The two FBS newcomers share one stage Thursday night. And they get a national spotlight on ESPNU, which was not familiar territory for the teams when competing at the FCS level.
The FCS-to-FBS transitions are faring quite differently for Jacksonville State (3-1, 1-0 CUSA) and Sam Houston (0-3, 0-0 CUSA). The Gamecocks collected their second win over FBS competition last Saturday and recoded one of five instances of an FBS shutout, blanking Eastern Michigan, 21-0. The Bearkats have endured a much more challenging schedule, however, facing the likes of BYU, Air Force, and Houston. While Sam Houston has shown signs of defensive success like Jacksonville State, the team’s scoring total for the year is at a mere 10 points.