Jacksonville State hosts Western Kentucky in CUSA championship game, regular-season finale rematch

Western Kentucky (8-4, 6-2 Conference USA) at Jacksonville State (8-4, 7-1), Friday, 7 p.m. EST (CBS Sports Network)

BetMGM College Football Odds: Jacksonville State by 3 1/2.

Series record: Western Kentucky leads 5-2.

What’s at stake?

Western Kentucky is seeking its third Conference USA title and first since winning back-to-back championships in 2015 and 2016. Led by former Michigan and West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez, the Gamecocks are trying to capture one in just their second year in the league and at the FBS level. The teams are vying for top position in the league's bowl hierarchy. It's Round 2 for this matchup with Western Kentucky winning last weekend 19-17 on Lucas Carneiro's 50-yard field goal with 3 seconds left.

Key matchup

Jacksonville State pits the nation's No. 3 rushing offense against Conference USA's worst run defense. The Gamecocks are averaging 257.4 yards a game on the ground, and their 43 rushing touchdowns already are third most in league history. Western Kentucky is giving up 208.3 rushing yards per game. Jacksonville State running back Tre Stewart leads the league with 1,403 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Players to watch

Western Kentucky: QB Caden Veltkamp has completed 70.8% of his passes in four CUSA road games, averaging 296.8 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. He's 17th nationally in completion percentage (67.2) and 19th in passing efficiency (153.6)

Jacksonville State: QBs Tyler Huff/Logan Smothers. Rodriguez said Huff would be a gametime decision after hurting his left ankle in the second half last week. Huff is just the second CUSA player to have 2,000-plus passing yards and 1,100-plus rushing yards in the same season. Smothers is in his second season with the program since transferring from Nebraska.

Facts & figures

It’s the fourth straight year the title game will be a regular-season finale rematch. The winner of the first meeting won all three previous championship rematches. ... The Gamecocks will be the first program to reach bowl games in each of its first two FBS seasons since Marshall in 1997 and 1998. ... Jacksonville State lost its first three games before winning eight straight. The Gamecocks' Stewart has 16 rushing touchdowns in league games, the most of any FBS running back this season. ... Western Kentucky has thrown for at least one TD pass in 18 straight road conference games, tied with Texas for the fifth-longest streak.

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The Associated Press