Week Zero Conference Notes
DALLAS – The 2026 season gets underway Saturday with a pair of schools in action in week zero as Jacksonville State visits North Dakota State at 4:30 p.m. CT on CBS Sports Network and New Mexico State takes on Florida State at 6 p.m. CT on The CW. The league’s remaining eight members embark on their seasons next Thursday-Saturday, September 3-5.
JAX STATE (0-0) AT NORTH DAKOTA STATE (0-0)
Date: Saturday, August 29
Time: 4:30 p.m. CT
Location: Fargo, N.D. (Fargodome)
Broadcast: CBS Sports Network
Announcers: Rich Waltz (PxP), Adam Breneman (Analyst), Brian Kelly (Analyst), Jordan Giorgio (Sideline)
All-Time Series: Jax State leads 2-1
NM STATE (0-0) AT FLORIDA STATE (0-0)
Date: Saturday, August 29
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Location: Tallahassee, Fla. (Doak Campbell Stadium)
Broadcast: The CW
Announcers: Thom Brennaman (PxP), Jason Cabinda (Analyst), Wes Bryant (Sideline)
All-Time Series: Florida State leads 1-0
COCKS' CONTINUITY
Jax State has won nine games and made a bowl game in each of its three seasons at the FBS level, most recently capping off a 9-4 campaign in year one under Charles Kelly with a 17-13 win over in-state rival Troy in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl. The Gamecocks are one of just 14 FBS teams to win nine games in each of the last three seasons and one of five Group of Six conference teams to do so, joining Tulane, Ohio, UNLV and James Madison.
DEEP-THREAT DEONDRE
Jax State wide receiver Deondre Johnson returns after leading all FBS pass catchers in yards per reception (24.13) in 2025. He hauled in 30 passes for 724 yards and six touchdowns. Over the final seven games of the season, Johnson recorded 25 catches for 651 yards (93 YPG) and all six touchdowns after developing a relationship with eventual starter Caden Creel. The duo enters the 2026 season poised to put up productive numbers over an entire season.
THE CREEL DEAL
Jacksonville State’s Caden Creel had seven games with at least 100 rush yards last season, tied with Navy’s Blake Horvath for the most by any FBS QB. Creel had multiple rushes of at least 70 yards in 2025, the only CUSA QB over the last 10 seasons with multiple 70-yard rushes in the same campaign. In 2026, Creel has a chance to become just the fourth quarterback in CUSA history to pass for 2,500 yards and rush for 1,000 yards, joining Jax State’s Tyler Huff (2024), Liberty’s Kaidon Salter (2023) and MTSU’s Asher O’Hara (2019).
TURNOVER TENACITY
In 2025, NM State finished tied for 14th in FBS in turnovers forced (24) with 15 interceptions and nine fumble recoveries. The Aggies return interception leader Bernock Iya (4), who also tallied a fumble recovery. Senior cornerback Josiah Charles also returns after recording an interception and fumble recovery in 2025, giving NM State a pair of back-end threats on the defense to give the ball back to the offense.