The Jacksonville Crimsons will head out on the road to face off against the Normal University Pioneers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Jacksonville fell on hard times earlier this season, but after back-to-back victories it seems like their luck might finally be changing. They were the clear victor by a 31-7 margin over Springfield. The result was nothing new for Jacksonville, who have now won three matchups by 24 points or more so far this season.
Camron Mitchell continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, rushing for 223 yards and a touchdown while picking up 8.6 yards per carry. Mitchell is on a roll when it comes to rushing yards, as he's now rushed for 100 or more in the last four games he's played. Mani Moore also helped with two touchdowns in total.
Normal University never got on the board in their last matchup, but that sure wasn't the case in their game against Lincoln last Friday. Normal University put the hurt on Lincoln with a sharp 49-28 win. The result was nothing new for Normal University, who have now won three contests by 21 points or more so far this season.
Normal University's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Alek Weiland, who rushed for 81 yards and a touchdown, and also threw for 171 yards and two touchdowns while completing 75% of his passes. Lyfe Campbell was another key contributor, rushing for 108 yards and a touchdown on only 12 carries.
Their wins bumped Jacksonville to 4-4 and Normal University to 6-2.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Friday's match: Jacksonville has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 278.6 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Normal University struggles in that department as they've been averaging 161.1 per game. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Everything went Jacksonville's way against Normal University in their previous matchup back in October of 2022 as Jacksonville made off with a 70-49 victory. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Normal University's Colin Cunningham, who rushed for 187 yards and three touchdowns, and also threw for 188 yards and three touchdowns. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be that much easier for Jacksonville to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.
