike Parris, Ray Hammett, Tommy Wood (radio)
