Gameday: South Alabama vs Idaho
Both South Alabama and Idaho look to get their first conference win of the season. South Alabama’s offense has been disappointing as they return 9 of 11 starters from a year ago, but just have not found that spark to make them gel on a consistent basis.
After scoring 16 points in the first half against Kent State, the Jaguars have only managed to score 16 points in the last 10 quarters and only seven points in the second half. They average under 11 points per game and rank in the bottom half of the conference in most offensive statistics. Their highest ranking is in rushing offense per game with 130 yards which is good for 6th in the conference.
Defensively the Jaguars are playing very well but the statistics don’t show it. They have been put in some tough positions and have done as well as expected. Despite the offensive production being lackluster and +3 in turnovers, they still rank in the top half of the conference in several categories. But they will be tested by Idaho this week. The Vandals enter the game with the top ranked passing offense in the conference. But they are very one dimensional because they rank last in the conference in rushing with just over 75 yards per game. They can put points on the board.
This is a huge game for the Jaguars, particularly the offense. They enter a stretch of five games where their combined records are 3-15 with both Idaho and Troy both winless. The Jags cannot afford to lose this game and fall to 0-2 in the conference.
Here are the key statistics for the Jaguars and the Vandals.
| South Alabama (SBC Rank) | Idaho (SBC Rank) | |
| Offense | ||
| Scoring Offense | 10.7 (11th) | 29.3 (6th) |
| Total Offense | 329.3 (9th) | 422.0 (6th) |
| Rushing Offense | 130.0 (7th) | 75.7 (11th) |
| Passing Offense | 199.3 (10th) | 346.3 (1st) |
| Pass Efficiency | 92.0 (11th) | 130.3 (4th) |
| Sacks Against | 12 (T9th) | 11 (8th) |
| First Downs (avg/game) | 20.7 (10th) | 23.7 (7th) |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 17-49 34.7% (10th) | 25-54 46.3% (5th) |
| 4th Down Conversions | 1-4 25.0% (T9th) | 6-7 85.7% (T1st) |
| Red Zone Conversion Percentage | 3-6 50.0% (11th) | 8-10 80.0% (T5th) |
| Defense | ||
| Scoring Defense | 25.3 (5th) | 39.7 (9th) |
| Total Defense | 403.7 (6th) | 507.7 (11th) |
| Rushing Defense | 229.0 (8rd) | 221.7 (7th) |
| Passing Defense | 174.7 (4th) | 286.0 (11th) |
| Pass Defense Efficiency | 123.0 (5th) | 172.0 (11th) |
| Opponent 1st Downs (avg/game) | 19.0 (4th) | 23.3 (T9th) |
| Opponent 3rd Down Conversions | 19-43 44.2% (7th) | 13-35 37.1% (3rd) |
| Opponent 4th Down Conversions | 1-1 100.0% (T9th) | 2-5 40.0% (4th) |
| Opponent Red Zone Conv. % | 7-9 77.8% (4nd) | 12-14 85.7% (6th) |
| Special Teams | ||
| Kickoff Return Average | 23.9 (2nd) | 18.4 (9th) |
| Punt Return Average | 2.0 (T9th) | 2.0 (T9th) |
| Punting | 36.2 (7th) | 44.1 (1st) |
| Field Goals | 1-2 (T7th) | 3-3 (T1st) |
| Penalties | 15 92yds 30.7yds/G (4th) | 24 230yds 76.7yds/G (10th) |
| Opponent Penalties | 15 125yds 41.7yds/G (8th) | 24 197yds 65.7yds/G (3rd) |
| Turnover Margin | -1 (8th) | -5 (9th) |
Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00pm CDT. Pregame will begin on 99.9FM WMXC at 3:00PM CDT followed by play-by-play with JD Byars and Color commentary by Pat Greenwood. The game can be viewed on ESPN3.
Go Jags!