Jaguars Dominate App State 48-14 In Big Conference Opening Road Win
South Alabama picked up right where they left off last week in their 48-14 win. But this week it was against an Appalachian State football team in a sold-out Kidd Brewer Stadium that was the preseason favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference championship instead of an FCS program.
It was the first win against Appalachian State since 2014 and breaks a 4-game losing skid against them.
The Jags (2-2, 1-0 Sun Belt) took the opening possession right down the field to establish their dominance. Gio Lopez took the second snap of the game and slashed the Mountaineer defense for 50 yards. Then a couple plays later he connected with DJ Thomas-Jones over the middle for a 10-yard touchdown.
One of the questions entering the game was answered quickly.
The Jag defense allowed one first down and forced App State to punt on their opening possession. Jamaal Pritchett’s 21-yard punt return gave the offense the ball near midfield. But it was Fluff Bothwell’s turn to make some fireworks. He had runs of 20, 7, and then the final 22 yards on three-consecutive carries to make it 14-0 in the first quarter.
The Mountaineers thought they had pinned the Jags back at their 5-yard line early in the 2nd quarter. A flag for a hold set them back to the 3-yard line, but the Jags were not going to be deterred. A steady mix of Lopez and Bothwell moved the ball down the field. Kentrel Bullock gave Bothwell a rest but didn’t let the running production fall off. Lopez covered the final 31 yards on his own to put the Jags up 21-0.
It was probably the Jags best drive of the game. They ran 13 plays and burned over half of the quarter off the clock.
When it looked like App State was going to put points on the board, Jordan Scruggs intercepted the pass in the end zone and was off to the races. It took a horse collar tackle to bring him down from behind at the 5-yard line to save a touchdown. Kentrel Bullock got to benefit from the tackle and penalty to get a 2-yard touchdown for a 28-0 lead.
The Mountaineers ended the shutout with a hail Mary touchdown as time expired for a halftime score of 28-7.
The Jaguar defense got a turnover on downs near midfield and the offense only needed three plays to get back on the scoreboard. Two passes to Jamaal Pritchett with a Bullock run in between and the Jags were up 34-7 after Laith Marjan saw his PAT go off the left upright no good.
Bothwell added another touchdown in the third quarter showing his excellent balance and ability to stay on his feet to put the Jags up 41-7.
Bishop Davenport took over at quarterback in the fourth quarter and led a scoring drive of his own. Davenport and Iverson Celestine kept the ball on the ground the entire drive for a 9 play, 55-yard drive using up six minutes.
App State added a trash-time score against the second- and third-string defense with 52 seconds left in the game.
“I think everybody on our team knew they were capable of this, but to be able to come do it on the road against a quality opponent – a traditionally really good program, kind of the standard bearer for our conference along with a couple of other schools – there’s a lot of excitement in our locker room,” head coach Major Applewhite explained. “There is a lot of time left in the season, but it’s great that we all came tonight and had this type of win.”
Stats
| Stat | South Alabama | App State |
| Total Yards | 474 | 385 |
| Passing Yards | 154 | 266 |
| Rushing Yards | 320 | 119 |
| Penalties – Yards | 9 – 69 | 6 – 47 |
| 1st downs | 26 | 23 |
| 3rd downs | 6-of-10 | 4-of-13 |
| Avg Yards per Play | 7.1 | 5.7 |
| Red Zone | 5-of-5 | 1-of-4 |
| Time of Possession | 34:12 | 25:48 |
| Turnovers (points off) | 1 (0) | 2 (7) |
The 320 yards rushing is the 4th most in program history against Division I teams.
South Alabama
Gio Lopez was 16-of-24 passing for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air. He added 105 yards rushing on 7 carries with another touchdown.
“It means a lot, going into somebody else’s house and not just winning, but executing all game,” Lopez said. “It was a good team win for our first road win of the season.”
Fluff Bothwell led all rushers with 116 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns. Bullock added 46 yards on 11 carries with a touchdown.
Jamaal Pritchett led the Jags receivers with 68 yards on 6 catches with a touchdown. Jeremiah Webb added 38 yards on 4 catches. Devin Voisin, wearing the #5 jersey, had 22 yards on three catches. DJ Thomas-Jones had one catch for a 10-yard touchdown.
Blayne Myrick led the Jags with 9 total stops, 2 solo, with .5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup. Courtney McBride Jr had the only sack of the game for USA.
Jordan Scruggs had the only Jaguar take-away in the game. “We were in a zone, where I have to play in between the Number 1 and Number 2 receiver,” he explained. “I just read the quarterback’s eyes and made a play. I tried to score, but I got too tired and he caught me.”
App State
Joey Aguilar was held to 21-for-40 passing with 266 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Maquel Haywood rushed for 47 yards on 7 attempts with a touchdown. Kanye Roberts had 38 yards on 8 carries.
Kaedin Robinson led with 85 yards receiving on 6 catches. Christian Horn had 47 yards on 4 catches. Dalton Stroman had 2 catches for 60 yards, including the hail Mary reception at the end of the half to put the first points on the board for App State. Six Jaguars combined for 9 quarterback hurries.
Jordan Scruggs got his first interception of the season and returned it 96 yards before he was taken down from behind.
Next
The Jags will travel to Baton Rouge, LA to take on a nationally ranked LSU squad for a 6:45 kickoff on the SEC Network on Saturday, September 28. This will be the second game of three-consecutive road games for the Jags.
Preview: Jags Open Conference Play At App State On National TV
Kickoff: Thursday, September 19th, 6:30pm
Venue: Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, NC
TV/Streaming: ESPN
Radio: 96.1 fm The Rocket, Sports Talk 99.5 fm, iHeartRadio App
Thunderjags on X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAThunderjags
#5 Jersey: Devin Voisin
South Alabama earned their first win of the season and under new head coach Major Applewhite in record breaking fashion last Thursday night. The Jags (1-2) scored in all three phases of the game while setting a new single-game scoring record for the program as well as the Sun Belt Conference. It was also the highest scoring college football game since 1991, even with the fourth quarter shortened to only six minutes.
This week the Jags have an entirely new challenge when they travel to Boone, NC to take on Appalachian State (2-1) in the conference opening game for both programs.
App State
Head coach Shawn Clark is in his fifth season as head coach of the Mountaineers. He returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach for two seasons under Scott Satterfield before Satterfield left for Louisville after the 2018 season. Clark was retained by newly hired head coach Eliah Drinkwitz. But Drinkwitz would be a one-and-done as he was hired away after a 12-1 season, including a win over Power-5 North Carolina and winning the SBC Championship game, the fourth-consecutive for the Mountaineers at the time.
Clark was promoted and made his debut in the 2019 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl with a 31-17 win over UAB. Since becoming the head coach, he has a 37-19 record with the Mountaineers overall and 22-10 in conference play.
Clark can also boast three consecutive seasons with a win over ranked opponents: 2021 vs #14 Coastal Carolina, 2022 vs #6 Texas A&M, and 2023 vs #18 James Madison.
Last season they were 9-5 overall, 6-2 in conference play, and represented the East Division in the SBC Championship Game, though they finished 2nd in the division because newcomer James Madison was ineligible due to FBS transition rules.
Before coaching at App State, Clark served as offensive line coach for Kent State, Purdue, and Eastern Kentucky.
Offense
The Mountaineers base offense is a Pro-Tempo scheme. It has pro-style concepts with a tempo base. They will dial up and down their tempo based on their success. If they hit a big play, they will go with tempo in order to prevent the defense from substituting. They will also turn down the tempo and play methodically during some parts of the game. It’s similar to what Drinkwitz ran while in Boone.
Joey Aguilar is 72-of-124 (58.1%) for 964 yards and 5 touchdowns on the season at quarterback. He was selected as the preseason Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
Kaedin Robinson leads the receiver corps with 18 catches for 290 yards but no touchdowns. Makai Jackson isn’t far behind with 14 catches but with 164 yards and two touchdowns. Christian Horn has 11 catches for 244 yards and a touchdown. Horn also has the longest reception with 83 yards. Eli Wilson rounds out the receivers with double-digit catches with 10 for 122 yards and two touchdowns.
Anderson Castle leads the Mountaineers rushing attack with 148 yards on 33 carries with a touchdown, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. Makai Jackson has 71 yards on three carries with a touchdown. Kanye Roberts has 63 yards on 19 carries, averaging 3.3 yards per carry. Ahmani Marshall has 49 yards on 14 carries, averaging 3.5 yards per carry. Aguilar is next in line with 44 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 26.3 |
| Total Offense | 456 |
| Passing Offense | 321.3 |
| Rushing Offense | 134.7 |
| Time of Possession | 31:57 |
| Penalty Yards | 64.7 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 16-of-39 (41%) |
| 4th Downs | 1-of-2 (50%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 10-of-12 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 5-of-12 |
| Penalties – Yards | 18 – 194 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 3 – 2 |
Defense
The defense is listed as a 3-4 base but tends to run more 3-3-5 and relying more on their Star safety. The Star position can be explained like a hybrid linebacker-safety position.
Linebacker Caden Sullivan (R-Jr) leads the team with 20 total stops, 9 solo, with a quarterback hurry. Safety Ronald Clarke is next on the team with 18 total stops, 9 solo.
Outside linebacker Thomas Davis leads the team with 1.5 sacks ahead of five other players each with one sack each.
Senior cornerback Seth Robertson has the only interception on the defense.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 31.7 |
| Total Offense | 447 |
| Passing Offense | 269.3 |
| Rushing Offense | 177.7 |
| Time of Possession | 27:35 |
| Penalty Yards | 64 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 14-of-38 (37%) |
| 4th Downs | 2-of-6 (33%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 7-of-8 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 4-of-8 |
| Penalties – Yards | 21 – 192 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 5 – 2 |
Special Teams
Mitchell Lake handled the punting duties through the first two games with an average of 38.2 yards per kick, three fair catches, two downed inside the 20 and a long of 61 yards. Connor Maynard handled the punting duties in their latest game with an average of 44.8 yards per kick, two touchbacks, one downed inside the 20 and a long of 50.
Michael Hughes is a perfect 5-of-5 on the season with a long of 36 yards. He is also a perfect 8-of-8 on extra points.
South Alabama
After starting the season with two losses, the Jags took the opportunity to have a get-right game against FCS Northwester State last Thursday. The game was moved back to Thursday to allow for a full week of preparation for this game after it was picked up by ESPN for national broadcast.
Offense
Gio Lopez started against Northwestern State after missing the previous game with a turf toe injury. On the season he is 41-of-68 (60.3%) for 689 yards and seven touchdowns. Bishop Davenport is 23-of-37 (62.2%) for 228 yards and a touchdown.
Jamaal Pritchett leads the receivers with 20 catches for 287 yards and three touchdowns. Devin Voisin has 13 catches for 184 yards. DJ Thomas-Jones has two touchdowns on 5 catches for 42 yards. Shamar Sandgren, Jeremiah Webb, and Anthony Eager each have one touchdown catch each on the season.
Fluff Bothwell in his first career 100-yard rushing game continues to lead the Jaguars rushing attack with 243 yards on 23 carries, averaging 10.6 yards per carry, with four touchdowns. Kentrel Bullock, also coming off a 100-yard rushing game himself, has 157 yards on 19 carries, averaging 8.3 yards per carry, with two touchdowns. PJ Martin, Gio Lopez, and Jarvis Durr all have one rushing touchdown each.
Pritchett also leads the team in all-purpose yards with 416 thanks to his punt return yardage of 129 yards added in. He also has a 62-punt return touchdown.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 48.3 |
| Total Offense | 514.7 |
| Passing Offense | 305.7 |
| Rushing Offense | 209 |
| Time of Possession | 30:28 |
| Penalty Yards | 63.3 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 15-of-36 (42%) |
| 4th Downs | 3-of-4 (66.7%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 18-of-19 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 13-of-19 |
| Penalties – Yards | 23 – 190 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 4 – 1 |
Defense
Blayne Myrick continues to lead the defense with 25 total stops, 9 solo, with .5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble. Jordan Scruggs has 17 total stops, 7 solo, with 1.5 TFLs and a pass breakup. Jaden Voisin has 16 total stops, 10 solo, with an interception.
Amarion Fortenberry and Chrystyile Caldwell each have one interception on the season.
Jordan Norman, Maurice Strong Jr, and Tyler Thomas all have one sack each.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 29.7 |
| Total Offense | 394.3 |
| Passing Offense | 273.7 |
| Rushing Offense | 120.7 |
| Time of Possession | 29:32 |
| Penalty Yards | 65 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 17-of-42 (40%) |
| 4th Downs | 1-of-2 (50%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 9-of-10 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 6-of-10 |
| Penalties – Yards | 22 – 195 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 4 – 2 |
Special Teams
Aleksi Pulkkinen has served as the punter the last two games with an average of 37.6 yards per kick with four downed inside the 20 and two fair catches. Jack Martin averages 44 yards per kick on two punts.
Laith Marjan is 5-of-6 on the season with a long of 39 yards. He is also a perfect 12-of-12 on extra point attempts.
Keys to the Game
Pass Defense
The Mountaineers have a prolific pass offense, and it all starts with quarterback Joey Aguilar.
Aguilar was named the Sun Belt Player of the Week after throwing for 424 yards and two touchdowns in their come-from-behind 21-19 win over East Carolina.
Despite all of their yards, they aren’t putting up the points that one would expect looking at the stats sheet.
The Jags secondary hasn’t been the best in coverage this season and the defense has struggled to get pressure on the quarterback in the first two games of the season. They also allowed a 75-yard touchdown pass in the first half to Northwestern State in the 87-10 blowout.
If the Jags want to win, they have to generate pressure on Aguilar and tighten their coverage on the receivers.
Special Teams
In both losses, the Jags had miscues on special teams. Against North Texas a punt went off one of the blockers for the punter after a bad snap, that was recovered for a touchdown. A muffed punt by Pritchett gave Ohio a short field, which they turned into points as well.
Pritchett made amends for his special teams play with a punt return touchdown in the big win.
Solid special teams play may not win the game, but poor special teams play sure can lose a game.
Offensive Line
What can be said here that we haven’t already said before? Games are won on the line. Pass protection and run blocking are the fundamentals for an offense to function.
The Jags were able to get some good in-game reps for lots of players last week. Hopefully it builds confidence in the starters as well as depth on the bench.
They’ll be tested by the Mountaineers.
Prediction
South Alabama enters probably their toughest three-game stretch of football this season. With all three being road contests too.
But the goal this week is do what they need to do to go 1-0. The other games have to wait.
The Mountaineers are 7.5-point favorite at home. South Alabama took the first matchup between the two schools back in 2014 but have lost each of the four subsequent meetings, including a 31-7 loss in 2021.
The game will be nationally broadcast on ESPN and it will be the only college football game available on Thursday night. This is a huge opportunity for the program to shine and playing a good, exciting game will go a long way to further the Jaguar brand of football.
If the Jags are healthy, and they look to mostly be back healthy, they can score points. With over a 60% chance of rain and thundershowers Thursday evening, that could favor the Jags running game with Bothwell, Bullock, Braylon McReynolds, PJ Martin, and Jarvis Durr.
I think the Jags cover but fall in a very close game.
Go Jags!
South Alabama Rewrites Record Books In 87-10 Trouncing Of Northwestern State
South Alabama took the opportunity to exorcise some demons on Thursday night at Hancock Whitney Stadium in a historic 87-10 win over Northwestern State.
The Jags (1-2) set a new Sun Belt Conference record for points as they get their first win of the season and the first under new head coach Major Applewhite. Despite a short week and the threat of a hurricane, the Jags never let the game be in doubt against Northwestern State (0-3).
Jamaal Pritchett got the party started a mere 1:36 into the game when he took the first punt of the game 62 yards to the house. They would take a 14-0 lead on their first offensive snap after Jaden Voisin intercepted JT Fayard’s pass. Gio Lopez got the start after missing last week with a turf toe injury, connected with Jeremiah Webb for a 39-yard touchdown.
They weren’t even four full minutes into the game with only eight seconds of possession and were up two scores.
The Jags were up 24-3 in the first quarter after a 28 yard field goal by Laith Marjan when the Jags defense gave up their only touchdown of the night. The defense bit on a screen pass allowing Myles Kitt-Denton to get behind the defense. JT Fayard laid a perfect pass to him and 75 yards later the Demons had a touchdown.
South Alabama added four touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 52-10 lead into halftime.
They would score four more touchdowns in the third quarter, one a pick-six by redshirt sophomore Chrystyile Caldwell, before the coaches would mutually agree to a 6 minute fourth quarter. And yet redshirt freshman Jarvis Durr still tacked on one last touchdown.
The 87 points put on the scoreboard by the Jags eclipsed the previous record by a Jaguar team (64 three times against Division II or NAIA opponents in the program’s infancy). It also beats the 59 points scored last season in the 68 Ventures Bowl against a fellow FBS school.
It also set a new scoring record in Sun Belt Conference history, beating out Arkansas State’s 83 points scored against Texas Southern in 2008 and Georgia Southern against Savannah State in 2014.
Stats
The stats read like playing EA College Football on easy mode.
| South Alabama | Northwestern State | |
| Total Yards | 620 | 237 |
| Passing Yards | 257 | 171 |
| Rushing Yards | 363 | 66 |
| Penalties – Yards | 7 – 60 | 7 – 60 |
| 1st Downs | 22 | 8 |
| 3rd Downs | 4-of-7 | 3-of-15 |
| Avg Yards per Play | 11.7 | 4.2 |
| Red Zone | 9-10 | 1-1 |
| Time of Possession | 33:13 | 26:47 |
South Alabama
Gio Lopez got one possession in the second half and ended the night going 15-of-19 for 257 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Devin Voisin led the Jag receivers with 47 yards on three catches. DJ Thomas-Jones had 3 catches for 34 yards and two touchdowns. Jeremiah Webb and Jamaal Pritchett both had a touchdown each.
True freshman Fluff Bothwell ended the night with 143 yards on just 7 carries with two touchdowns, averaging 20.4 yards per carry. Kentrel Bullock broke the century mark with 102 yards on 8 carries with 2 touchdowns as well. Bothwell and Bullock are the fourth duo in school history to each rush for over 100 yards in a game.
PJ Martin came up short of making it three 100 rushers with 72 yards on 6 carries with a touchdown. Jarvis Durr got the final rushing touchdown of the game.
Maurice Strong Jr led the defense with 7 total stops, 4 solo, with two TFL’s and a sack. Jaden Voisin had 5 total stops, 3 solo, with an interception. Freshman Amarion Fortenberry and Chrystyile Caldwell both came away with an interception each.
In all, the Jags forced four turnovers with Julian Demby recovering a fumble.
“I’m proud of the way our guys played, the way they responded coming off a loss,” head coach Major Applewhite said after the game. “In a short week, the staff did an outstanding job. I know people say that a lot, it sounds cliché, but they did. Our practices were good, we went a little bit more Wednesday that we normally do the day before a game and there was no complaining. I was proud of the guys and the way the coaches got them to play today.”
While Pritchett’s receiving numbers weren’t very high, he finished the game with 124 punt return yards with a touchdown. He led the team in All-Purpose yards with 146, just edging out Bothwell’s 143.
“It was definitely a big win for us to get the ball rolling and move on to the next game and keep it rolling,” Pritchett said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been on a team that scored 87 points, even in basketball.”
Northwestern State
JT Fayard led the way for the Demons going 9-of-23 for 165 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Kitt-Denton led the Demons with 80 yards on three catches with the lone touchdown. Twon Hines had 59 yards on three catches.
Zay Davis led the team in rushing with 32 yards on 9 carries. Kennieth Lacy added 14 yards on 10 carries.
Christian Williams led the Demons with 6 total stops, 4 solo. Caesar Magee III was next with 5 total stops, all solo.
Next
South Alabama will have a full week to prepare for their road trip to Boone, NC to face Appalachian State on Thursday, September 19 to open their Sun Belt Conference schedule. The game is set for a 6:30pm kickoff on ESPN.
Preview: Jags Host Northwestern State For Thursday Night Showdown
Kickoff: Thursday, September 12th, 6:30pm
Venue: Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, AL
TV/Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 96.1 fm The Rocket, Sports Talk 99.5 fm, iHeartRadio App
Thunderjags on X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAThunderjags
#5 Jersey: Blayne Myrick
South Alabama has to put the results of the previous game behind them quickly. They have two fewer days to prepare for this week’s opponent than a normal week of preparation.
The Jags (0-2) are looking to get their first win of the season when they host the Demons (0-2) from the Football Championship Subdivision. Both teams enter the contest winless but with a lot of football left to play this season.
Looking at the Jags remaining schedule, you can’t help but get the feeling that this is a ‘must win.’
The next three games, all on the road, are against pre-season conference favorite App State, perennial SEC power LSU, and at an improving Arkansas State. The Jags could already be looking at a very tough proposition to go bowling for their third consecutive season.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The Jags have to focus on going 1-0 this week.
Northwestern State
Blaine McCorkle is in his first season as the head football coach for the Northwester State Demons. His previous position was head coach at Division III Belhaven University for the last six seasons. He built that program into winning a conference title and saw their first Division III playoff berth. They finished 2023 with a 9-2 record which capped off a three-season run where he led his team to a 24-7 record. In his first three seasons at the helm, they only won seven games, including a 3-2 record in the pandemic-affected 2021 spring season. But that was good enough for the programs first winning record since 2012.
The Blazers had not won more than 3 games in a season since 2013.
The Demons cancelled the remaining games of the 2023 season after a death on their team then their head coach resigned in the wake of it all.
Offense
JT Fayard leads the Demond offense going 17-of-45 (37.8%) for 232 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Quaterius Hawkins has appeared in one game going 4-of-5 (80%) for 57 yards and a touchdown.
Myles Kitt-Denton leads the receivers with 115 yards on four catches with two touchdowns. Twon Kines, Amaaz Eugene and Kareame Cotton have three catches each for 41, 38, and 31 yards respectively.
Kennieth Lacy leads the rushing attack with 142 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns. Zay Davis is next with 74 yards on 19 carries. Chance Newman, listed as a TE/QB from Daphne High School, has 31 yards on 6 carries with the only other touchdown in the rushing category.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 29.5 |
| Total Offense | 250.5 |
| Passing Offense | 144.5 |
| Rushing Offense | 106 |
| Time of Possession | 25:30 |
| Penalty Yards | 48 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 5-of-25 (25%) |
| 4th Downs | 2-of-2 (100%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 3-of-4 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 2-of-4 |
| Penalties – Yards | 12 – 96 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 2 – 0 |
Defense
Blake Gotcher leads the team with 34 total stops, 12 solo, with the only two sacks the defense has recorded, and a forced fumble from his linebacker position. Ara Rauls III, Cadillac Rhone, and Christian Williams are all tied with 12 total stops each. Rauls has 6 solo, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a pass breakup as a safety. Rhone also has 5 solo, .5 tackles for loss, with an interception from his linebacker position. Williams has 6 solo and 1 TFL.
Emanuel Brown is the only other Demon with an interception.
| Stat | Average Allowed per Game |
| Points | 49.5 |
| Total Offense | 543 |
| Passing Offense | 289.5 |
| Rushing Offense | 253.5 |
| Time of Possession | 34:12 |
| Penalty Yards | 84.5 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 19-of-33 (57.6%) |
| 4th Downs | 2-of-3 (66.7%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 8 – 9 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 6 – 9 |
| Penalties – Yards | 17 – 169 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 3 – 2 |
Special Teams
Reed Honshtein pulls double duty as the punter and placekicker. He is averaging 39.2 yards per punt, a long of 51, three punts of 50+ yards, with 7 fair catches, and five downed inside the 20.
He has made the only field goal he’s attempted on the season from 38 yards.
South Alabama
It’s been a rocky start to the season and head coach Major Applewhite’s tenure unfortunately. South Alabama could have won either game so far this season. In the season opener against North Texas the Jags held a lead at halftime but a disastrous third quarter shifted all the momentum their way and propelled the Mean Green towards the win.
Though Jags were still in the game with an opportunity to cut the lead to a single score late in the fourth quarter. However, an overturned turnover and a field goal put the final touches on the Jags loss.
Last week’s trip to Ohio saw the Jags defense play better, but both sides of the ball couldn’t get out of their own way and came up on the short side of the 27-20 score.
Unforced mistakes hurt them in all phases of the game. Without Gio Lopez at quarterback the offense was a bit out of sync and they didn’t call any passes downfield for whatever reason. Even the usually sure-handed Jamaal Pritchett fumbled a punt allowing Ohio to steal a possession and score. While defensively they played better overall, they just couldn’t get off the field on a couple of drives in the second half and Ohio just melted the clock.
This week is one of those weeks where you should get a win. But you still have to prepare because nothing is a given in college athletics.
Offense
Gio Lopez started game one and went 26-of-49 (53%) for 432 yards, with three touchdowns and rushed for 62 yards and another touchdown. However, we later found out that he suffered a turf toe injury and the coaches sat him out for game two.
Bishop Davenport got the nod last week and went 23-of-37 (62%) for 226 yards and a touchdown. He only accumulated 5 yards rushing after sack yardage was subtracted.
Jamaal Pritchett leads the team in catches (18), yards (264), and receiving touchdowns (2) for the Jags. Devin Voisin is the only other receiver with double-digit catches (10) and over 100 yards receiving (137). Shamar Sandgren and Anthony Eager both have one receiving touchdown each.
True freshman Fluff Bothwell leads the Jags rushing with 100 yards on 16 carries with two touchdowns. Lopez’s 62 yards, 13 carries and a touchdown are all second place in the rushing category. Kentrel Bullock has 51 yards on 11 carries. Braylon McReynolds has 27 yards on 8 carries against North Texas, he was held out of last week’s game at Ohio.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 29 |
| Total Offense | 458.5 |
| Passing Offense | 329 |
| Rushing Offense | 129.5 |
| Time of Possession | 29:06 |
| Penalty Yards | 65 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 11-of-29 (37.9%) |
| 4th Downs | 3-of-4 (75%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 9 – 9 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 5 – 9 |
| Penalties – Yards | 16 – 130 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 2 – 1 |
Defense
Redshirt Sophomore Blayne Myrick leads the defense with 22 total stops, 9 solo, with .5 Tackles for Loss, and a forced fumble. Jordan Scruggs is next on the team with 16 total stops, 6 solo, with .5 TFL’s and a pass breakup.
The Jags defense has only managed two sacks through two games. Jordan Norman and Tyler Thomas each have one, Thomas’ was a strip sack that resulted in a fumble. Carlos Johnson Jr got the only fumble recovery.
Both Ricky Fletcher and Reggie Neely missed last weeks game with injuries. Currently they are both considered questionable going into this game and will likely be a game-time decision.
| Stat | Average Allowed per Game |
| Points | 39.5 |
| Total Offense | 477 |
| Passing Offense | 325 |
| Rushing Offense | 152 |
| Time of Possession | 30:54 |
| Penalty Yards | 68 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 14-of-27 (51.9%) |
| 4th Downs | 1-of-2 (50%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 8 – 9 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 6 – 9 |
| Penalties – Yards | 14 – 136 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 2 – 1 |
Special Teams
Jack Martin had an average of 44 yards over his two punts against North Texas. Last week Aleksi Pulkkinen handled the punting duties and average 38.3 yards across his seven punts, with four downed inside the 20 and two fair catches.
Laith Marjan is a perfect 4-for-4 on the season with a long of 39 yards.
Keys to the Game
3rd Downs
I want to see the Jags to play better on third down.
Defensively, the Jags must get off the field. Currently opponents are converting almost 52% of their 3rd down attempts. The Jags best defensive effort saw Ohio convert 40% of their 3rd down attempts. Obviously, this has to improve. How do you improve on it? Cause havoc. The Jags need to get into the backfield more, pressuring the quarterback, and ideally causing turnovers.
The Jags only have two sacks and seven TFL’s on the season so far. They defensive front, particularly the young linebackers (six freshmen in the group) need to help generate pressure and cause havoc.
Offensively the Jags are converting just under 38% of their 3rd down attempts. They converted 67% of their attempts against North Texas as they put up 38 points. Last week they only converted 33% of their attempts and only put 20 points on the scoreboard. That was a big drop-off. Was it due to Gio Lopez being out? Quite possibly.
How do you improve on it regardless who’s taking snaps? Staying ahead of schedule, limiting negative plays, and cleaning up the penalties. Lopez adds another dimension to the offense with his speed and ability to run which forces the defense to have to account for him running. Davenport will have to push the ball downfield more to stretch the defense and make them have to account for the deep pass.
Special Teams
Two game and special teams’ mishaps have turned into two touchdowns for the opponents. Teams who are able to score a touchdown on special teams have a high statistical likelihood to win the game.
South Alabama can attest to the validity of that stat this season.
So far this season the Jags are winless when they either allow a special teams touchdown or a turnover on special teams that leads to a touchdown.
In addition, the kickoff returners have really given the offense some poor field position to start. Some kickoff returns have not even gotten across the 20-yard line. Maybe a few more fair catches should be called and give the offense an opportunity to start at the 25 instead.
Let’s have a solid showing in all phases of special teams. Punting, punt fielding, placekicking, kickoff coverage, and kickoff returning.
Stay Healthy
It looked like the Jags were healthy coming out of the first game, but it wasn’t until the Ohio game did, we find out that Gio was unlikely to play and Braylon McReynolds was going out.
Coach Applewhite said that his “hope is” to have Lopez on the field for the Jags. He also said that McReynolds should be ready to play as well.
With the weather expected leading up to, and potentially during the game, if the additional rest for those players will have them better prepared for the remaining schedule and the Jags can win without them, I would be supportive of having them rest one more week.
Prediction
The Jags are a 37.5-point favorite against an FCS school. This shouldn’t be a problem for South Alabama. But they cannot be caught looking ahead to next week and overlooking the Demons. They need to handle business early then they can turn their focus to the next game.
Not to disparage the opponent, but the Jags are more talented and deeper than the Demons. But they should be as a FBS program vs an FCS program. But that is not always the case. This is not one of those cases.
I think the Jags will win but I’m not sure they will cover. Why? It may be a very wet and sloppy game.
Heavy rains are supposed to move through the area due to hurricane Francine. Weather models show the rain potentially being over before kickoff, but with tropical systems feeder bands could linger and bring rain during the game.
Wind could also be a factor with an unstable atmosphere.
But ultimately, I think the coaches will look to get more players into the game for experience so the 37.5-point spread may be a bit much.
Jags win but don’t cover the spread.
Go Jags!
Jags Fall To Ohio 27-20, Drop To 0-2 On Season
South Alabama simply were their own worst enemy in Athens on Saturday. The Jags (0-2) couldn’t get a stop late and had too many penalties as they fall short 27-20 to Ohio University (1-1).
The Jags fell behind 10-0 near midway in the second quarter. The second score, a touchdown, was set up by a fumbled punt by Jamaal Pritchett at the Jags own 18 yard line. The defense stiffened up after Aleki Pulkkinen was able to flip the field with a 47 yard punt that was fair caught at the Bobcat 9 yard line. After forcing a 3-and-out, the Jags offense was in business on their 36.
Davenport opened the drive with a pair of passes, but the offense wasn’t able to do anything more and had to settle for a 28 yard field goal by Laith Marjan.
Another defensive three-and-out and a poor punt by Ohio gave the Jags a short field. The drive turned into the Fluff Bothwell show. He carried the ball four straight plays for 37 total yards, the final 8 put him in the end zone to make it a tie game with 1:25 left in the half.
But that was too much time for the Bobcats.
Ohio went to the air behind Parker Navarro and quickly scored in only 49 seconds. The touchdown play being a 33 yard pass to Chase Hendricks down the right side to take a 17-10 lead into halftime.
The opening drive of the second half was very reminiscent of the second half against North Texas. The Jag defense couldn’t get off the field as the Bobcats methodically drove 76 yards in 11 plays using 6:14 off the clock to go up two scores.
But unlike last week, South Alabama immediately responded.
The Jags converted two 3rd downs and a 4th down. On the first 3rd down Davenport rolled to his right, saw an opening and took off to convert. A few plays later facing 3rd and 21, Davenport connected with Devin Voisin to get 18 yards and set up 4th & 3. On fourth down, Davenport went to Fluff Bothwell. Bothwell caught the ball just as he was hit by a defender, shook him off and ran for a few more yards and the first down. Then on 3rd & 2 at the Bobcat 26, Davenport went back to Voisin for 17 on the right side of the field for a first and goal. Davenport then hooked up with Pritchett for a touchdown pass over the middle of the field to cut the lead to 24-17.
South Alabama immediately got the ball back after Tyler Thomas got a strip sack on Navarro with Carlos Johnson Jr recovering at the Ohio 41 late in the 3rd quarter. The Jags were unable to get into the end zone and settled for a 38-yard field goal by Marjan.
The Jag got the ball back after the defense forced and three-and-out. But Ohio shut down the offense, got the ball back after a punt, and then they just drained almost eight minutes off the clock. A 14 play, 78 yard drive eating up 7:53 ended in a field goal with just 3:16 left.
Head coach Major Applewhite decided to punt the ball back with a little over two minutes left with all three time outs left hoping to get a stop.
But they couldn’t find that stop.
Stats
| South Alabama | Ohio | |
| Total Yards | 336 | 404 |
| Passing Yards | 227 | 204 |
| Rushing Yards | 109 | 200 |
| 1st Downs | 18 | 20 |
| 3rd Downs | 5-of-16 | 6-of-15 |
| 4th Downs | 1-for-1 | 1-for-1 |
| Time of Possession | 27:43 | 32:17 |
| Turnovers (Points Off) | 1 (0) | 1 (3) |
South Alabama
Davenport was an efficient 24-of-38 for 227 yards with a touchdown in his first start for the Jags. He had one pass that was intercepted, however a defensive roughing the passer negated the turnover.
Pritchett led the Jags receivers with 8 catches for 67 yards and a touchdown. Voisin led the Jag receivers with 77 yards on his 5 catches. Sandgren added 35 yards on three catches and PJ Martin added 26 yards on a pair of catches. DJ Thomas-Jones was held to only one catch for 2 yards.
Fluff Bothwell led the Jags rushing attack with 70 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown. Kentrel Bullock added 28 yards on six carries. Davenport had 12 yards on 10 attempts.
Blayne Myrick led the defense with 10 total stops, 6 solo, with a forced fumble and .5 tackles for loss. Jordan Scruggs, with a broken thumb, had 7 total stops, 3 solo, with .5 TFLs. Wesley Miller had two TFL’s. Tyler Thomas had a sack.
Ohio University
Parker Navarro went 20-for-28 with 204 yards and a touchdown. His favorite receiver was Coleman Owen with 5 catches for 33 yards. Chase Hendricks led the Bobcats with 65 yards on 4 catches with a touchdown.
Anthony Tyus III led the Bobcat rushing game with 74 yards on 17 carries with a touchdown. Rickey Hunt Jr was right on his heels with 73 yards on just 3 carries and Navarro added 62 yards on 13 carries with a touchdown.
The bobcat defense got one sack, three quarterback hurries, and 5 tackles for loss.
“It was disappointing,” said coach Applewhite. “There were mistakes in the game, but in terms of the way they played, I was proud of the way they competed.”
After getting the ball with 3:15 left in the game and down one score, the Jags shot themselves in the foot. A holding penalty and a false start ended the drive before it could even get started and the defense was unable to get the ball back.
“When we get it down to a four-point game, get the ball at the 50-yard line, we go three and out, then it’s a seven-point game,” Applewhite said. “We get the ball back again, a chance to go tie it and we back up eight yards. So, just some untimely execution on each side of the ball in terms of what we need to do to play complimentary football.”
“We’re maturing as a ball club in terms of poise and composure in these late, fourth quarter games,” Applewhite observed. “But we didn’t make plays.”
Gio Lopez was held out of the game due to a turf toe injury suffered in the Jags loss to North Texas last week. Despite the injury, he set a program record with 432 passing yards and 496 total offensive yards.
Redshirt sophomore Bishop Davenport, a transfer from Utah State prior to the 2023 season, played a very poised game.
“I’m proud of the way he competed, proud of the way he played, proud of the opportunities he gave the offense,” Applewhite said.
There were a few Jaguars who missed the game, one of which was Braylon McReynolds, who was a game-time decision and didn’t see action.
“I expect no matter what the position is, if there’s a backup that comes in, I expect them to come in and perform because they’re here and they’re great players and they work their tail off,” Applewhite said.
Next
South Alabama will return home to face Northwestern State, an FCS school, on a short week. The Jags and the Demons are scheduled to kickoff at 6:30pm on Thursday, September 12 at Hancock Whitney Stadium on ESPN+.
Preview: South Alabama Travels To Ohio University For First Road Test Of Season
Kickoff: Saturday, September 7th, 6:00pm
Venue: Frank Solich Field at Peden Stadium, Athens, OH
TV/Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 96.1 fm The Rocket, Sports Talk 99.5 fm, iHeartRadio App
Thunderjags on X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAThunderjags
#5 Jersey: Not announced yet (Last week Christopher Wallace Jr.)
South Alabama (0-1) came up on the short side of the scoreboard against North Texas. The 52-38 decision spoiled head coach Major Applewhite’s debut as the top Jaguar and their home opener. The Jags held a 19-14 lead at halftime but allowed four touchdowns in the third quarter as the Mean Green seized control of the game behind an up-tempo, big-play offense. They were also aided by a mishap in special teams that led to one of the scores.
Let’s start with the good things we saw.
Gio Lopez had a record-setting performance further showing why he was so hyped inside the program all last season. Lopez and his skill guys pretty much picked up right where they left off from the 68 Ventures Bowl. Jamaal Pritchett has elevated his game and has become the next playmaking wide receiver for the Jaguar offense. Devin Voisin was second on the team receiving and in targets in his first game back after missing almost all of 2023 with a knee injury. Braylon McReynolds, Kentrel Bullock and Fluff Bothwell are going to be a fun running back trio.
This could be the most productive offense in South Alabama history. They may need it with the way the defense played though.
Speaking of defense, the line played pretty well. They kept the UNT running game bottled up and only allowed them 104 yards and an average of 3.1 yards per attempt.
What we didn’t like.
The offensive line played better than expected but they still have a lot of work to put in. This week of practice will show us a lot about what this group can do.
While the defensive line was great against the run, they couldn’t generate any pressure on the quarterback. That allowed North Texas to pick apart the secondary for 446 yards and three touchdowns.
Going into the season, the linebackers were an area of concern.
They played decently considering the concerns but they, too, have a lot of work to put in and this week of practice will give us some insight at their ability to improve this season. Blayne Myrick had his name called a few times from his linebacker position. Most notably when the Jags turned away the Mean Green on a goal line stand.
Similar to last season’s opening game, the secondary had trouble in coverage. Hopefully the similarities to last season doesn’t stop there. Last season the secondary made a big adjustment after the first game and played much better.
It’s a cat fight!
We’ll see which cat comes out on top in a match between Jaguars and Bobcats.
The Bobcats (0-1) enter the game coming off of a season-opening loss of their own. They also had an early lead in the game but was unable to keep up with Syracuse, falling 38-22 on the road.
Ohio head coach Tim Albin is in his fourth season at the helm in Athens, OH. He was promoted to the position on July 15, 2021 after joining the program as the offensive coordinator in 2005 with former head coach Frank Solich. Previously Albin and Solich coached together at Nebraska.
The Bobcats defeated Georgia Southern in the Myrtle Beach Bowl to earn their second consecutive 10-win season, a first for the program. The bowl win was also the fifth-consecutive for the program.
Ohio University
Offense
| Stat | Stat total |
| Passing Completions – Attempts – Interceptions | 18-30-1 |
| Points | 22 |
| Total Offensive Yards | 436 |
| Passing Yards | 181 |
| Rushing Yards | 255 |
| Time of Possession | 31:28 |
| Penalties – Yards | 1 – 5 |
| 3rd Downs | 2 of 11 |
| 4th Downs | 1 of 2 |
| Red Zone Scores – Chances | 4 – 5 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 1 – 0 |
Quarterback Parker Navarro was 18-of-30 for 181 yards, one interception and sacked four times.
Coleman Owen led the receivers with 10 catches for 137 yards. Chase Hendricks had 3 for 27 yards. Four other receivers caught passes in the game with minimal yards.
Anthony Tyus III led the team with 203 yards rushing on 16 attempts with two touchdowns. Navarro added 33 yards on 16 carries of his own.
Defense
| Stat | Stat total |
| Passing Completions – Attempts – Interceptions | 27-40-1 |
| Points | 38 |
| Total Offensive Yards | 480 |
| Passing Yards | 354 |
| Rushing Yards | 126 |
| Time of Possession | 28:32 |
| Penalties – Yards | 6 – 47 |
| 3rd Downs | 9 of 15 |
| 4th Downs | 1 of 1 |
| Red Zone Scores – Chances | 5 – 5 |
| Fumbles – Recovered | 0 – 0 |
Austin Brawley led the team with 12 total stops, 9 solo, from the safety position. Blake Leake was next with seven total stops, three of them solo. Two players have one tackle for loss each, Bradley Weaver’s TFL was the teams only sack.
Pearson Tank is the only Bobcat on the season with an interception through the first game.
Special Teams
Punter Jack Wilson logged three kicks with an average of 45.3 yards per kick, a long of 50, and one downed inside the 20. Gianni Spetic went 3-for-3 on field goal attempt in the opening game with a long of 43, and made the one point after attempt.
South Alabama
Offense
| Stat | Stat total |
| Passing Completions – Attempts – Interceptions | 26-49-0 |
| Points | 38 |
| Total Offensive Yards | 582 |
| Passing Yards | 432 |
| Rushing Yards | 150 |
| Time of Possession | 30:28 |
| Penalties – Yards | 9-80 |
| 3rd Downs | 6 of 14 |
| 4th Downs | 2 of -3 |
| Red Zone Scores – Chances | 5 of 5 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 0 – 0 |
Gio Lopez was 26-of-49 for 432 yards and three touchdowns in the season opener. His longest pass completion was for 52 yards but he was sacked twice. He added 62 yards on the ground, leading the Jaguar rushing attack. His 494 all-purpose yards put him in the national lead. It should have propelled him to the Offensive Player of the Week honors for the Sun Belt, however that honor went to another player in an odd choice.
Jamaal Pritchett caught 10 of his 15 targets for 197 yards and a touchdown. Devin Voisin added 5 catches on 8 targets for 60 yards. Shamar Sandgren caught 3 passes for 37 yards and a touchdown. Anthony Eager had one catch for a 23-yard touchdown.
Fluff Bothwell was the leading rusher from the running back position with 30 yards on 6 carries with a touchdown.
Defense
| Stat | Stat total |
| Passing Completions – Attempts – Interceptions | 33-42-0 |
| Points | 52 |
| Total Offensive Yards | 550 |
| Passing Yards | 446 |
| Rushing Yards | 104 |
| Time of Possession | 29:32 |
| Penalties – Yards | 6-50 |
| 3rd Downs | 8-of-12 |
| 4th Downs | 0-of-1 |
| Red Zone Scores – Chances | 5-of-6 |
| Fumbles – Recovered | 0 – 0 |
Blayne Myrick led the team with 12 total stops, 3 solo. Jordan Scruggs was next with nine total stops, three solo as well, with a pass breakup. Maurice Strong Jr and Carlos Johnson Jr both had ½ tackle for loss in the game.
Special Teams
Jack Martin had two recorded punts in the game with an average of 44 yards per kick. However, he did have a bad snap that he dropped, then when he tried to pick it up and kick it, the ball ricocheted off of one of his blockers that led to a defensive touchdown.
Laith Marjan made both of this field goal attempts, the longest was from 39 yards out, as well as both of his point after attempts.
Keys to the Game
Defense
The defense, as a whole, needs to make a big improvement going into game two.
Point: While the rush defense looked good on paper against North Texas, how much of that was due UNT’s success through the air and not needing to run the ball?
Counter Point: The Mean Green had 34 rushing attempts for only 104 yards, an average of 3.1 yards per attempt, and the longest run was 13 yards. Did the Jags just take away the run and force a passing team to throw the ball more?
I would like to see them get more pressure on the quarterback. They need to play better in coverage (seriously, how many times have we been burned by inside slants over the last several seasons?!). I hope the linebackers get coached up some more because they have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders.
Offensive Line
I feel the offensive line played decently well overall, but they played at their best in the first half. Gio’s speed and escapability allows him to get out of the pocket and extend plays. What would have been sacks with Carter Bradley at quarterback are now running throws or scrambles for yardage.
I think they’ll improve. They’ll need to as the schedule gets increasingly difficult. With only two returning starters in the group, including a new center, it was a given that the offensive line may need some time to settle in.
Speaking of center, I lost count how many times I saw high snaps that Gio had to really reach to catch. I hope that’s just some first-game jitters
Health
I think the team came out pretty healthy from the game. The only player that appeared to get banged up was Gio Lopez. There were several runs and scrambles where he took the hit instead of sliding.
At one point he had a visible limp after some tackles. Afterwards he had some deep throws that came up a little short. He may have just put too much air underneath his throws, but you can’t help to wonder if he was having problems setting and throwing off of his plant foot.
Lopez also took a hit to the ribs and stayed down for a moment in the second half of the game.
Gio is definitely one of the linchpins in the Jaguars offense, he needs to stay healthy because there’s a lot of football left to be played this season.
Prediction
South Alabama will be tested in their first road game of the season in Ohio. While the sample size is only one game for each program, it looks like the offensive and defensive strengths for the Jags match up well against Ohio University.
The Bobcats is a predominately running team, they had 255 yards on the ground against Syracuse on the road. The Jags defense only allowed 104 yards to UNT. I don’t expect that kind of performance against Ohio, I think the Bobcats are going to get theirs. But can the defense get some stops? Can they get some pressure in the backfield? Can they cause more chaos?
The Jags roll into Ohio a 2.5-point favorite over the Bobcats.
I think this is a chance for coach Applewhite and gang to show that they’ve corrected some of the issues from the first game. But they also aren’t facing such a high-powered, fast-tempo offense this week.
I think the Jags win and cover.
Go Jags!