Jacksonville State may be 0-1 so far this season, and Liberty may be 1-0. But those records don’t reflect what happened in Week 1.
Jax State narrowly lost to Power Four opponent UCF 17-10 on the road last week. Cam Cook made several plays on offense, leading the team with 75 rushing yards and 43 receiving yards. And despite giving up 422 yards of offense, Jax State allowed just 17 points against UCF, which needed to score two touchdowns in the final 10 minutes to win.
Liberty, meanwhile, was tied with FCS Maine going into the fourth quarter before pulling away and winning 28-7. Mistakes were made on both sides of the ball, but the Flames still found a way to get a win.
Now the two programs will face off in a Conference USA battle – a clash between the two programs that won the last two CUSA titles.
New Customer Offers at BetMGM
Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l Terms
Liberty vs. Jacksonville State Betting Odds
Jacksonville State is a +6.5 college football betting odds underdog against Liberty, with the Over/Under being 49.5.
The moneyline for Liberty is -235, while it’s +195 for Jacksonville State.
Liberty vs. Jacksonville State On TV
The matchup between Liberty and Jacksonville State will be televised on CBSSN.
The game will kick off at noon ET on Saturday, Sept. 6. The contest is taking place at AmFirst Stadium in Jacksonville, Alabama.
Liberty vs. Jacksonville State Prediction
I predict Liberty will win but Jacksonville State will cover the 6.5-point spread. I also project the game will go Under 49.5 total points.
Charles Kelly will be entering just his second game as the head coach of Jax State. And even though the Gamecocks won CUSA last year, I don’t think this team will be at quite the same level.
I also think Liberty, led by quarterback Ethan Vasko, is going to be pretty solid. Vasko was inconsistent last week, but he still ended up 19-for-33 passing for 197 yards and three touchdowns with 63 yards and one touchdown rushing.
I expect him to take another step forward in a pivotal game on the road. Both defenses played well last week, which is why I think this will be a low-scoring contest. But I anticipate Vasko will make enough plays to lead Liberty to a narrow victory.
