Preview: South Alabama At Louisiana-Lafayette
Kickoff: Saturday November 14, 1:00 pm
Venue: Cajun Field, Lafayette, Louisiana
TV: ESPN+ Streaming
Radio: Sports Talk 99.5FM, 96.1 The Rocket, iHeartRadio
South Alabama (3-4, 2-2 Sun Belt Conference) will finish out their three-game road swing with a trip to Lafayette, Louisiana to face the Ragin’ Cajuns (6-1, 4-1 SBC).
Since Billy Napier came to Lafayette the Cajuns have steadily improved from a 7-7 (5-3 SBC), to 11-3 (7-1 SBC) which was the first double-digit win season in school history, and currently sit on top of the Sun Belt Conference Western division with their only loss being to Coastal Carolina.
They can pretty much wrap up the division this week with a win.
The Jags come into the game after a 23-6 loss at Coastal Carolina. The defense held the Chanticleers well below their season points average but the offense couldn’t muster more than a pair of field goals. They were even turned away on a 4th and goal at the 1 yard line.
Now head coach Steve Campbell and his team have dropped their last two games after a nice 3-2 start to the season and being 2-0 in conference play for the first time in school history.
However those three wins came against some struggling teams year. Their combined record is a mere 3-21.
While Desmond Trotter has seemed to have solidified his hold on the #1 spot at quarterback as we have not seen Chance Lovertich play any over the last two games, we’ve also seen Trotter get sacked 10 times over that same time span.
Carlos Davis has pretty much been the biggest ground threat by the Jaguar offense. Though Trotter can and does still run, he’s also been set back with the sack issue.
Through the air the Jags are still averaging 256.3 yards per game but, at least over the last two games, you’re not seeing a Jaguar receiver go over 100 yards receiving as you were earlier in the season.
It obvious that over the last two games the offensive line is struggling. And it’s not going to be helped by having two of their best having to sit out due to Covid and contact tracing this week. Jacob Shoemaker and Connor Estes will not be playing along with linebacker Quentin Wilfawn.
The running game is struggling, which makes the offense more one-dimensional. Trotter does not have time to let his routes develop. So you’re not seeing Jalen Tolbert or Kawaan Baker with 100+ yards and multiple touchdowns.
A one-dimension approach to the Cajuns probably will not turn out well either.
But while the offense is struggling, the defense has put up some good fights. UAB was the only game that really got out of hand.
Linebacker Riley Cole has really showed why he has earned all the accolades this season. He leads the conference with 72 tackles, 11 more than his nearest competitor who happens to be on the Cajuns defense.
Louisiana-Lafayette Offense
Seniors Elijah Mitchell and Trey Ragas picked right up where they left off last season as a pair of dynamic running backs. They have been joined by reshirt sophomore Chris Smith to make a three-headed beast of running backs. They have rushed for 5, 6, and 3 touchdowns respectively and combined for an average of 194 yards rushing per game.
Quarterback Levi Lewis manages the game well with timely connections through the air to help the offense to average 232 yards per game. With that they average 29.6 points per game.
Louisiana-Lafayette Defense
Napier’s defense loves to apply pressure and cause havoc. The team has 10 interceptions and 30 sacks on the season. That’s almost 1.5 picks and just over 4.25 sacks per game.
Linebacker Lorenzo McCaskill leads the Cajuns with 62 tackles, trailing only Riley Cole in that category in the conference.
If the Cajuns can pin their ears back and go all out for the Jaguar backfield, this could get ugly for the offense.
They allow 23.9 points per game, which is more than the Jags have allowed on average this season at 22.4.
Keys to the Game
Offensive line
The offensive line has got to play better. Allowing 10 sacks over the last two games isn’t good. Going up against a defense that has 30 sacks on the season is a recipe for disaster.
Everything an offense does starts with the offensive line. With coach Campbell being touted as an offensive line guru, some of that really needs to rub off this week if they want to continue to control their destiny in the SBC West.
Turnovers
First off, the Jags need to continue protecting the ball. They are -2 in turnovers, the fumble they lost last week to Coastal Carolina they got right back and in better field position.
They need to cause more turnovers and maybe even help jump start their offense by scoring defensively as well. The defense helped to get the offense with Devin Rockette’s 95 yard interception return for a touchdown against Louisiana-Monroe.
Red Zone Touchdowns
The offense is scoring touchdowns in the red zone only 52% of the time. They are 11-of-21. They are 18-of-21 overall in the red zone when you add the seven field goals they have settled for down there.
I felt like there were times last week when Campbell should have settled for a field goal instead of turning it over on downs. But when you are on the 1 yard line and you bring in your wildcat quarterback to take a snap in the shotgun, you’re basically telling the defense what you’re going to do. Big surprise, it didn’t work when Baker kept it and tried to run up the gut.
Let your quarterback take the snap under center, pick a gap and get that one yard for the touchdown.
Prediction
The Cajuns are a 16 point favorite at home in this game. Though they are 6-1 so far, they have only one game where they won by more than 10 points this season. That was their 31-14 season opening win over #23 Iowa State.
Also the Jags have been quite good against the spread this season.
I don’t think the Jags can get an outright win, but I do think they may cover. However with the unexpected loss of three players due to Covid, it may be more difficult. Also with an over/under of 55.5 points for the game, I’ll also take the under.
Go Jags!
South Alabama Falls 23-6 At Coastal Carolina
South Alabama (3-4, 2-2 Sun Belt Conference) put up a valiant fight against Sun Belt Conference leader Coastal Carolina (7-0, 4-0 SBC) but fell 23-6.
The Jags never led in the game and failed to convert in key situations, particularly in the second half.
USA opened with a three-and-out on their first possession and the Chanticleers seized the opportunity with a 7 play, 72 yard touchdown drive spanning 2:48 to strike first.
The Jags answered with a field goal on an 11 play, 62 yard driving consuming 5:18 off the clock.
Coastal Carolina responded back with another long touchdown drive. Covering 75 yards in 6 plays in just 2:50 was good for the second and final touchdown of the game, going up 14-3 on the Jags.
South Alabama would get on the scoreboard once more with 5:01 left in the first half on a 43-yard Diego Guajardo field goal.
Coach Campbell saw his team trading field goals for touchdowns and decided to roll the dice. Instead of opting for another field goal, they attempted to convert a 4th & 3 at the Chanticleer 32. Desmond Trotter would throw to Trent Tyre on the sideline, but he could not turn and stretch for to move the chains.
That turnover on downs would lead to the Chanticleers adding a field goal with 2:11 left in the opening half.
The Jags would get shut out in the second half but not without one prime scoring opportunity.
Facing 4th and goal at the 1, Kawaan Baker lined up in the wildcat, pretty much telegraphing that he was going to run it, the Chanticleer defense would stop him about a half yard short of paydirt. The drive spanned 17 plays, 68 yards and drained 7:23 off the clock.
Desmond Trotter played the entire game for the second-consecutive game. He went 23-of-31 for 243 yards, but was sacked five times by the Chanticleer defense.
Jalen Tolbert led all receivers with seven catches with 78 yards. Jalen Wayne led the Jags with 91 receiving yards on five catches.
Carlos Davis carried the ball 17 times for 73 yards. Terrion Avery carried four times for 27 yards. Trotter had a net -27 yards with sack yardage figured in.
The offense was a paltry 2-of-14 on 3rd down attempts, but managed to eek out a slight time of possession advantage (30:15 to 29:45).
Grayson McCall was 17 of 24 for 209 yards passing and added 72 yards rushing on eight carries.
Reese White led CCU with 81 yards on nine carries. Shermari Jones added 60 yards on 10 carries with at touchdown.
Jaivon Heiligh caught five passes for 95 yards. CJ Marable caught three passes for 21 yards and the only other touchdown.
Defensively, Riley Cole led the South Alabama defense with 15 total tackles, nine of the were solo and had a fumble recovery.
The defense held the Chanticleers to a mere 3-of-11 on 3rd down. While the Chanticleers were held below their average of 40 points per game coming into this game, they were table to exceed their total yardage average with 445 total yards of offense.
“I thought the defense played extremely hard,” said head coach Steve Campbell after the game. “Offensively I thought we played hard. We just didn’t execute once we got down in the red zone. We have opportunities to score points.”
“You’re not going to beat a good teams kicking field goals and not scoring touchdowns, especially a team that’s averaging 40 points per game.
“After the first two [touchdown] drives, I think we settles down and were able to keep them out of the end zone,” Campbell said. “They’re a very explosive offense. Our defense was able to create some turnovers for us, but offensively we had too many turnovers of our own. We’ve got to do a better job of giving ourselves a chance to win.”
With this game behind them, the Jags can now look ahead to next week’s showdown in Lafayette, LA.
“I told the guys in the locker room that, of the five teams in our division, only one has one conference loss and we play them next week,” Campbell stated. “This next game is for the sole lead of our division. If we can go on the road and beat Louisiana, we’ll own the tiebreaker over them.”
“If we want to see Coastal or App State later in the season in the championship game, we need to take care of business,” he continued. “We still control our own destiny. We need to go on the road and pick up a big win against a very good Louisiana football team.”
The Jags and the Ragin’ Cajuns are set for a 1pm kickoff on Saturday, November 14 in Louisiana.
Preview: South Alabama At Coastal Carolina
Kickoff: Saturday, November 7, 7:00pm
Venue: Brooks Stadium, Conway, South Carolina
TV: ESPNU
Radio: Sports Talk 99.5FM, 96.1 The Rocket, iHeartRadio
The South Alabama Jaguars (3-3, 2-1 Sun Belt) takes on the second leg of their three-game road swing on Saturday night when they face the #15 ranked Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (6-0, 4-0 SBC) in Conway, S.C.
The Jaguars enter the game after suffering their first conference loss of the season on the road at Georgia Southern. The Jags led most of the game but the Eagles took over the game in the fourth quarter and held off the Jags 24-17.
The Chanticleers have been one of the best stories of the season so far. They enter the game undefeated and with the highest ranking ever achieved by a Sun Belt Conference team. But the Jaguars would love to knock off another ranked opponent like they did to San Diego State a few years ago.
Currently the Jags are only 1/2 game behind division leading UL-Lafayette, who they play next weekend. Jaguar head coach Steve Campbell rightly points out that they control their own destiny right now.
Chanticleer Offense
Coastal Carolina ranks 11th in the nation with 40.3 points per game average. Their rushing attack averages 197.8 yards per game, which is good for 25th best in the nation. They have been able to run the ball with ease so far this season.
C.J. Marable leads the rushing attack with 353 yards on 93 carries with five touchdowns. But along with him are three others that are able to carry the ball with him. Reese White has 228 yards on 39 carries with three touchdowns and an average of 5.8 yards per carry, Shermari Jones has 208 yards on 43 carries and two touchdowns, and Grayson McCall has 199 yards on 48 carries with four touchdowns.
The Chanticleer passing attack averages 243.7 yards per game.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Grayson McCall returned to the lineup against Georgia State last week. He has started five games for the Chants going 77-of-111 for 1,184 yards, 15 touchdowns and only 1 interception. Fred Payton has started one game but played in 5 games this season going 17-of-33 for 271 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Jaivon Heiligh is the teams leading receiver with 30 catches for 515 yards and six touchdowns. That is right there with with the Jags top two receivers, Jalen Tolbert and Kawaan Baker.
There are four other receives who have caught double-digit passes on the season, the most prolific of them has caught 17 passes for 133 yards and four touchdowns.
The offensive line has played outstanding for the Chanticleers by only allowing five sacks through six games. That is tied for seventh nationally. They may not be very big, but they play very polished and technically sound.
Coastal Carolina Defense
The “Black Swarm” defense dominated Georgia State last Saturday in their 51-0 rout. They forced two turnovers, three sacks, and six three-and-outs.
So far for the season they are allowing an average of 21.6 points and 345 total yards per game.
The defensive line simply manhandled Georgia State. But, like their offensive counterparts, they are a huge defensive line but they play sound and are able to get after the quarterback.
The defense only allowed 106 total yards to the Panthers, who have had an up and down season so far. But that is some scary numbers for a team playing at home.
The Panthers opened the game with a 31-yard kickoff return. But when they attempted a field goal with 11:00 left in the first quarter, little did they know that they would not snap the ball again in the Chanticleer territory for the rest of the game.
Keys to the Game
Turnovers
The Jags must win the turnover game and hopefully do so with a clear majority. It starts with limiting turnovers on offense, which South Alabama has done pretty well all season. USA has only fumbled five times on the season and lost only three of them combined with only four interceptions.
Defensively the Jags have forced 11 fumbles but only recovered three of them and intercepted two passes.
Overall, that puts the Jags at -2 in turnover margin.
The Chanticleers have fumbled the ball six times and lost three of them while throwing three interceptions. Defensively they have forced 10 fumbles and only recovered three of them but they have intercepted eight passes on the season.
That puts them at +5 in turnover margin.
Offensive line
The Jags offensive line played well against Georgia Southern for about three quarters. But in the fourth quarter the Eagles started pushing the line around. It was evident with the quarterback hurries and sacks late in the game. Desmond Trotter simply had no time to throw the ball.
The Jags will be without right guard Jacob Shoemaker due to a knee injury. Left tackle Wyatt Green was hampered by an injury.
Covid
Two Jaguar defensive linemen will reportedly miss the game following positive test results. Additionally two defensive assistant coaches, two GA’s, some video crew members, and the entire equipment crew are all out due to covid.
This is not the time to be without the services of two defensive linemen, two defensive coaches and two GA’s.
Prediction
There’s a lot that is just not trending well for this game.
Playing the #15 ranked team in the nation, on the road, in a conference game. The Chanticleers rank 11th in the nation in scoring and 25th in the nation in rushing per game. Plus they are coming off of a complete dismantling of Georgia State.
South Alabama had a couple extra days to regroup and prepare after their loss to Georgia Southern.
The Chanticleers are a 17.5 point favorite over the Jags for good reason. Historically USA has not been a very good road team.
I think the Chanticleers will win the game and I think they may actually cover the spread as well.
Go Jags!
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.
South Alabama Closes Out 2019 Season, Ladd-Peebles Stadium Era, With 34-30 Win Over Arkansas State
Jalen Tolbert, Desmond Trotter, and Tra Minter were the three big names in South Alabama’s 34-30 upset of Arkansas State. The much-needed win broke a nine-game losing streak by the Jags.
It also closed out the era of South Alabama Football at Ladd-Peebles Stadium with a win.
Tolbert set a school record with 4 touchdown receptions including the game-winning score with 1:18 left in the game. Tra Minter also made history as he became the first Jaguar to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season.
Arkansas State opened the scoring when Layne Hatcher connected with Brandon Bowling to go up 7-0. The Jags answered with two touchdown passes by Desmond Trotter to Jalen Tolbert of 21 and 29 yards, both in the first quarter, to take a 14-7 lead.
Neither team could score for the remainder of the first half, but the Jags had appeared to have had Tolbert’s 3rd touchdown in the second quarter. However it was all for nothing as the Jags were flagged for an illegal player downfield, then was assessed a penalty for Tolbert flipping the ball at an Arkansas State defender. Then South Alabama head coach Steve Campbell was also hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct flag for arguing with the officials. In all, the Jags were hit with 35 yards of penalties.
Arkansas State opened the second half scoring with a 23 yard field goal with 10:50 left in the third quarter, cutting the Jaguar lead to 14-10.
Minter added a touchdown with 6:03 left in the third quarter, however Diego Guarjardo’s PAT was blocked leaving the Jags with a 20-10 lead.
The nations leading receiver in yards, Omar Bayless, cut the Jags lead to 20-17 on a 10-yard touchdown reception.
Trotter and Tolbert hooked up again on the first play of the fourth quarter for a 31-yard touchdown to put the Jags up 27-17. Hatcher’s 1-yard touchdown run put the Red Wolves within 3 points again with 12:29 left in the game.
As the Jaguars offense sputtered, Arkansas State was able to add field goals of 40 and 20 yards to take a 30-27 lead with 3:51 left in the game.
USA needed big conversions on their go-ahead drive and Tra Minter took the team on his back. Facing a 4th & 8, Trotter threw to Minter in the flat and he worked his magic to pick up 11 yards and to keep drive alive. A few plays later, Minter came up big again when Trotter threw it to him again which he turned into a 17 yard gain an a play that was ruled a run.
Trotter then found Tolbert for the final touchdown and the lead.
The Red Wolves had one more opportunity but a strip sack gave the Jags the ball with a little over a minute left in the game.
Facing 4th & 1 and Arkansas State out of time outs, Campbell had a choice: he could kick the field goal to go up by 7 points, or he could ice the game with a 1st down. Once again they called Minter’s number, and once more he came through gaining just enough to move the chains and allowing the clock to run out.
The Jags rolled up 495 yards of total offense, 216 of them on the ground and 279 through the air. They gained 26 first downs, went 5 of 16 on 3rd downs and converted all four 4th down attempts.
Arkansas State gained 437 yards of offense, 342 through the air and 95 on the ground. The Red Wolves gained 21 first downs, went 8 of 18 on 3rd down, and 0 of 2 on 4th down.
Minter rushed for 106 yards on 21 carries with a touchdown. Trotter added 58 yards on 14 carries.
Trotter was 20-of-31 passing for 279 yards and four touchdowns. Tolbert led the way with 5 catches for 144 yards and 4 touchdowns. Kawaan Baker caught 5 passes for 62 yards.
Jamal Jones led the Red Wolves rushing with 61 yards on 16 carries.
Hatcher was 23-of-38 passing with 342 yards and two touchdowns. Kirk Merritt led the Red Wolves with 9 catches for 121 yards. Bayless gained 98 yards on four catches with a touchdown.
“I’m very proud of the way our guys played tonight,” coach Campbell said after the game. “I think we played complimentary football tonight; all three phases played about as well as we’ve played all year.”
“It means a lot, because you want to get the win for the players,” Campbell said. “You want them to know what you’re telling them is right and that they believe that. We tell them to keep chopping wood and sooner or later it’s going to turn.”
The Jags finish the season with a 2-10 record overall and a 1-7 record in Sun Belt Conference play, the worst record since the Jags FBS transitional season in 2012. The coaching staff will turn their full attention to recruiting with the early signing period beginning on December 18.
With the win, Campbell’s record is now 5-19 in two full seasons.
South Alabama Closes Out Regular Season And Ladd-Peebles Stadium Against Arkansas State
South Alabama will close out one era in Jaguar football on Friday when the scoreboard clock finally hits :00.
The Jags program began there in 2009 with their historic win over Hargrave Military Academy. They won their first 19 games played in the stadium. They didn’t lose their first home game until the final game of the 2011 season to Cal Poly.
With Hancock Whitney Stadium taking shape on campus and on target to be ready for the Jags first home game of the 2020 season, a new era of South Alabama football will begin. As much negativity that has been directed at Ladd-Peebles stadium since 2009, without the stadium it’s unknown if the football program would have started when it did. The current price tag on “The ‘cock” is $75 million and it wasn’t until 2019 for the school to put together the plan to fund it. If they had to build a stadium to start football in, would we have FBS football today? Would we be the fastest program to go from inception to playing in a bowl game in modern football history?
With the rich Jaguar history in the stadium like the first win, the first win against an FBS team (Florida International), clinching their first bowl berth (Texas State), and defeating their first ranked opponent (San Diego State) it will be a little bittersweet bidding goodbye to Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
As strong as the Jags started when playing in the stadium, the team has struggled over the last couple of season. Amassing a 4-19 record so far over the last two seasons including a program-record nine-game losing streak this season.
The team would like to do nothing more than to close out the Ladd-Peebles era the way the team started it: with a win.
Their opportunity will come against a perineal power in the Sun Belt Conference. Arkansas State has reached bowl-eligible status for their ninth consecutive season despite a few years of one-and-done coaches. Hugh Freeze, Gus Malzahn, and Bryan Harsin all spent one season with the Red Wolves and getting to a bowl game before departing for another job. Blake Anderson is in his 6th season as the Red Wolves head coach and earning a bowl bid in each of his previous 5 seasons but only winning one of them so far (2016 against UCF).
But this season is much different for Anderson.
If you’re a religious viewer of ESPN College Gameday, you probably watched the segment about Anderson, his team, and the loss of his wife to cancer. If you didn’t see it, I highly recommend watching it.
So to say the Red Wolves are also motivated would be an understatement.
The Red Wolves enter the game with a 7-4 overall record (5-2 in conference play). They have played some wild games too. A 50-43 shootout against Troy and 48-41 one against ULM, a nail-biting 28-27 win over Coastal Carolina, and holding on to a 38-33 win over Georgia Southern. But they’ve had a 55-0 spanking at national power Georgia, and a 52-38 loss to Georgia State.
But in each of their games they have played fearlessly and confidently. They rank second in the conference in passing offense with over 300 yards per game. Omar Bayless leads the country in receiving yards and touchdowns (1,375 and 15) with 85 catches. They average 34 points per game and over 430 yards of total offense per game.
But their defense ranks 9th (out of 10) in Total Defense by allowing 480 yards per game. And staying consistent, they are also 9th in both passing and rushing defense. However, their red zone defense is 2nd in the conference (behind Louisiana-Lafayette) with 78%.
The Jags are dead last in scoring offense (edging out Texas State) with a mere 17 points per game average. They are also last in total offense with 315.3 yards per game average and last place in 3rd down conversions at 30.5%. Finally they are -5 in turnover margin, placing them 9th among Sun Belt teams.
While you can taut their 4th place scoring defense, they still allow 30.7 points per game. Their defensive stats are roughly middle of the pack across the board.
The Jags had played spirited football over the previous two weeks before the loss at Georgia State on Saturday. A missed field goal at Texas State then the inability to get defensive stops against Louisiana-Lafayette late in the game both ended in losses but with scores of 28 and 27 points respectively. But seemingly regressed against Georgia State, as they only managed 3 points prior to two garbage time touchdowns against defensive reserves.
South Alabama will look to get back on track with behind Desmond Trotter at quarterback running the RPO scheme with Tra Minter and Carlos Davis powering the running game.
The Jaguar defense will have to clamp down on Bayless and the rest of the Red Wolves passing game, which is their bread and butter. With a secondary that is expected to be without Jalen Thompson and has allowed a number of 3rd and long conversions all season long, that will be a tall order.
Arkansas State enters the game as an 11 point favorite. Last week I thought the Jags would win outright against Georgia State. I was quite positive. This week I feel very pessimistic. I feel Arkansas State is going to win and cover to close out South Alabama’s history at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
Prove me wrong Jags!
The Jags (1-10, 0-7 SBC) and the Red Wolves are scheduled to kick off at 4pm at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on Friday, November 29th. Pregame radio coverage starts at 2pm on 99.5 FM The Jag and 96.1 FM both locally in Mobile as well as world wide on iHeartMedia app. The game can be streamed on ESPN+.