Week 1 of the college football season is here. Jacksonville State will travel to face UCF on Thursday to get the season started. The game is slated for 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday.
The Knights are a 20.5-point favorite in this game on DraftKings Sportsbook. UCF is -1100 on the moneyline, while Jacksonville State are at +700. The over/under points total is set at 53.5.
Jacksonville State vs. UCF Preview
UCF are coming off a brutal season, going 4-8 overall and 2-7 in the Big 12 conference. For Jacksonville State, 2024 was much more successful, going 7-1 in Conference USA and 9-5 overall. They did struggle in their non-conference games, which could be an indication of what’s to come on Thursday.
UCF lost its best player to the 2025 NFL Draft, RB RJ Harvey. Myles Montgomery and Jaden Nixon will have to pick up the slack for the Knights. Montgomery recorded 293 rushing yards for UCF a season ago, while Nixon transferred from Western Michigan after finishing with 919 rushing yards last year. It will be another fresh face at quarterback for the Big 12 school, as FAU transfer Cam Fancher is set to start. Fancher spent his first three collegiate seasons at Marshall before transferring to FAU last season. It was a mediocre season for him, recording 1,528 passing yards, six touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 59.4% of his passes. The Knights also lost their leading receiver, Kobe Hudson, to the NFL as he competed in Panthers training camp.
It will be a fresh face behind center for both sides, as Kentucky transfer Gavin Wimsatt will get the start for the Gamecocks. In limited action last season, he struggled with 287 passing yards, three touchdowns and four picks while completing only 41% of his passes. Those numbers will have to skyrocket for the Gamecocks to stand a chance in this one. Jacksonville State also lost its top running back and receiver from a season ago, with RB Tre Stewart entering the NFL and spending the offseason with the Vikings. WR Cam Vaughn transferred to West Virginia after finishing with 803 receiving yards and five touchdowns in his first year.
Jacksonville State vs. UCF Pick
There will be a ton of new faces for both of these teams on Thursday, which makes this game hard to predict. However, one of these schools is in the Big 12 and the other is in Conference USA. That’s not a shot at Conference USA, but rather just an observation in the talent gap between these two rosters.
Jacksonville State had an admirable season last year, but against non-conference opponents, the difference in quality was stark. They went 2-4 outside of Conference USA, losing to the only power-four school on their schedule, Louisville, 49-14. They only have one matchup against a power-four school once again this season, and I expect a similar result against the Knights.
UCF went 2-1 out of conference in a disappointing season in 2024, beating New Hampshire 57-3 and fellow Conference USA opponent Sam Houston 45-14. Their loss was to the SEC’s Florida in Gainesville.
UCF might struggle against Big 12 opponents once again this season, but they should have no issues dismantling Jacksonville State in the opening game at home.
