Jags Face Louisiana-Lafayette In Final Road Game Of Season
South Alabama hits the road to face Sun Belt Conference Western Conference rival Louisiana-Lafayette for their final road game of what has been a difficult and trying 2018 season.
The Jags (2-8, 1-5 SBC) enters the game with on a three game losing streak, a six game losing streak against FBS schools, and an eight game losing streak on the road since their dominating win last season at Troy. The Jags last win in the state of Louisiana was on September 7, 2013 when the Jags defeated Tulane 41-39.
The Ragin’ Cajuns (5-5, 3-3 SBC) come in after getting back to .500 with a 36-22 win over Georgia State after dropping a 26-16 decision to Troy the previous game.
Cajun running back Trey Ragas, who has had five 100-yard rushing games this season, only carried the ball four times for 32 yards against Georgia State last week but should be back and ready to go against the Jags. Raymond Calais Jr. stepped up in stunning fashion with career-high 186 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries, including a record-breaking 92-yard touchdown run to earn SBC Offensive Player of the Week.
The Cajuns are in the midst of a three-way race for the Western Division championship with in-state rival Louisiana-Monroe currently sitting on top with a regular-season finale against them next weekend that could determine who goes to the inaugural SBC Championship Game.
South Alabama has only been competitive in the second half in two of their eight losses this season with an average score of 22.1 – 38.9. But if you take out Alabama State and limit it to FBS teams you get an average score of 19.5 – 42.4.
Cephus Johnson is expected to start again in Lafayette with Evan Orth still dealing with a shoulder injury and he’ll probably split time with Cole Garvin again. Last week against ULM, Johnson started the game and played the first and fourth quarter with senior Cole Garvin playing the second and third quarters in the 38-10 loss.
Johnson hooked up with Jordan McCray in the first quarter for a big touchdown to take an early 7-0 lead after covering a muffed punt. But the only points the Jags could muster came early in the second quarter on a 31-yard field goal.
The struggling Jaguar defense allowed 551 yards of total offense, 376 through the air. ULL rushed for 355 of their 525 total offensive yards against Georgia State last week. They came out and played inspired in the second half against Troy but eventually were worn down and crumbled.
The Jags are a 17 point underdog and rightly so with the way they have played. The fans and the coaching staff wonder if the team can make a statement in the final two games of the season or if they are going to have their worst season since the 2-11 FBS transitional season when USA played their first FBS schedule.
For the second straight week, the Jags face a team fighting to get bowl-eligible and I think the Cajuns will do it. A 17-point favorite? Unfortunately through my red, white, and blue glasses this still doesn’t look good, but again I’ll hope they surprise me.
Kickoff is at 4pm in Lafayette, LA. The game can be viewed on ESPN+ (subscription required).
Inside the Numbers: