Preview: South Alabama At Georgia Southern
Kickoff: Thursday, October 29, 6:30pm
Venue: Allen E. Paulson Stadium, Statesboro, Georgia
TV: ESPN
Radio: Sports Talk 99.5FM, 96.1 The Rocket, iHeartRadio
South Alabama (3-2, 2-0 SBC) faces Georgia Southern (3-2, 1-2 SBC) on a short week for both schools. The Jags won their second-consecutive game to continue to stay unbeaten through two conference games for the first time in school history. Additionally the Jags record is over .500 for the first time since 2016.
The Jaguar offense has benefitted having Desmond Trotter back and healthy. Against ULM, Trotter went 8-of-12 for 184 yards and three touchdowns. All three of his touchdowns went to Kawaan Baker. Though Chance Lovertich has seen action in every game, but it seems that with each game, Trotter is cementing his position as the leading quarterback.
While the two conference wins are worthy of celebration, lets not get ahead of ourselves too much just yet.
The Jags three wins against Southern Miss, Texas State and UL-Monroe are a combined 2-16 this season. The two conference win have come against two teams with a combined record of 1-12. Also the Jags were soundly defeated by one of the better CUSA teams in UAB.
Next up is Georgia Southern. A team the Jags have yet to notch a win against in six attempts. The Eagles were out-rushed for the first time since November 2019 when undefeated Coastal Carolina (5-0, 3-0 SBC) gave them a 28-14 loss in Conway, South Carolina.
In the Eagles three wins, they average nearly 250 yards rushing per game. In the Jags two losses, they have given up an average nearing 200 yards rushing per game.
GSU Offense
Georgia Southern keeps doing what they do best: run the ball. They rank second in the Sun Belt and 13th nationally in both rushing offense (248.8 yards per game) and yards per carry (5.5).
The offense starts with Shai Wertz, who is an explosive runner. He’s totalled 333 yards on 60 attempts with two touchdowns on the season. That’s an average of 5.6 yards per attempt.
He was held to only 36 yards on 16 carries against Coastal Carolina last time out. But he was also banked up and was sidelined for a bit before returning to the game. He was pressed into a season-high 20 passing attempts, but only completing seven of them for 94 yards with two interceptions. But on the season Werts is 40-of-76 for 558 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.
J.D. King leads the the rushing attack with 87 carries and 490 total yards with four touchdowns while averaging 98 rushing yard per game. Wesley Kennedy III has scored three touchdowns on just 31 carries with 206 yards and an average of 6.7 yards per carry.
GSU Defense
The Eagles defense ranks 3rd in the sun belt and 32nd in the country by allowing 361.2 yards per game. Those numbers are a bit skewed by their shutout performance against UMass where they allowed a mere 191 total yards of offense.
Defensively they are stronger against the run than the pass.
GSU is good at keeping the opposition behind schedule on downs and distance, that all starts with strong play on first down. Which is why opponents are routinely facing 3rd and long against this defense.
Keys to the Game
Rushing Defense
The Jags have been pretty good against the run this season, allowing an average of 134 yards per game and 3.9 yards per carry.
That will be tested this week.
The Jags first down defense has allowed 6.4 yards per play. They will have to do better in order to keep the Eagles off schedule. So far in 6 games against them, the Jags have not found the recipe to beat them. Though last season they had their best opportunity when the fell 20-17 in 2OT.
Scoring on Possessions
The Eagles prolific rushing offense lends itself well to dominating the time of possession, especially when they are finding success.
That leads to fewer possessions for opponents, which equates to fewer scoring opportunities.
The Jags will need to cash in those possessions with points as often as possible.
The Jags could very well find themselves on the receiving end of their fourth quarter possession against ULM. Last week the Jags had a 16 play possession that drained over 10 minutes off the clock.
Those quick strike, 80-yard touchdown passes to Kawaan Baker or Jalen Tolbert are great, but against a team like the Eagles, that could disadvantage their defensive teammates.
Offensively the Jags may need to grind out some longer possessions in order to give their defense a chance to get some rest. This means getting their running game going against the usually stiff GSU rush defense. They’ll have to do it without the help of offensive lineman Jacob Shoemaker who left the Jags game against ULM due to a knee injury.
Playing Well on the Road
The Jags broke their road losing streak when they opened the season with a win over Southern Miss, but USM. However, as mentioned earlier, the Jags three wins have been against opponents with a combined record of 2-16. One of those wins was recorded by USM.
This will be the Jags first significant road test of the season. Their first road game since September 3rd actually, as the Jags have played four-consecutive home games since that season opener. That included a two-week break when the Jags game against Troy had to be rescheduled due to positive Covid tests among the South Alabama student-athletes.
They cannot take Georgia Southern lightly. This may not look like the normal Georgia Southern squad that they have seen over the previous six meetings, but their two losses have come to teams ranked in the AP Top 25 at the time of their meeting.
Prediction
Georgia Southern is a 5.5 point favorite at home. Both teams have a short week with both played on Saturday.
UAB used deep throws to open up their running game against the USA defense. Georgia Southern will utilize their option game to test the discipline of the Jaguar defense. With only three days of preparation, the Jags may have a hard time against that Eagle running game.
I think Georgia Southern will win outright, and I think they squeek out a cover as well.
Go Jags
South Alabama Defeats Louisiana-Monroe 38-14 To Stay Unbeaten In Conference Play
The South Alabama Jaguars won its second consecutive Sun Belt Conference game in impressive fashion by a score of 38-14.
Desmond Trotter threw three touchdowns and ran for another. Kawaan Baker caught all three touchdown passes by Trotter as the Jags improve to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in SBC play.
This is the first time the Jags have ever started Sun Belt play 2-0 in program history and the first time to have a winning record since 2016.
Louisiana-Monroe fall to 0-6 on the season, 0-3 in conference play.
The Jags first offensive possession was a three-and-out and punted after only 1:09 off the clock.
Louisiana-Monroe then drove down to the Jaguar 14 yard line when quarterback Colby Suits threw a ball that went off his receivers fingertips but was caught by Devin Rockette who then returned it 95 yards for the games opening touchdown, putting the Jags up 7-0 with 10:07 left in the opening quarter.
After a Warhawk punt, the Jags drove the ball down to the ULM 31 yard line before the drive stalled. Diego Guajardo split the uprights from 50-yards out to extend the Jaguar lead to 10-0 with 3:01 left in the opening quarter.
But the Jags weren’t done in the first quarter.
After forcing another three-and-out the Jags took possession at their own 15 after the punt. On the second play, Trotter connected with Kawaan Baker down the left sideline for an 80-yard touchdown to go ahead 17-0 with :51 seconds left in the first quarter.
The Warhawks were driving again near the middle of the second quarter, but when the drive stalled at the Jaguar 31 yard line, they went for the 4th and short but came up short, turning the ball over on downs.
Chance Lovertich entered the game at quarterback and quickly drove the Jaguars down to the Warhawk 18 yard line, but was intercepted with 7:29 left in the half.
ULM then drove down the field and running back Josh Johnson scored on a 2-yard run. However the extra point attempt would sail wide right of the goal post to keep the score at 17-6.
Facing 4th and 5 with :02 left in the half, head coach Steve Campbell kept his offense on the field. Lovertich pulled the ball down and ran to the 24 before being brought down to end the half.
The Warhawks opened the second half by moving the ball down the field quickly. However the Jaguar defense finally stood their ground at their 7 yard line. Coach Viator opted for a 28 yard field goal attempt, but it too went wide right.
South Alabama, led by Desmond Trotter, marched the team down the field and was capped off by Trotter’s 5 yard touchdown run to make the score 24-6 with 4:35 left in the third quarter.
ULM attempted another 4th down conversion, but a bad snap gave the Jags the ball near midfield. Again the Jags drove the ball down the field and connected with Kawaan Baker for a 16 yard touchdown to go up 31-6.
The Warhawks got on the scoreboard one more time when Suits connected with Jordan Carroll for a 4 yard touchdown. They opted for the 2-point conversion after the two missed kicks and converted to make the score 31-14 with 12:26 left in the game.
The South Alabama offense then put together a 16 play, 71 yard drive that took 10:46 off the clock and ended with a one-handed circus catch by Kawaan Baker when he caught the ball one-handed and managing to get a foot down inbounds.
Carlos Davis led the Jaguar rushers with 17 carries for 58 yards.
Trotter went 8-of-12 for 184 yards, three touchdowns and was sacked three times. Lovertich went 3-of-5 for 62 yards, an interception and was sacked once.
Baker caught 6 passes for 154 yards and three touchdowns. Tolbert caught 2 passes for 68 yards.
Josh Johnson carried the ball 15 times for 49 yards to lead the Warhawks.
Suits went 22-of-33 for 282 yards, a touchdown and was sacked three times.
Josh Pederson caught 4 passes for 65 yards. Jahquan Bloomfield caught three for 69 yards. Tyler Lamm also caught three for 22 yards. Seven other players caught passes.
Keith Gallmon led the Jags with seven tackles, all solo, with one tackle for loss. Riley Cole, Jamie Sheriff and Shawn Jennings all recorded sacks.
“I’m very pleased with the way the guys plays tonight,” coach Campbell said after the game. “It wasn’t about (coaches) making a call, the guys went out and made plays. That’s what it takes.”
“That was fun to watch,” Campbell said. “We were down a couple of offensive linemen, but some young guys like Trey Simpson, Braden Moody, and Tyler Jernigan stepped up and got the job done. To see those guys put together a 10-minute, 16-play drive; I’m really proud of them.”
Devin Rockette spoke after the game, talking about his interception return early in the game. “For that type of momentum to come out to start the game, I think that was a big part in the game. But I’m real proud of the team. We practiced hard this week at practice… We were in zone coverage and I saw a receiver sit down in front of me and saw the quarterback throw it so I just sat down and waiting for a tipped ball, and it was tipped, and then I didn’t see nothing but green.”
South Alabama gained 415 yards of total offense, 169 yards rushing and 246 yards passing. They converted 8-of-14 3rd down attempts in the game and was a perfect 3-for-3 on 4th down attempts.
ULM gained 380 yards of total offense, 98 yards rushing and 282 yards passing. They only converted 3-of-10 of their 3rd down attempts and only converted 1-of-3 4th down attempts.
South Alabama has a short preparation this week as they travel to Statesboro, Georgia to take on Georgia Southern on Thursday night. The game will air on ESPN with a 6:30pm kickoff.
Preview: Louisiana-Monroe At South Alabama
Kickoff: 6:00 pm, October 24
Venue: Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, AL.
Television: ESPN+
Radio: Sports Talk 99.5 FM, 96.1 FM The Rocket, iHeartRadio app
The South Alabama Jaguars (2-2, 1-0 SBC) are flying high, though the mascot is a ground animal.
The Jags were able to rebound from their 42-10 home loss at the hands of UAB to break their two-game losing skid and open up conference play with a win. The 23 days between games was caused by a postponement of their annual rivalry game with Troy due to Covid-19.
Against Texas State (1-5, 1-2 SBC) they only trailed once early in the game and either led or was tied the remainder of the way.
Next up for the Jags are the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks (0-5, 0-2 SBC).
The Warhawks enter the game after a 40-7 obliteration at the hands of Liberty on October 10. They worked themselves into a huge hole with special teams play (or lack thereof).
The Warhawks punt team allowed three touchdowns. The first came on a dropped snap in the end zone that Liberty recovered. Then they had a punt blocked for a touchdown along with a punt returned for a touchdown.
That doesn’t include a long punt return that set up another score for Liberty. That’s 27 points allowed because of their punt team (one PAT was missed).
Meanwhile South Alabama finally started to outdistance Texas State midway through the fourth quarter when they broke a 20-all tie with a touchdown pass to Kawaan Baker. Then iced the game with 1:09 left on a 44-yard field goal by Diego Guajardo.
ULM Offense
The Warhawks are primarily a passing team. They average 236 yards per game through the air. Their rushing game is very anemic with only 56.2 yards per game on average. Which is 292.2 yards of total offense per game.
That translates to a scoring average of 13.4 points per game and 15 first downs.
Quarterback Colby Suits may not run the offense as well as Caleb Evans did previously, but he has a strong arm. If Suits can get some success, he is known to go on some really hot streams and really toss the ball around the field.
ULM Defense
The Warhawk defense is allowing 429.4 total yards per game. Their biggest weakness has been their rush defense, they allow 262.2 yards per game on the ground compared to their 167.2 yards per game allowed through the air.
But they may return three defensive lineman who have missed the last three games due to injury. That would help out a defense that is already good.
ULM Special Teams
Well, as we mentioned previously, their punt team has been disastrous. Allowing three touchdowns to Liberty and a long punt return to set up a fourth score.
Georgia Southern also blocked two more punt attempts in the previous game.
True freshman Daniel Sparks has had to step in to handle punting duties for an injured Jared Porter. Warhawk head coach Matt Viator told the News Star that “he’s devoted more practice time to punting than at any time in his career.”
There is a chance that Porter could return for this game, which would further help the Warhawk team.
How the Jags Match Up
The Jaguars average 403 yards of total offense, 276.2 passing and 126.8 yards rushing per game. They also average 24 points and 21.5 first downs per game.
Defensively they allow 415 total yards, 271 yards passing and 144 yard rushing per game and they allow 27.5 points per game.
Texas State sat back and did not allow the Jags to go deep on them with fairly good success. It really wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Jags really started to take control of the game. After their final go-ahead score, the Jags defense came out strong and denied Texas State another chance to tie the game.
Keys to the Game
Rushing
When the Jags can run the ball, the offense works much better. They keep the defense honest and open up passing and play action.
Carlos Davis set a new South Alabama single game record with 32 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown to lead the Jaguars rushing attack. That was his second-consecutive 100 yard rushing game too.
Look for Davis to get plenty of work again against the Warhawks while mixing in the other backs as well.
Offensive Line
The offensive line played better against Texas State, but now can they keep doing that consistently?
Hadon Merchant cost his team a touchdown early in the game against Texas State with a penalty. Though they still came away with a field goal, it’s not what you want to see out of a veteran lineman returning after missing several games due to injury.
Pass Defense
The Warhawks are a passing team. Be it by necessity or lack of talent to get their rushing game going, they are going to throw the ball.
The Jaguar secondary was hit hard by UAB with deep throws. If the Warhawks manage to exploit the secondary, it could cause problems for the Jags in the game.
Prediction
Before the beat-down in Lynchburg, the Warhawks played perennial Sun Belt Power Georgia Southern tough in Louisiana.
Prior to that they had to deal with players missing game time due to Covid. So the ULM team that comes into Hancock Whitney Stadium may not be the same team that many have seen earlier in the season.
With a week to regroup and prepare, they could be ready to play the Jags tough.
With a 14.5 point spread, I think the Jags will win the game outright but I don’t think they will cover. I think ULM may be able to eek out and cover the spread themselves.
Go Jags!
South Alabama Downs Texas State For First Conference Win, 30-20
The third time really IS the charm.
After 23 days between games, the Jags (2-2, 1-0 Sun Belt Conference) finally returned to the gridiron and pulled out a 30-20 win over Texas State (1-5, 1-2 SBC) for their first-ever win at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Carlos Davis had a career day with 32 rushes for 113 yards and a touchdown. Desmond Trotter returned from his illness and shoulder injury by going 18-of-22 for 187 yards, a touchdown and two sacks to help lead the Jaguars over the Bobcats on homecoming.
Trotter broke the tie midway through the fourth quarter when he found Kawaan Baker on an eight yard touchdown pass. Then led the offense on a time consuming drive late in the game to ice it with a 44-yard Diego Guajardo field goal.
Riley Cole led all players with 15 tackles, 10 of them solo, and 1.5 tackles for loss. Jeremiah Littles got the only sack by a Jaguar.
The Jaguars converted 10-of-18 3rd down attempts while holding the Bobcats to 4-of-13 on 3rd down.
After winning the toss and electing to receive, the Bobcats marched down the field to the USA 35 yard line. However the Jaguar defense forced an incomplete pass on their 4th down attempt to take over the ball on downs.
The Jags then proceeded to march down the field with Carlos Davis running down to the 1 yard line. However Hadon Merchant was flagged for a personal foul which set the Jags back 15 yards to the 16 yard line. USA had to settle for a 33 yard field goal for a 3-0 lead.
Texas State then responded with touchdown drive of their own. The Bobcat kicker Seth Keller then hooked the PAT left however Davyn Flenord was flagged for being offsides. The retry was good to put the Bobcats ahead 7-3 with 4:07 left in the first quarter.
It would turn out to be their only lead in the game.
With the scored tied at 10-10, South Alabama started their final drive of the opening half with 4:48 left. Behind Chance Lovertich at quarterback, the Jags drove down the field aided by some Texas State penalties. The Jags had two scores taken off the scoreboard before the third attempt finally stuck on a 1 yard touchdown pass to Jalen Tolbert with :12 left on the clock to take a 17-10 lead into the halftime locker room.
The Jaguar offense came out in the second half completely flat with three consecutive three-and-outs.
The Jags would finally get the offense back in gear when the return of Trotter to the field and add a field goal to break the 17-17 tie early in fourth quarter.
USA would take the lead for good with 7:10 left behind the pounding of Carlos Davis and capped off by an 8 yard touchdown pass from Trotter to Kawaan Baker. Then Diego Guajardo would ice the game with 1:09 left in the game with a 44 yard field goal.
Chance Lovertich went 7-of-12 for 66 yards and a touchdown in his short stint at quarterback.
Jalen Tolbert led all receivers with 9 catches for 91 yards and a touchdown. Baker caught 5 passes for 43 yards and the one touchdown.
Riley Cole had a career day with 15 total tackles, 10 of the solo with 1.5 tackles for loss. The next closest was Nick Mobley with 7 total tackles. Jeremiah Littles was the only Jag to record a sack.
Brady McBride went 28-of-40 for 260 yards and a touchdown for the Bobcats.
Jackson Lanam caught 5 passes for 48 yards and a touchdown. Marcell Barbee also caught 5 passes for another 45 yards. Eight other Bobcats caught passes in the game.
Jahmyl Jeter led the bobcat rushing attack with 5 carries and 31 yards. Brock Struges carried it 8 times for 30 yards and the only rushing touchdown.
The Jaguar offensive line allowed two sacks nine tackles for loss in the game.
USA put up 385 total yards of offense, 132 on the ground and 253 through the air. Texas State gained 348 total yards, only 88 on the ground and 260 through the air.
“It’s huge for a lot of different reasons,” Campbell said about the win after the game. “It’s the first win in Hancock Whitney, but also we needed to get a win and get back going again. I thought we started the season off hot, but we definitely cooled off for a little while. … The biggest deal for us, in our half of the conference, we’re not looking up at anybody. We can only do what we can do. We’ve played one (conference game) and we won it. Now we just have to take care of business.”
“Getting this win was huge,” Trotter said. “Coming off of that layoff, everyone was fresh. This was a huge win going into conference (play), now we’re just looking toward next week.”
South Alabama will host Louisiana-Monroe (0-5) on Saturday, October 24 for a 6pm kickoff.
Preview: Texas State at South Alabama
Kickoff: 11:00 am, October 17
Venue: Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, AL.
Television: ESPNU
Radio: Sports Talk 99.5 FM, 96.1 FM The Rocket, iHeartRadio app
23 days.
That’s how long it’s been since the South Alabama Jaguars (1-2, 0-0 Sun Belt Conference) have been on the field to play an opponent when they take the field on Saturday to play Texas State (1-4, 1-1 SBC).
After the 42-10 beat down at the hands of UAB, the Jags had players test positive for Covid-19 which lead to the postponement and eventual rescheduling of the October 3 rivalry game against Troy (now December 12).
The October 10 date was a scheduled bye date. The week leading up to it, the coaching staff started getting some players back, meeting in small position groups and reconditioning and focusing on fundamentals.
It’s basically a big reset button of sorts.
On Friday and Saturday the Jags were able to finally get back together for team exercises with pads. But without workouts and donning pads for a week and a half to two weeks, how can anyone not question the conditioning and preparation of the team?
It’s been a sad state of affairs in San Marcos. Over the past five and a half seasons the Texas State Bobcats have compiled a cumulative record of 14-51.
The Jags and the Bobcats have been battling each other for which team would finish in the Sun Belt Conference cellar. The loser of the head-to-head between the two teams has finished at the bottom of the conference standings the few seasons.
Texas State Offense
The Bobcats are predominately a passing team. They have been using two quarterbacks thanks to Covid-19, Tyler Vitt and Brady McBride. McBride won the job in fall camp and is 55-of-96 for 549 yards, 5 touchdowns and two interceptions on the season. McBride started the opener agianst SMU.
With McBride unavailable for their next two games, the incumbent Vitt took over duties. He is 40-of-64 for 602 yards, 6 touchdowns and two interceptions on the season. He has also added 89 rushing yards and a touchdown with his legs.
I wouldn’t be surprised to see both quarterbacks play on Saturday unless one or the other really has a hot hand.
The ball has been spread around pretty well. The leading receiver, Jeremiah Baydel has 18 catches for 241 yards and three touchdowns. Jah’Marae Sheread has 15 catches for 155 yards and a touchdown. Marcell Barbee and Trevis Graham Jr. both have 11 catches with Barbee leading with 173 yards and 4 touchdowns while Graham Jr has 120 yards and no touchdowns.
They have eight others who have caught passes on the season with three touchdowns spread about amongst them.
The Bobcats leading rusher is Calvin Hill with 308 yards on 55 attempts with three touchdowns. Brock Sturges has 61 carries for 251 yards and two touchdowns. But they also have Oklahoma State transfer Jahmyl Jeter who may see his role increase as the season progresses, but currently only has 80 yards and one touchdown on his stats sheet.
Overall, the offense averages 148.6 yards per game rushing and 230.8 yards passing per game for a total of 350 total yards per game.
Coach Stewart will look for his players to make more havoc plays in the game to try to yeild more negative plays and turnovers. So far this season the Jags only have two takeaways, both fumbles.
Haydel also does punt return duty and took one 91 yards for a touchdown against UTSA with under 2 minutes to go to tie the game. Unfortunately they missed the game-winning extra-point and lost the game in overtime.
Texas State Defense
Defensively the Bobcats have forced 5 turnovers on the season. Four of the turnovers are interceptions. Jarron Morris leads them with two picks, he also took one 100 yards for a touchdown in a win over Louisiana-Monroe. He also has three pass break ups, a quarterback hurry, a forced fumble, and a blocked kick.
For the season the Bobcats are allowing an average of 162 yards rushing, 292 yards passing, and 32 points per game.
Statistically the defense plays the best in the first and fourth quarters. They have only allowed 20 points in the first quarter and 30 points in the fourth quarter. The third quarter is only slightly worse with 38 points allowed on the season. But the second quarter is their worst, allowing 62 points on the season.
Despite their number of interceptions, the Bobcats are susceptible to the pass as the stats show. If the Jags can establish their running game enough to keep the defense honest, the passing game should open up for the adept pass catchers that the Jags field.
But that hinges on the offensive line.
They have had a shaky start to the season to say the least. Through three games they have allowed seven sacks and 20 tackles for loss. It’s encouraging that the probable return of Hadon Merchant to the offensive line will help solidify the group.
Keys to the Game
3rd Down
Offensively the Jags have regressed from the Southern Miss game. Their 3rd down conversion rate has dropped from 58% at USM to 47% against Tulane then plummeting to 25% against UAB. While the explosive plays have led the Jaguar offense to scoring more points so far this season, third downs extend drives, continue possessions, and generally helps to win games.
Oh yeah, and help the defense get some rest between possessions.
Defensively, the Jags have been pretty solid on 3rd downs against USM and Tulane with a 35% and 9% conversion rate. However UAB, in addition to their big plays, they also converted 63% of their 3rd down attempts.
Which leads us to…
Big Plays
UAB used big plays to keep the Jags on their heels and set that tone on the very first play from scrimmage. The Jags lost five players in the secondary from last season either to graduation or transfer. If defensive coordinator Greg Stewart and the defense can’t stop the big plays on defense, the remaining teams on the schedule will definitely notice and exploit it themselves.
Improved Second Half Play
In the Jags loss to Tulane, they put 10 points on the board early before the offense ground to a halt in the third quarter. They were simply unable to consistently move the ball again after that. The defense then allowed 21 points and the Tulane win.
Against UAB, the offense only really showed itself in the second quarter when they scored 10 unanswered points to draw within four of the Blazers. However the second half the Jags were simply unable to move the ball consistently and were unable to put any points on the board.
Prediction
The Jags are a mere 2.5 point favorite at home, where they have yet to win a game in the brand new Hancock Whitney Stadium. This is their opportunity to start their ‘second season’, the conference season, with a win. The last few games between the two has been won by the home team and that has been enough to lift them out of the Sun Belt Conference cellar.
USA will have Desmond Trotter back with his shoulder reportedly near 100% again. They’ve also reportedly been trying some new combinations and positions on the offensive line with some returning faces healthy.
I the pattern will continue itself with the Jags winning at home to finally celebrate a win at Hancock Whitney.
The Jags and the Bobcats will kickoff at 11am. The game can be seen on ESPNU or radio coverage will be available on Sports Talk 99.5 FM or 96.1 FM The Rocket or on iHeartRadio app.
No Tailgating For Remainder Of Season
In an email from the South Alabama Athletics they announced that they were extending the ban on tailgating for the remainder of the season.
The email stated:
The Jaguars have played two of their scheduled six home games this season and half way through their four-game home stand after the Jags rivalry game with Troy was rescheduled to December 12 after positive Covid-19 tests among the team.
The Jags will host Texas State this Saturday, October 17 followed by Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday, October 24th.
They will then play three consecutive road games before returning home in November 21 against Georgia State. After a road game against Arkansas State on November 28, they will then return home to complete their regular season slate with the rescheduled matchup against Troy on December 12.