South Alabama Falls To Georgia Southern 20-17 In 2OT
The South Alabama Jaguars fall in heartbreaking fashion in double-overtime to Georgia Southern 20-17 in an ugly game.
The Eagles (2-3, 1-1 SBC) tried everything to give the game away, but the Jaguars (1-5, 0-2 SBC) just couldn’t capitalize down the stretch. It was blind side pressure on quarterback Cephus Johnson that ultimately set up the Eagles for their game-winning field goal attempt in the second overtime period.
You may be asking ‘how ugly was it’?
Well, let me tell you some numbers. The Jags only had 4 first downs in the game to GSU’s 22. The Jags finally surpassed the 100 yards of total offense about midway through the third quarter. They ended the game with 242 total yards of offense to GSU’s 383. USA only managed 48 yards rushing to 305 for the Eagles. USA threw the ball for 194 yards while the Eagles gained 78 through the air.
Georgia Southern ran 83 offensive plays and held the ball for 40:38. The Jags only ran 39 offensive plays and possessed the ball for 19:22.
USA was 0-of-10 on 3rd downs. That’s right zero, zilch, nada, nothing, nil.
GSU was 5-of-18 on 3rd down and converted their only 4th down attempt.
Georgia Southern was the first to get on the scoreboard with a 46 yard field goal at the 11:03 mark in the second quarter. But their lead would not last long.
On the first play from scrimmage for the Jags, Johnson lofted a ball up and over the Eagle defense and right into Kawaan Baker’s arms for a 75 yard touchdown to take a 7-3 lead only :11 seconds after GSU broke the scoreless tie.
After a three-and-out by the Jags offense and a 25 yard punt by Jack Brooks gave Georgia Southern excellent field position at the USA 42. After an incomplete pass to start the drive, GSU rushed six consecutive times and found the end zone to retake the lead 10-7 with 1:11 left in the third quarter.
After punting back and forth, the Jags started at their own 20 yard line after a touchback when Tra Minter took the second down handoff 20 yards to the Jaguar 40 yard line. Then Johnson loaded up and tossed it deep for Jalen Tolbert, who hauled it in and scoring his first career touchdown on the 60 yard play with 5:41 left in the third quarter.
The Jags were looking to put the game away when Johnson lofted another deep pass to Kawaan Baker, but this time Baker had to slow down for the ball ever so slightly which allowed the Georgia Southern defenders to bring him down at the GSU 31 after a 43 yard gain. However the Jags would not be able to keep the chains moving and had to settle for a 45 yard field goal by Frankie Onate at the 4:24 mark in the fourth quarter giving the Jags a 17-10 lead.
After Diego Guajardo’s kickoff went out of bounds, the Eagles then methodically marched the ball down the field with runs of 14, 9, 16, and 22 on consecutive plays to get to the Jaguar 4 yard line. They finally punched it in on 3rd and goal at the 1 to tie the game at 17-all with :20 left in regulation.
South Alabama won the overtime coin toss and elected to go on defense first. The Jags defense bent but didn’t break. The Eagles got to the Jaguar 5 yard line before going in reverse via penalties for illegal formation then an illegal forward pass.
The 32 yard field goal was hooked left giving the Jags the opportunity to score and end the game.
The Jags offense went backwards with a loss of a yard by Minter followed by a false start putting the ball at the 31 yard line. Onate’s 45 yard field goal attempt was blocked to go to the second overtime period.
This time the Jags went on offense first and on the first play Randy Wade beat the left tackle and got to Johnson stripping the ball before he could throw it and the Eagles pounced on it.
The Eagles were content to just run the ball mostly between the hashmarks until the last run put it on the left hash, the same position of the missed field goal just minutes before.
However this time it split the uprights for the 20-17 final score.
Minter was held to 45 yards on the ground and just 8 yards receiving. Kawaan Baker led the receivers with 126 yards and a touchdown on four receptions. Tolbert had the one catch for 60 yards and a touchdown.
Shai Werts threw the ball 17 times and completed nine of them. But he was also the games leading rusher with 102 yards on 20 carries. JD King rushed for 72 yards on 22 carries.
South Alabama will have 13 days to get ready for their trip to Troy for the 2019 Battle for the Belt. Troy will play on Saturday and will have 10 days to prepare.
While the Jags finally found a deep pass threat, they had some significant issues in other offensive phases of the game. They couldn’t run, they couldn’t convert third downs, and they were significantly out-snapped and out-possessed by their opponent.
“We did some good things, but obviously not enough to win the game,” head coach Steve Campbell said after the game. “It’s very disappointing.”
“We couldn’t generate any kind of a running game, and that was the difference,” Campbell said. “We could not run the football. We had a hard time blocking their defensive front and linebackers.”
On a bright note, the Jags defense held up very well considering the situation.
Now the Jags have a bye week and 13 days to prepare for their in-state rival.
They are going to need it.
Go Jags!
South Alabama Hosts Georgia Southern In Thursday Night Sun Belt Showdown
South Alabama was able to move the ball early against Louisiana-Monroe last Saturday. They actually scoring first to take the lead, however after that they struggled until late in the game.
The combination of Tra Minter and Cephus Johnson moved the ball effectively on the ground with Minter rushing for 150 yards and Johnson adding 72 more. However, as ULM extended their lead, it forced the Jags into more throwing situations and the offense became less effective with fewer than 60 yards passing.
The Jaguar defense got a stop on the Warhawks first possession, but began to allow big plays afterwards, including a number of crucial conversions on third down and two fourth downs that led to touchdowns.
But the ability of the Warhawk receivers to get open and run free in the secondary has to be very concerning. Also concerning is that some of the top tacklers for the game were in the Jaguar secondary.
With the loss still fresh on the players minds, maybe it’s a good thing that they have a short week to prepare for Georgia Southern.
GSU, like the Jags, have struggled out of the starting block this season. The Eagles are 1-3 on the season and dropped their conference opener last Saturday against Louisiana-Lafayette 37-24. Their only win, similar to USA, is against an FCS team (Maine).
The Eagles will bring their triple option offense into Mobile, an offense that has historically given the Jaguars major headaches in the past.
Through their first four games, the Eagles have averaged just under 202 yards per game rushing and have only thrown the pass 41 times. While it may be a one-dimensional offense, if you can roll up those kind of yards you basically have to be stopped. That is what GSU does to you, if you cannot stop their triple option rushing attack then you’re in for a long day. They will wear you down, beat you up, and control the clock basically strangling you out of a chance to win.
What a defense has to do when facing a triple option team is they have to play assignment football and stay disciplined. Someone has to cover the dive, someone has to be on the pitch man and not let him get to the perimeter and someone has to be on the quarterback.
Unless you see the triple option on a regular basis, its hard to really master that as a team. Additionally, the Jags defense is playing pretty undisciplined too: missed assignments, poor tackling, and getting gashed for big plays.
The Eagles offense struggled ever since redshirt junior quarterback Shai Werts was injured in the season opener against LSU and then missed the next two games. He returned against Louisiana-Lafayette and rushed for 93 yards and threw for another 37 yards on 6-of-12 passing but was sacked three times.
Additionally, junior running back Wesley Kennedy III is set to return after serving a four game academic suspension.
In 2017, the winless Eagles under the direction of interim head coach Chad Lunsford and coming off a bye week took the Jags to the woodshed and held the Jags to their first-ever shutout, 52-0. This devistating loss sealed head coach Joey Jones’ fate.
Since that game the Jags have a 4-14 record with only two wins against FBS opponents to show for it.
In order for the Jags to win, they need to control the ball and keep it out of the hands of Werts and company. If the offense is unable to convert third downs and keep moving the chains, it’s going to be a very long game for the defense.
The Jags enter as a 12 point underdog at home, both teams are hungry to break two-game losing streaks, and to get their first conference win of the season.
It’s truly a battle of who wants it more.
So over the last few weeks if I picked the Jags to cover, they wouldn’t and vice versa if I picked them not to cover, they have. So I don’t know if I should knowingly pick the opposite and hope for the best or to go straight up and pick my gut.
Picking my gut, the Jags cover the spread, however the Eagles are the ones who walk away with the victory. The Jags are 0-5 against the Eagles, historically have had fits trying to defend the triple option, and they just don’t seem to have what it takes to turn it around in a short week. Especially when the offensive line cannot protect the quarterback.
South Alabama and Georgia Southern kick off at 6:30pm Central time. The game can be seen on ESPNU nation wide and radio coverage can be heard on 99.5 fm The Jag in the Mobile area as well as world wide on the iHeartMedia app.
Go Jags!
South Alabama Drops Sun Belt Conference Opener To Louisiana-Monroe 30-17
South Alabama played a somewhat better game than the previous two, but still wound up on the short end of a 30-17 score in Monroe, Louisiana. The Jags fall to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in Sun Belt Conference play. This was also the 12th consecutive road loss.
The Jags opened the game with a stop on defense and then led a 12-play, 90 yard drive for a touchdown to take an early 7-0 lead. But were unable to sustain the offensive momentum for the whole game.
ULM answered the Jaguars touchdown quickly with a tying touchdown and it only took 1:29 off the clock.
USA had a chance to regain the lead, but an overthrow by Cephus Johnson was intercepted in the end zone on the first play of the 2nd quarter.
The Jags were able to keep the Warhawks out of the end zone, but gave up a field goal off the turnover.
After being unable to sustain the drive and being forced to punt. The Warhawks used big plays to put another touchdown on the board. They only needed four plays to cover the 72 yards to take a 17-7 lead.
South Alabama drove down to the 4 yard line before stalling and having to settle for a field goal.
The Jaguar defense forced three-consecutive punts to open the second half, but then the Warhawks scored touchdowns on their next two possession all but putting the game away.
USA added a late touchdown to cover the spread. After being unable to recover the onside kick the game was over even though the Jags would get the ball one more time there was really no threat.
The South Alabama offense rolled up 263 yards rushing, with Tra Minter rushing for 150 of them on 19 carries. But they were hampered with penalties at the wrong time, though they were few at least.
The offensive line was outmatched, despit out weighing the ULM defensive line. Cephus was pressured and sacked on numerous occasions. Coach Steve Campbell, an offensive line guru, has yet to get the Jaguar offensive line to put together four quarters of good play.
“I thought we did some things better,” coach Campbell said after the game. “We ran the ball better, but we didn’t have any success through the air until late in the game when we had to spread it out and had to start throwing it. Disappointing loss, very disappointing.”
“We let too many opportunities slip away,” Campbell said. “We’re not there yet. We’ve got to keep grinding, keep pushing.”
Campbell and his team will have a short turnaround as they will play Georgia Southern on Thursday night at Ladd-Peebles Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 6:30pm. The game will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU.
South Alabama Opens Conference Play Against Louisiana-Monroe
In the past two games South Alabama has been outscored 77-9 and have fallen to 1-3 on the season. But the coaching staff is quick to tell you that the real season starts now. They have eight games remaining in the season and they are all conference games.
The coaches are correct.
If the Jags can make a huge turnaround in time, they can still get bowl eligible with five wins. Plus they still hold their own destiny in making the inaugural Sun Belt Conference Championship too.
But as much optimism the first game of the season against Nebraska gave the fans. The last two game have soured them as much or maybe more.
The offense has protected the ball better after turning the ball over several times in the first couple of games. However, the offense has been ineffective moving the ball the last two weeks. They seemed to have been starting to find their way late in the first quarter of the UAB game as Cephus Johnson was running the option pretty well. Cephus racked up 41 yards on six carries, unfortunately he had to leave the game with a concussion late in that first quarter.
After losing some offensive firepower last season both to graduation and to the transfer portal, the number of offensive play makers has dwindled. Tra Minter still leads the team rushing and in all-purpose yards while Kawaan Baker is a great possession receiver who is able to make big plays and has been effective at times running the jet sweep and snagging a touchdown here and there. It has made it hard to get the ball into those play makers hands.
USA’s defense could not get stops against Memphis or UAB. The Blazers controlled the ball for 39:58, wasn’t forced to punt until the 3rd quarter, and allowed them to convert all four 3rd down conversion on the opening drive of the second half, a drive that lasted almost nine full minutes.
As the Jags head into their first conference game of the season against Louisiana-Monroe, they enter ranked 117th of 130 FBS teams in total offense (322.5 yards per game), 119th in passing (146.5 yards per game, and 124th in scoring (16.75 points per game).
In head coach Steve Campbell’s press conference to begin the week, he said that the problem wasn’t the offensive strategy, but rather execution.
“We can draw up new plays, but it is still going to be about a little thing here and a little thing there,” Campbell said Monday. “It’s not what we’re doing, but how we are doing it. Obviously, we need to get the ball to Tra Minter and make sure that KB [Kawaan Baker] gets opportunities.”
The offensive line was manhandled by the Blazers on Saturday. They allowed four sacks and eight tackles for loss.
The Warhawks forced Florida State into overtime in a 45-44 loss to the ‘Noles. They scored 20 points against a good Iowa State team. But on the other side, they allowed 72 points to Iowa State.
South Alabama needs to get off to a fast start on both sides of the ball. They can’t afford to fall behind early and struggle moving the ball and scoring points. After the first drive of the second half against UAB, the Jags defense was able to get stops on the Blazers. Similarly, the Jags defense got stops in the second half of the Memphis game as well.
The defense needs to clamp down early. They could really use Tyree Turner, who is doubtful with an ankle injury suffered against Nebraska.
Offensively, the Jags have got to extend drives by converting 3rd downs and ultimately put points on the board. If it’s by running more option and play action passing then do it, because the RPO has not been working.
It’s running the same play over and over again and the opponents have gotten wise to it. I’m looking at you Kenny Edenfield, as the offensive coordinator you need some better scheming.
The coaching staff has reiterated their support of Cephus as the starting quarterback. But heading into the game he (concussion) and wide receiver Jalen Wayne (foot) are both listed as probable.
The current spread is ULM by 16 points. I’ve picked the Jags the last two weeks to cover and it hasn’t worked out for me. But also based on what I’ve seen the last two weeks, I don’t know if they can turn around everything that is wrong in just one week.
I think the Warhawks cover the 16 point spread, but a late surge by the Jags makes it close. The Warhawks allow 244 yards per game and nearly 6 yards per carry rushing.
South Alabama and Louisiana-Monroe kick off at 6pm in Monroe, LA. The game will be available to streamed on ESPN+ with a subscription. Play-by-play coverage will be aired on 99.5FM The Jag locally in Mobile and worldwide via iHeartMedia app on the web and smartphones.
Jags Send Senior Out On Top With 31-28 Win Over Coastal Carolina
Head coach Steve Campbell talking with the Jaguar offensive line between possessions early in the game against Coastal Carolina.
South Alabama took advantage of their final game of the season and a beat-up and bruised Coastal Carolina team to send 19 seniors out with one final 31-28 win.
Coastal Carolina (5-7, 2-6) came into the game looking for a win to get bowl eligible in their second season playing a Sun Belt schedule. Meanwhile the Jags (3-9, 2-6 SBC) only had pride and the program’s seniors to play for in their final game of the season.
The Chanticleers entered on a three game skid and plagued by injuries which only got worse during the game with more injuries occurring during the course of play.
The Jags jumped out early with a 32-yard field goal on their opening drive. Then a 45-yard touchdown pass from Cole Garvin to Jamarius Way on the first play after recovering a Coastal Carolina fumble to take a 10-0 lead.
The Jags kept it up in the second quarter with a one-play 73-yard drive when Evan Orth came in and lofted a throw over the Coastal defender to let Jamarius Way to out run the defense to the end zone for a 17-0 lead.
Coastal Carolina finally got on the board on their next possession, capped off by a 31-yard touchdown when Bryce Carpenter came in for an injured Kilton Anderson and found Isaiah Likely for the touchdown.
The Jags answered right back with a 13-play, 75 yard drive capped off by Kawaan Baker’s 6 yard touchdown run. Which let the Jags take a 24-7 lead to the locker room at halftime.
The second half was a different story, the Chanticleers opened the second half throwing the ball and systematically driving down the field for a touchdown.
USA got their only points of the second half two possessions later when they drove 51 yards in 10 plays and 4:22. Garvin connected with Way for a 7 yard touchdown making the score 31-14.
Coastal wasn’t ready to give up though and proceeded to drive 65 yards to get within 10 points again at 31-21.
The Jags offense went cold midway through the fourth quarter with back-to-back three-and-outs but the Jags defense held their own and forcing an incomplete pass on a 4th down conversion attempt with 3:17 left in the game.
The Jags then went into their ground control offense to bleed the clock. After Tra Minter broke the single-game rushing record, he then broke free for a 20 yard gain but the Chanticleers forced a fumble and recovered it at their own 20.
Coastal proceeded to pass the ball down the field aided by a illegal use of hands penalty before Anderson found Malcolm Williams for a 16 yard touchdown cutting the Jags lead to only three points 31-28 with only 34 seconds left in the game.
Coastal Carolina attempted an onside kick, but it never took the high bounce as wanted and Jahmmir Taylor was able to cover it up preserving the Jags win.
The Jaguar offense rolled up an impressive 533 yards of total offense and 331 yards on the ground. Tra Minter ran 24 times for 203 yards, breaking Kendall Houston’s record of 173 rushing yards against Troy.
Deonta Moore ran nine times for 72 yards. Baker rushed seven times for 16 yards and a touchdown.
Cole Garvin went 7-of-9 for 111 yards and two touchdowns. Evan Orth went 3-of-4 for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Jamarius Way caught six passes for 141 and all three receiving touchdowns. Minter caught two passes for 49 yards and Jordan McCray added 12 yards on two receptions.
The Jaguar defense allowed 385 yards, holding the Chanticleers to only 92 rushing yards. They commited their first penalty in two games against USA and ended the game with four for 40 yards.
Anderson went 20-for-32 for 262 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Williams caught seven passes for 109 yards and a touchdown to lead the Coastal receivers.
CJ Marable ran 10 times for 40 yards while Alex James rushed for 32 yards on nine carries with two touchdowns. Anderson had 11 carries for 20 yards after sack yardage.
“I was glad our seniors could go out with a win in their last game at Ladd[-Peebles Stadium],” head coach Steve Campbell said. “Those guys really stepped up and played big in a big way.”
“After the Louisiana-Monroe game, we looked and saw that we really didn’t have a personality offensively,” Campbell continued. “We were running a little of this and a little of that; we really hadn’t established a personality. Before last week, we said we were going to run the football, be a play-action team and try to create some explosive plays with some man-to-man coverages. We were able to do that.”
“It makes it that much more special, to end with a win on this field” said senior linebacker Bull Barge after the game. “That’s what you work hard for, to go out on top at your own place. It just feels good knowing you’re going out on top after a long season.”
“It definitely gave us a spark,” said junior Tra Minter on a win to end the season. “All we wanted to do was send these seniors out with a bang and give them something to look back on. For next year, it just gave us a spark and some confidence for next season.”
The coaches will now put all their focus on recruiting with an early signing period on December 19-21 and the regular signing day on February 6, 2019.
Inside the Numbers:
South Alabama Host Coastal Carolina For Season Finale
South Alabama (2-9, 1-6 Conference) is set to play their final home game of the season which is also their final game of the season as a whole on Friday with kickoff scheduled for 2pm at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The Jags will welcome a 5-6 Coastal Carolina team that are looking to get bowl-eligible (5-6, 2-5 Conference). This makes the third consecutive team looking to earn their sixth win against the Jaguars.
Head coach Steve Campbell is balancing getting playing time for the younger players with trying to win the remaining game and letting the seniors get playing time on Senior Day.
Senior Evan Orth, who started eight of 11 games so far this season injured his shoulder a couple weeks ago and has missed the last two game due to it. Cole Garvin, also a senior, started the first game of the season and played a complete game last week against Louisiana-Lafayette after missing most of the season due to a team rules violation when he was arrested for public intoxication.
Redshirt freshman Cephus Johnson started against Louisiana-Monroe two weeks ago, but split time with Garvin.
The Chanticleers, who joined the Sun Belt Conference last season, come into Mobile as a the favorite by anywhere from 2.5 to 6.5 points but in the midst of a three-game losing streak after facing Appalachian State, Arkansas State, and Georgia Southern.
South Alabama will be bidding goodbye to 19 seniors, some of the most accomplished players in program history to date. Among them, Jamarious Way who is in the top 10 in pretty much every USA career and single-season receiving category, Corliss Waitman who has the best punting average in program history, and Gavin Patterson who is the second-leading scorer in program history.
The Chanticleers join Appalachian State and Georgia Southern who were long-time FCS powerhouses who have joined the Sun Belt and have found success early. With just one win between them and bowl eligibility in their second season, they should be motivated and ready to play.
Meanwhile the Jags don’t have a post-season to play for, they only have pride. The Jags can play spoiler while heading into the off-season on a positive note.
The Chanticleers average 208.4 yards rushing per game and 170.5 yards passing per game. Meanwhile the Jags are averaging 135.7 yards rushing and 203.4 yards passing per game. But the Jags defense has been very susceptible to big plays, long runs and passes many of them for touchdowns have plagued them all season.
The Jags covered the spread last week, I think they’ll do it again but I’m not sure if they win. It’s more of toss-up and I think the more motivated team will win.
Inside the Numbers:
Jags Come Up Short in Lafayette 48-38
The Jags came up on the short end of a 48-38 shoot out with Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday night. Though they have fallen to 2-9 and 1-6 in Sun Belt Conference play on the season, but they showed signs of life, which they had not shown much of over the past few games.
It looked like the Jags were on the verge of being in another blowout loss after the Ragin’ Cajuns broke out with a 54 kickoff return followed by a 44 yard touchdown pass to break a 10-10 tie with 4:38 remaining before halftime. Then they caught the Jags off guard with an onside kick, which they recovered and took 2:16 to drive 54 yards in five plays to add a second touchdown with 2:04 left until halftime.
This had been the point in previous weeks when the opponent took over the game but the Jags drove 75 yards in 13 plays and 1:53 to cut the Cajun lead to 24-17 at halftime.
USA opened the second half by receiving the kick off and driving 65 yards in nine plays to tie the game at 24-each with 10:51 left in the third quarter.
But the Cajuns responded with by scoring 17 points to regain control of the game. It started with a 45 yard touchdown run by Elijah Mitchell on the third offensive play. Then two Jag fumbles book ended a Cajun interception lead to a 41 yard field goal and a 34-24 Cajun lead at that point.
Another good special teams return, this time a 24 yard punt return, kick started a 70 yard, nine play touchdown drive to take a 41-24 lead at the end of third quarter.
The Jags could only get within 10 points in the final quarter with the Cajuns responding to the Jags touchdown midway through the quarter. But the Jags drove back down once more to with just :15 left in the game on a 50 yard touchdown pass from Cole Garvin to Kawaan Baker. The Jags attempted to recover an onside kick to try to make the game even more interesting but it was not to be.
South Alabama led the Cajuns in just about every statistical column you can find except for points. The Jags out gained the Cajuns 477 to 407, out rushed the Cajuns 223 to 210 and out passed them 254 to 197 yards. The Jags ground out 27 first downs to 17. They had 85 offensive plays to the Cajuns 52, they dominated time of possession 35:59 to 24:01, converted 11-of-19 3rd downs, converted a perfect 5-of-5 on 4th down, and they scored all five times they were in the red zone.
The Jags had more penalties with nine flags for 61 yards while the Cajuns had six flags for 66 yards. The Jags lost the turnover battle with 3 to the Cajuns lone interception, but the difference in the game was that Cajuns cashed in on those turnover for 10 points.
Cole Garvin, who started for the first time since the Oklahoma State game, went 18-for-28 for 254 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Eight Jaguars caught passes with Jamarius Way leading the way with six receptions for 67 yards and a touchdown. Kawaan Baker caught four passes for 80 yards and the other touchdown.
Seven Jags carried the ball in the game, Tra Minter again was the leading rusher with 87 yards on 23 carries with a touchdown. Garvin gained 50 yards on 12 attempts. Baker added two rushing touchdowns to his receiving touchdown with 44 yards on the ground on seven carries.
Andre Nunez went 12-for-18 for 153 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Ja’Marcus Bradley and Jalen Williams both caught three passes each with the former gaining 62 yards and three touchdowns while the latter had 38 yards.
Elijah Mitchell rushed for 105 yards on 12 carries with three touchdowns. Trey Ragas and Raymond Calais were both kept in check with the former rushing for 53 yards on 10 carries while the latter rushed for 34 yards on seven carries.
“I was proud of the guys and the way they fought,” head coach Steve Campbell said. “Obviously, we are disappointed when you get beat. We put ourselves in a hole right off the bat and went down 10-0, but the guys fought back and tied it back up twice. The last two weeks, we had started off well and didn’t finish the half.”
“Defensively, I didn’t like the way we finished the first half,” he continued. “We gave up two touchdowns right before halftime right after we had tied it up at 10-10. Offensively, I liked how we finished the first half, we were able to get some points on the board. We came back and tied it back up to start the second half after we had challenged the offense to start the second half fast.”
South Alabama will wrap up the 2018 season on Friday, November 23 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium when they host Coastal Carolina for their first-ever meeting. Kickoff is set for 2pm with the game being broadcast on ESPN+ (requires a subscription).
Inside the Numbers:
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:
Louisiana-Monroe Spoils South Alabama’s Homecoming 38-10
Louisiana-Monroe breaks the Jags homecoming win streak at 9 after defeating USA 38-10 on Saturday, November 10, 2018.
South Alabama’s unbeaten streak in homecoming games came to an end at 9 as Louisiana-Monroe defeated the Jags 38-10.
The Jags (2-8, 1-5 SBC) started the game well, but could not muster much after the first quarter as Louisiana-Monroe (6-4, 4-2 SBC) scored 28 unanswered points after the Jags had tied the game.
ULM rolled up 551 yards of total offense, 376 of them through the air. The Jags could only muster 218 yards of total offense, with 129 of them coming through the air and a mere 89 yards rushing.
ULM’s Caleb Evans was 27-of-32 for 367 yards and two touchdowns. His favorite target was D’Marius Gillespie who caught all 7 passes thrown his way for 159 yards and a touchdown. Markis McCray had 5 catches for 41 yards. In total, 11 receivers caught passes with Jonathan Hodoh the other receiver catching a touchdown on his only catch.
Marcus Green led the Warhawks with 68 rushing yards on only two carries with a touchdown. Evans had 12 carries for 54 yards and two touchdowns.
Cephus Johnson started the game and finished 1-for-4 for 34 yards and a touchdown. Cole Garvin played the second and third quarters and went 13-for-19 for 95 yards.
Three Jags caught three passes each with Jordan McCray leading the trio with 45 yards and a touchdown.
Tra Minter led the rushing attach with 12 attempts for 61 yards. Johnson was next in line with 9 carries for 23 yards.
ULM was penalized only once for 15 yards while the Jags were flagged 5 times for 36 yards.
After being forced to punt on their opening possession, the Jags got the ball right back when Marcus Green muffed the punt and DJ Daniels recovered at the ULM 34 yard line. On the very next play Johnson threw a 34 yard touchdown pass to McCray lifting the Jags to a 7-0 lead. ULM would score the next 10 points to take a 10-7 lead into the second quarter.
USA couldn’t put the ball in the end zone early in the second quarter and settled for a 31 yard field goal by Gavin Patterson to tie the game.
The Warhawks took control of the game when they scored 14 points in the final 6:24 of the half. The Jags lined up for a 38 yard field goal attempt with 2:01 left in the first half, but the Warhawks blocked the attempt and would score with just :22 left.
ULM put a bow on it after they forced a three-and-out on the Jags first possession of the second half. Then the Warhawks only needed three plays to put another touchdown on the board with 12:34 left in the third quarter.
ULM would score on their next possession as well to get the final score of 38-10.
“I’m disappointed in the outcome of the game,” head coach Steve Campbell said after the game. “I thought the kids fought hard and that we did some good things in the first half. We had talked about starting faster and I thought we did. I hated that we gave up the touchdown right before the half with 22 seconds left, which really hurt.”
“We didn’t start the third quarter the way we wanted to, we got the ball and wanted to take it down the field and make it a seven-point game; Obviously we didn’t do that,” Campbell continued. “I was proud of our guys for fighting back and keeping them off the scoreboard for most of the fourth quarter.”
When asked about his biggest coaching concern with the way the season’s gone and only two game remaining, Campbell said: “The things that you would be concerned about have already happened. Getting beat by ULM by 28 on Homecoming is what I would be concerned about, but that has passed. What you have to do now is make sure you prepare hard and put together a good plan. We have to be able to go out and execute it against Louisiana-Lafayette and then finish strong against Coastal Carolina.”
The Jags will travel to Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday for a 4pm kickoff against the Ragin’ Cajuns who are 5-5 and looking to get bowl eligible themselves.
Inside the Numbers:
Jags Host Louisiana-Monroe On Homecoming Weekend
South Alabama (2-7, 1-4 SBC) have been guaranteed another losing season but they have a lot yet to play for, pride. With only three games left, head coach Steve Campbell is expected to take advantage of the new red shirt rules and get freshmen some playing time down the stretch.
Louisiana-Monroe (5-4, 3-2 SBC) travel to Mobile as the first place team in the Sun Belt Conference western division and are favored to win the game by 6.5 points.
Senior starting quarterback Evan Orth left last weeks game in the third quarter with a shoulder injury which will keep him sidelined this week. Complicating things is that Desmond Trotter will not be available which will leave Cephus Johnson and Cole Garvin as the only two quarterbacks available on Saturday. Garvin has not seen playing time since arrested back in September.
The Warhawks hosted Georgia Southern and put a whipping on them 44-25. They held them to 138 yards rushing and 216 overall. The Warhawks gained 573 total yards, 236 rushing.
The Jaguar defense has played well in spurts but the offense has had problems moving the ball and putting points on the board. Then other times the roles were reversed with the offense moving the ball but the defense unable to get a stop. But the whole time the defense has been very susceptible to big plays, both through the air and on the ground.
With the injuries the number of players who are missing time with injuries and the expected use of freshmen, I don’t like the sound of how this game could play out. With a forecasted high of 56 degrees for Saturday, 55 degrees at kickoff and a quick cool off into the 40s as the sun sets may make for a small crowd and a long evening for the fans.
Keys to a jaguar win:
1. Win the turnover battle. The Jags can’t waste any possessions if they hope to win.
2. Stop the big plays. Big plays have been a bane in the side of the Jaguar defense all season. The 78 yard touchdown pass given up last week was a prime example. But giving up big double-digit yards on 3rd down is killer.
3. Score points. The most obvious of things to say, but there’s no way to win without putting points on the scoreboard. Last week they got on the scoreboard midway through the second quarter but didn’t get another score until the game was quite settled late in the fourth quarter.
I haven’t seen anything to make me think the Jags will suddenly put the last few games behind them and play up to their full potential. But I’m always open for a surprise. But right now I see the Warhawks getting their first win in three tries in Mobile and based on trends they will cover the 6.5 point spread.
Inside the Numbers: