FCS: Lots Of Questions To Be Answered With Jacksonville State-North Carolina A&T

The brutal drought has ended, folks. The long, hard summer of all talk and no pigskin has come to an end. We'll have football on Saturday … FCS​ football, and on ESPN in primetime, no less.

[divider]COMPARE: JSU's Marlon Bridges or NCAT's Mac McCain or JSU vs. NCAT Statistically[divider]

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JACKSONVILLE STATE: Gamecocks Preview | OVC Preview
NORTH CAROLINA A&T: Aggies Preview | MEAC Preview
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Any 'ole game would quench that thirst, but Saturday's Guardian FCS Kickoff Classic is no "any 'ole game" matchup. It pits two teams that combined to go 22-2 last year, yet still feel they have much prove.

This game could help answer questions that fans around the FCS Nation have been asking for a few years now. Can Jacksonville State break away from being just a dominant Ohio Valley Conference team (undefeated since 2014), or is that the ceiling in 2018? And for North Carolina A&T — the Aggies proved they could dominate the HBCU domain last year, but how will they stack up in their first game in two years against a strong FCS Playoff-caliber opponent? The last matchup with a FCS playoff caliber program came at injury-plagued Richmond in 2016 — the Aggies' last loss, by the way, and it wasn't close. But the Aggies are clearly better than they were that year. And the Gamecocks? They look good … again.

This is a tone setter, and one can imagine the country will be tuned in. With a 7 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN Saturday night, it'll be the only live college football game on the main channel this weekend.

"They are a deep football team and they return a lot of guys," Jacksonville State head coach John Grass said this week at the pregame press conference. "They did lose a few linemen from last year, but most of their skill people are back on offense. I think the running back (Marquell Cartwright) is an NFL back … the quarterback (Lamar Raynard) is very athletic and can throw and run the football well. He makes very few mistakes. We have a challenge in front of us."

[credit]JSU DB Marlon Bridges should be a key player this weekend. (JSU Athletics)[/credit]

Indeed, the big-picture storylines have national significance, but the individual matchups will be fascinating, too. North Carolina A&T's QB, Raynard, will be hoping to hook up with weapons like WR Elijah Bell, but 2020 NFL Draft prospect Marlon Bridges and the rest of the JSU secondary will be there to counter. Raynard should get his shot next spring with an NFL team, also, and could be a guy to watch as FCS players tend to see their draft stock rise the most their senior years. Raynard fits that mold. 

Also, how will sophomore DB sensation Franklin "Mac" McCain and his defensive teammates handle a set of JSU skill players that may have a former Clemson signee at quarterback (Zerrick Cooper), along with a former South Carolina player at receiver (Shaq Davidson) and Georgia transfer at running back (Tramel Terry)? The Aggies had one of the top statistical defenses in the FCS last year, but they'll be challenged this weekend. 

The standout matchups are endless.

"We're looked upon on a national level," N.C. A&T first year head coach Sam Washington told reporters after Monday's practice. "I am so tickled pink, and happy, that ESPN thought enough of our brand to invite us to play a Top-10, 1-AA football team. That says a lot about what we are. Life is about growth, and I think that's what we are doing here. We're growing."

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FCS KICKOFF CLASSIC HISTORY

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FCS PREVIEWS CONFERENCE BY CONFERENCE

Aug. 19 – Missouri Valley & Ohio Valley
Aug. 20 – Southland, SoCon & Big South
Aug. 21 – MEAC & SWAC
Aug. 22 – CAA & NEC
Aug. 23 – Big Sky & Pioneer
Aug. 24 – Patriot & Ivy

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FCS PRESEASON TOP 25: The poll
FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA: The team​