TODAY'S GAME: The Jacksonville Jaguars, still seeking their elusive fourth victory of the season after five straight defeats, host the Indianapolis Colts. The Jaguars have a 3-10 record following a 31-23 loss to the Denver Broncos, while the Colts are 7-6 after losing to the Carolina Panthers 13-10 on Sunday. It is the second consecutive game for the Colts against the NFL's two expansion teams.
RADIO BROADCAST: All of the Jaguars' games are broadcast on WOKV (690 AM) and WKQL (96.9 FM) and the Jaguars Radio Network, with Brian Sexton calling the action and analysis by Matt Robinson and Deron Cherry. Jennifer Kumik and Bill Riley, sports director of WOKV, handle the pre-game and half-time shows. More than 30 affiliates in five states on the Jaguars Radio Network will also broadcast the game. Sexton, 27, is the NFL's youngest play-by-play announcer, while Robinson and Cherry bring a total of 17 years of NFL playing experience to the broadcast booth.
TELEVISION BROADCAST: Today's game will be televised regionally by NBC and locally on WTLV, Channel 12. Calling the action will be Jim Donovan and John Dockery.
THE SERIES: This is the first regular-season game ever between the Jaguars and Colts.
A JAGUARS VICTORY OVER THE COLTS WOULD: Give the Jaguars their fourth victory of the season and break the previous record for most wins by an expansion team in NFL history (the Carolina Panthers already have six victories this season).
A COLTS VICTORY OVER THE JAGUARS WOULD: Keep them in second place in the AFC East or move them into a tie for first place if Buffalo loses to St. Louis.
INJURY UPDATE: Jacksonville Jaguars - Probable: QB Mark Brunell (hamstring), WR Willie Jackson (knee/ankle) and CB Vinnie Clark (knee).
Indianapolis Colts - Out: RB Vince Workman (neck/placed on I.R.); Questionable: QB Jim Harbaugh (knee); Probable: TE Bradford Banta (hamstring), LB Quentin Coryatt (ankle), G Randy Dixon (thigh), RB Roosevelt Potts (shoulder) and DT Tony Siragusa (knee).
INACTIVE PLAYERS: The following players were designated as inactive on Friday (four more players from each team will be designated as inactive 1 1/2 hours before kickoff):
Jacksonville - DE Jeff Lageman, DT Ray Hall and FB Bryan Dickerson
Indianapolis - RB Ronald Humphrey, G Eric Mahlum, LB Steve Morrison and WR Bobby Olive
Since the Jaguars currently have only 52 players on their active roster, they were required to deactivate only 3 players on Friday for the Friday limit of 49 players.
ROSTER CHANGES: On Tuesday, the Jaguars released WR Ernest Givins and LB James Williams, and on Wednesday they signed FB Bryan Dickerson, a 6-1, 245-pound rookie from Eastern Kentucky who had been on Cincinnati's practice squad. The Colts placed RB Vince Workman (neck) on injured reserve on Tuesday and activated RB Clif Groce from the practice squad on Friday.
THE COACHES: Jacksonville head coach Tom Coughlin has led the Jaguars to three victories already this season. He became head coach of the NFL's newest franchise on February 21, 1994 following three successful seasons as head coach at Boston College. Coughlin compiled a record of 21-13-1 from 1991 to '93 at Boston College, and had two appearances in bowl games and a ranking of 13th in the final AP poll of 1993. A veteran of 25 years of coaching, he was previously an NFL assistant coach with the New York Giants (wide receivers, 1988-90), Green Bay Packers (wide receivers and passing game coordinator 1986-87) and Philadelphia Eagles (wide receivers, 1984-85). He was a member of the Giants' 1990 Super Bowl XXV champions coaching staff.
Indianapolis coach Ted Marchibroda is in his ninth season as head coach of the Colts and his fourth in his second stint with the team. He coached the Colts from 1975 to '79 and returned in 1992. The second-winningest coach in team history behind only Don Shula, he has an overall coaching record of 69-66. His 138 games are the most ever by a Colts head coach. With the Colts, Marchibroda owns 2 of the 4 eight-win season improvements ever earned in NFL history.
JACKSONVILLE-INDIANAPOLIS CONNECTIONS: Jaguars TE coach Nick Nicolau was the offensive coordinator for the Colts for the past three seasons before coming to Jacksonville. … Colts offensive coordinator Lindy Infante attended the University of Florida, where he was a running back from 1960 to ë62. Infante later went on to be the head coach of the Jacksonville Bulls of the now defunct USFL, where he coached Matt Robinson, now the Jaguars' color commentator. … Colts coaches Jim Johnson (linebackers) and Greg Blache (defensive line) were part of Infante's Bulls staff. … Jaguars offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride was a member of the Oilers staff with the Colts DB coach Pat Thomas.
STATS AND SUCH: Jimmy Smith has scored the Jaguars' last four touchdowns (2 on pass receptions, 1 on a kickoff return after a lateral and 1 on a blocked punt). … The Jaguars have thrown at least one TD pass in every game since the opener. … The following 7 players have started every game: C Dave Widell, OT Brian DeMarco, DT Kelvin Pritchett, DT Don Davey, CB Vinnie Clark, CB Mickey Washington and S Harry Colon. … Mark Brunell, who has missed the last 2 games with a strained hamstring, continues to lead all NFL quarterbacks in rushing. He has 410 yards on 60 carries, with a 6.8-yard average that leads the NFL. He ranks 20th among AFC rushers and 12th among AFC passers with a 77.3 rating. … James Stewart took over the team rushing lead from Brunell for the first time in 5 weeks. He now has 421 yards. … P Bryan Barker's 44.2-yard gross average is tied for 5th in the NFL, and his net average of 39.0 is 2nd in the NFL. Barker's 72 punts are the 4th most in the NFL.
Jacksonville's Pete Mitchell and Indianapolis' Ken Dilger are the two leading receivers among rookie tight ends in the NFL. Both players have 32 catches. Dilger is four receptions shy of John Mackey's team record for rookie tight ends.
Indianapolis RB Marshall Faulk will become the 13th player to rush for 1,000 yards in his first two seasons if he gains 43 yards. Faulk also leads the Colts with 50 receptions. … Since joining the Colts five games into the season, Cary Blanchard has hit on 13 of his 15 field goal attempts.
TODAY'S ENTERTAINMENT: The National Anthem will be performed by The Voices of Liberty from the Walt Disney Resort. The halftime entertainment will be the passing competition of the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Gatorade Punt, Pass & Kick Championship. The kicking and punting competition was held earlier in the day.
NEXT WEEK: The Jaguars will travel to Detroit to face the Lions, while the Colts will host the San Diego Chargers.
JACKSONVILLE STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN INDIANAPOLIS
3-10 Record 7-6
5th, AFC Central Divisional Standing 4th,(T), AFC East
29th NFL Offensive Ranking 21st
266.4 Offensive Yards Per Game 308.7
105.0 Rushing Yards Per Game 119.1
161.4 Passing Yards Per game 189.6
220/16.9 Points Scored/Average 256/19.7
51/299 Sacked/Yards 39/269
18th NFL Defensive Ranking 7th
343.1 Yards Allowed Per Game 303.5
124.8 Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game 85.2
218.3 Passing Yards Allowed Per Game 218.3
298/22.9 Points Allowed/ Average 251/19.3
11/59 QB Sacks/Yards 25/131
16/21 Field Goals/Attempts 17/24
72/44.2 Punts/Average 52/43.2
100/799 Penalties/Yards 81/758
21/11 Fumbles/Balls Lost 20/10
0 Turnovers (Net) 0
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Jacksonville Jaguars | One Stadium Place | Jacksonville, Florida 32202
