Your 2020 South Alabama Jaguar Preview
After last season, the Jags can’t get much lower can they? A 2-10 season with their only win over a FBS and conference foe coming in the season finale That one win kept the Jags from having their first winless conference record in program history.
But the final four games of the season looked different from the first eight. Was the team finally starting to click, was it Desmond Trotter leading an offensive attack that could move the ball and score a few more points? Or was it something else?
Well, the 2020 season will tell and, despite Covid, it could be a make or break season for head coach Steve Campbell and his staff.
Offensively, South Alabama returns quite a bit of talent from 2019. Seven of the top 8 receivers are back as well as an experienced offensive line with 42 combined starts. Desmond Trotter is back at quarterback, who started the final four games of the season and saw a boost in offensive production. Trotter has some competition with Chance Lovertich transferring in from the junior college ranks after a juco national championship. Running back has some big question marks as they need to fill Tre Minter’s production.
Defensively the Jags have many question marks. In 2019 the defense made some huge gains statistically, but they didn’t reflect on the win-loss record. Defensive line lost a ton of experience as well as cornerback. The linebacker corps was razor thin at times but managed to make it through the season. The talent loss on the line will put pressure on the linebacker corps to control the run until the defensive line gels and gets their feet under them.
Not much has changed in special teams. Jack Brooks, the Aussie, will handle the punting and it’ll probably be kick-by-committee for field goals unless someone steps up as consistent in short, intermediate and long range field goals. Diego Guarjardo will most likely handle kickoffs as he tends to have the stronger leg. The video of the botched PAT attempt against Memphis has been watched by millions and really was the tone for the 2019 season. After that debacle the Jags will most likely utilize a backup quarterback as holder on field goal and pat attempts, which should help avoid a repeat of the 2019 incident.
Here’s the position group breakdowns.
Offensive line
The Jags only lost three letterwinners from last year and return 10 letterwinners of which three started all 12 games. They return four either redshirts or returning student-athletes.
In the offseason, the Jags brought in nine new faces and only one of them from the junior college ranks with the rest coming in as true freshmen.
Brian Ankerson is the anchor of the unit playing at center. He has the longest active starting streak on the team with 24 consecutive games. Hadon Merchant has started 22 of this 23 appearances in the last two seasons.
These two will be looked at as leaders of the unit.
Jacob Shoemaker, who was an honorable mention to the all-Sun Belt Conference team his first season with the Jags will move from his tackle position to guard.
Last years team allowed too many sacks and had a hard time blocking for the run game. For the 2020 team to have more success, those are two areas they must improve over last year.
Quarterbacks
The Jags return Desmond Trotter, who took over the starting position mid-season and never looked back. Cephus Johnson, who started the first eight games of the season, transfered out after the season.
Tylan Morton and Tanner McGee also return from last season.
Chance Lovertich was brought in from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College as well as true freshmen Elijah Gainey and Brian Garcia.
Trotter appeared in eight games, starting the final four of the season. He led the team with eight touchdowns, tied a school record with four touchdown passes in the season-finale win over Arkansas State. He also had a career-high 337 yards of total offense in the game.
Lovertich brings some juco success to the table. He was named the second-team NJCAA All-American, first-team all-MACJC and the South Division’s Most Valuable Offensive Back after helping MGCCC to the national championship with a 12-0 record his sophomore year.
Morton played in the first four games before sitting out the rest of the season to preserve a redshirt. McGee sat out the entire season to redshirt.
Gainey is a three-star prospect per 247sports but sat our his senior season after suffering a knee injury. He started the previous two seasons.
Trotter has been challenged by Lovertich for the starting spot, but coach Campbell expects Trotter to be the starter in the season opener against Southern Miss. Expect Lovertich to get some playing time, but didn’t get any spring practice to get experience in the program.
To start, the quarterback position must protect the ball and make good decisions. Between Johnson, Trotter and Morton they threw 11 interceptions but only 14 touchdowns while completing only 52.8% of their combined passing attempts.
Running backs
USA returns four letterwinners from last season while losing two.
The biggest loss is by far Tra Minter who rushed for over 1,000 yards last season, the first in program history. Minter also became only the second All-American in program history and the only first-team all-Sun Belt Conference selection.
In addition to the four letterwinners, they also return two redshirt freshmen and a juco.
Carlos Davis led the four sophomores on the team wiht a career best 122 yards on 10 carries against SBC West Division winner Louisiana-Lafayette.
The coaching staff will look to fill Minter’s role with a running back by committee until they have someone step up as ‘the guy.’ The coaches also look at the sophomores to have three years of experience in the offensive scheme and make contributions.
The coaching staff think they have a good mix in the backfield with power, speed, and pass catchers.
The Jags not only need to find their bonafied starter, but they also need backs that can come in, produce, and keep the defense respecting the position.
Wide receivers
The Jags return the two top receivers from the 2019 season. Kawaan Baker led the team with 35 catches, 574 yards, and yards per game (47.8) while Jalen Tolbert led the team with 6 touchdown catches, four of them in the season finale win over Arkansas State.
Davyn Flenord is changing positions this season, last year he caught 14 passes for 127 yards. Tre’Veon Hamilton caught 3 passes for 43 yards also left the program.
Two freshmen redshirted last season and two juniors return from last years squad. The coaching staff also brought in seven true freshmen.
Baker, who is on the Reese’s Senior Bowl Top 250 list, is the leader of the receiver corps but was also used in the running game with jet sweeps and special teams situations. He logged 82 yards rushing and 35 yards in kick returns for 692 all-purpose yards, finishing second on the team in that category.
Tolbert established himself as a receiver to watch against Arkansas State when he caught 5 passes for 144 yards and four touchdowns. His effort was rewarded with an honorable mention National Performer-of-the-Week accolade from the College Football Performance Awards and was College Sports Madness’ Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week against the Redwolves.
The coaching staff feels that they have good depth and with Baker, Tolbert and Jalen Wayne they have a trio of veterans with three years of experience in the program.
Tight ends
Only one letterwinner returns for the 2020 season. Brandon Crum played in all 12 games with six receptions for 65 yards. One reshirted freshmen and two sophomores return this season and the coaching staff brought in a juco and three freshmen. Only two returning players were active last season.
Leaving the program were Zac Crosby, Khameron Taylor and Nick Thompson. They combined for five receptions, 61 yards and the only touchdown from the tight end position (Taylor).
The tight end position is utilized much differently under coach Campbell and it couldn’t have been more obviously last season with only 11 receptions and one touchdown from the group. If the Jags throw to a tight end, it’s more to catch the defense off-guard rather than as a regular threat.
Crum is the de-facto veteran of the group as a sophomore. Meyers, the only other player of the group that was active last year was put on scholarship during fall camp this year.
Trent Tyre brings some much needed experience from the juco ranks.
Cameron Hatcher-Owens is moving from the defensive line to offense this season.
Defensive line
The defensive line lost a lot from last season. Only four letterwinners return from the 2019 squad in Gi’Narious Johnson, Jeremiah Littles, Maurice Strong and Charles Coleman III. Strong had the most tackles among the returning players with 15.
Gone are Jordon Beaton, Sean Brown, Rocel McWilliams, Tyree Turner, and Jeffery Whatley. Four of the five were all-Sun Belt Conference performers during their careers.
Of the additional returning players, two of them are redshirt freshmen. The coaching staff added three juco players and two true freshmen.
The defensive line has a core trio of Johnson (jr), Littles (Sr) and Strong (So) to build around with Jamie Sheriff and Markes Johnson to add some more experience from the Juco level. THen add in a pair of all-state and all-region prep stars and the coaches have something to work with.
Inside Linebackers
Defensive coordinator Greg Stewart returns four letterwinners from last year and only lost one Kade Koler.
Only two other players return at the position, a sophomore and a freshman.
The staff brought in a juco and two true freshmen.
Cole is receiving all the pre-season hype with a second-team all-Sun Belt Conference selection by Phil Steele, a third-team all-League by Athlon over the summer, and the other Jaguar in the Reese’s Senior Bowl Top 250.
Cole has played outside linebacker the last two seasons, but will be moving back to inside for the fall.
Nick Mobley led the team in total tackles with 91, which ranked him in the top 10 for the conference and top 90 in the nation per game.
Roy Yancey returned last year after redshirting in the 2018 season due to an injury. Yancey started six games and appeared in all 12 games.
Stewart feels he has the depth he needs for the first time in his time at USA.
Outside Linebackers
Four letterwinners return in AJ DeShazor, Chris Henderson, Shawn Jennings, and Kelvin Johnson. The two letterwinners lost from last season: Khalil McDonald and Taji Stewart.
Two freshmen reshirted last season also returns for the fall. The coaching staff added Zach Jones as a freshman, Zivaiishe Smith a sopohomore from Juco, and Christian Bell a senior transfer from Wisconsin.
DeShazor had his named called often last season, he was third on the team in total tackles while starting all 12 games.
Johnson finished in the top five it total tackles last season, but he primarily played inside he is making the move to outside for 2020.
Bell appeared in 24 games over three years for Wisconsin, he was a four-star recruit by ESPN coming out of Hoover.
Chris Henderson and Christian Bell are expected to be two of the main leaders of the outside linebacker corps. DeShazor and Doug Sullivan are expected to make some big contributions as well though.
Cornerbacks
The cornerback position had some big losses from last year too. Gone are Travis Reed, Jalen Thompson, and Gus Nave, some names you heard quite a lot last season. Also gone are Jay Woods and Tyrone Leggette.
Returning letterwinners are Devin Rockette, Ryan Melton, Jaden Voisin and Davyn Flenord (moving over from receiver). Also returning is Dallas Gamble who redshirted.
The coaching staff brought in two juco transfers and one true freshman.
Thompson graduated with the career leader in interceptions (9) and INT’s return for touchdowns (2). Reed’s 41 total stops and three tackles for loss led the cornerback group last season as he earned second-team all-Sun Belt honors.
Rockette returns with the second-most pass break ups last season, including a pair of fumble recoveries and an interception.
Darrell Luter Jr was a three-star juco recruit and rated among the top 40 cornerbacks in the nation, selected to the second-team all-Mississippi ACJC.
The coaching staff is hoping that youth, eagerness and willingness to learn will be enough to replace the experience lost from last season. Rockette returns the most reps and will be one to help set an example to the new faces.
Safeties
Gone are DJ Daniels and Sterrling Fisher but returning are Keith Gallmon, Tre Young and Keon Voisin. Also returning are Kwameh Lewis (sr) and Nic Brunkosky (r-fr).
The coaching staff brought in three players, two juco and one senior transfer.
Gallmon earned preseason third-team all-Sun Belt Conference from Athlon and a fourth-team preseason all-league by Phil Steele. He started all 12 games with 59 total tackles, 43 of them solo and two tackles for loss.
DJ Exilhomme was a second-team all-Northeast Conference selection after recording 72 total tackles, three tackles for loss, five passes broken up, three fumble recoveries, an interception and a blocked kick.
CJ Thompson was the top juco recruit in Oklahoma and the 15th rated safety in the country by 247 sports. He was named second-team NJCAA All-American and second-team all-Southwest Junior College Football Conference.
Gallmon returns the most starting experience on the team at the position and has emerged as a leader among the safeties. Add in the other safeties who have played snaps for the Jags and some juco experience and the staff feel pretty good about this squad.
Special teams
All the letterwinners and the lone redshirt return to the team with the addition of Cooper Charlton as an incoming freshman.
Brooks is a fourth-team all-Sun Belt Conference selection by Athlon sports. As a freshmen his punting average was sixth in the conference and in the top 60 in the country.
Frankie Onate led the team in scoring and Guajardo was the first kicker to record double-digit touchbacks in a season since 2014 and Aleem Sunanon.
Kawaan Baker will be continue to be on kickoff return coverage and Jalen Tolbert will replace Tre Minter as the other kickoff returner. Tolbert and Jalen Wayne will be the competing for the primary punt return position this fall.
Coaches have had the student-athletes kicking more balls than previously. Guajardo has working on his kickoffs for consistency and Brooks has been working on more consistent punting. Both were freshmen last season and Brooks was only on campus a few weeks before the season started, so with a season under their belts they should be ready come game time.
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+.
Claws Out: South Alabama Travels To Georgia State For Final Road Game Of Season
The South Alabama Jaguar football team (1-9, 0-6 SBC) plays in their final road game of the 2019 season on Saturday when they take on the Georgia State Panthers (6-4, 3-3 SBC) in Atlanta.
Of the two remaining games of the season, this game may be the more likely of the two for the Jags to not only get their first FBS win of the season, but also break a 14-game road losing streak dating back to the 2017 season.
Over the last two games the Jaguar offense has shown signs of life behind the direction of redshirt freshman Desmond Trotter. The team missed a go-ahead field goal against Texas State in the final two minutes of the game. Then against Louisiana-Lafayette, who had the top scoring defense in the conference, the Jags rolled up 351 yards rushing and 27 points.
Tra Minter has been a workhorse all season long but with the emergence of Carlos Davis, the Jags rushing attack has found someone to compliment Tra and to build around going forward.
With Georgia State’s defense allowing over 200 yards rushing per game, offensive coordinator Kenny Edenfield will look for a repeat performance in rushing production from the ULL game.
But the Jaguar offense cannot be one-dimentional.
Trotter will eventually need to throw the ball effectively. Though he’s only made two starts in his career in college, he has yet to pass for 200 yards or more. Last weekend against ULL, he only attempted 15 passes and only had 2 passing yards at halftime.
While the offense has started finding it’s way, the defense has regressed. They allowed 373 yards passing to Texas State two weeks ago and then 255 yards rushing to ULL last weekend. But all season the defense has struggled getting off the field on 3rd down but have allowed a number of 3rd and longs to be converted lately.
The Jaguar defense will face a quarterback who was committed to head coach Steve Campbell’s staff at Central Arkansas, he didn’t follow him along to Mobile when Campbell was hired. Instead he chose to go with the Panthers.
Dan Ellington has completed 64% of his passes for 1,901 yards, 19 touchdowns and six interceptions on the year.
But that’s not the most remarkable note about Ellington. Despite suffering a torn ACL, he started against Appalachian State and is listed as probable against the Jaguars. Though the Panthers lost 56-27, they held a 21-7 lead early in the game.
Part of Ellington’s danger is his ability to run, which has been neutralized by his injury. How much mobility he has will be see on Saturday.
Expect the Jaguar defense to turn up the pressure if he mobility is limited. Last week against App. State, Ellington threw two interceptions and eventually gave way to redshirt freshman Cornelious Brown in the second half when App State started taking control of the game.
The Jags will be without defensive lineman Tyree Turner and tight end Khameron Taylor. Offensive lineman Joshua McCulloch is questionable to play. Defensive lineman Jordon Beaton is listed as probable.
If the Jags are going to get an FBS win this season, this may be their best opportunity of the two remaining games. Between an injured starting quarterback and an inexperienced backup, coupled with a defense that allows over 200 yards per game rushing, the numbers game sure looks good for USA.
The Panthers are favored by 10 points. Not only do I think the Jags will cover, but I think they will win outright.
The Jags and the Panthers are scheduled to kickoff at 1pm in Atlanta at Georgia State Stadium. The game can be streamed on ESPN+ and radio coverage will begin at 11am on 99.5 FM The Jag and 96.1 FM in Mobile and worldwide on the iHeartMedia app.
Go Jags!
South Alabama Loses Eighth Straight, Falls 37-27 To Ragin’ Cajuns
The Jaguars dropped their eighth consecutive game to fall to 1-9 on the season, 37-27 to Louisiana-Lafayette at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, despite rushing for 351 yards against Sun Belt Conference western division leader Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday.
The Jags only win so far is against FCS Jackson State.
Despite the 352 yards rushing and 468 total yards of offense and the defense holding the Ragin’ Cajuns to 391 yards of offense, the Jags lost by 10 points and were down 16 points after holding at 21-17 lead with about nine minutes left in the 3rd quarter.
But the Jags then allowed the Cajuns to score 20 straight points to take a 37-21 lead with 4:12 left in the game. The big momentum shift happened when Mobile native Eric Garror returned a punt 72 yards to the Jaguar 4 yard line. Though the defense kept them out of the end zone, it did lead to the go-ahead field goal and a noticable shift on the Cajun sideline.
The Jags kept fighting and tried to make it a one-score game when Tra Minter dove in at the pylon for an 11-yard touchdown with 2:48 left in the game. The Jags had to go for the 2-point conversion, but what seemed like a missed assignment on offense, Desmond Trotter’s pass was tipped away in heavy traffic to leave the Jags trailing by two scores at 37-27.
The Jags then attempted an onside kick, which they appeared to recover however the ball hit a Jaguar players foot prior to traveling the required 10 yards thus the illegal touching gave the Cajuns the ball at the point it was touched.
Head coach Steve Campbell used two of the Jags three time outs after the Cajuns first two offensive snaps to preserve time, however he kept the final time out in his pocket as the Cajuns faced 4th and long allowing 40 seconds to run off the clock before coach Napier called a time out to pull the offense off the field and send on the punt unit.
The Cajuns then punted away from Tra Minter, he sprinted in an attempt to get under the ball and narrowly missed it hitting him. The Cajuns were able to down the ball at the Jaguars own 3 yard line with 1:41 left in the game.
As the Jags were trying to move out of the shadow of their end zone and get a quick score to possibly attempt another onside kick, the Jags were suddenly plagued by holding penalties. Desmond Trotter gave the Jags a big 25 yard run and a first down at the 44 yard line, it was then when Campbell finally used his final time out with a mere :08 left on the clock. Trotter connected with Jalen Tolbert for a 14 yard gain to the Cajun 42 before getting out of bounds with :02 left.
The game would end on a sack of Trotter however as the Jaguar offensive line crumbled under the Cajuns defensive pressure.
The first half was a back and forth affair after the Cajuns opened the scoring with a field goal. The Jags answered right back behind a 20 yard touchdown by Carlos Davis. The drive was extended after a roughing the passer call on 3rd & 3 gave the Jags a first down when they would have been facing 4th down.
The score would remain 7-3 until early in the second quarter when Cajun quarterback Levi Lewis connected with Neal Johnson for a 9 yard touchdown making it 10-7.
But again, the Jags responded with another drive of their own. This drive saw one of the cajuns best defender get ejected for targeting and it was capped off by a 4 yard touchdown by Jared Wilson giving the Jags a 14-10 advantage.
Not to be outdone, the Cajus returned the ensuing kickoff 60 yards to the Jaguar 36 yard line before being forced out of bounds. A few plays later, facing 2nd and goal at the 1 yard line, Levi Lewis connected with a wide open Hunter Bergeron in the back corner of the end zone to take a 17-14 lead with 7:30 left in the half.
The Jags had an opportunity to tie the game late in the second quarter but Frankie Onate’s 43 yard attempt was partially blocked.
The Jags rushed for 351 yards on 50 rushing attempts in the game. After going into halftime with only 2 yards passing, the Jags ended the game with 116 yards for a total offensive output of 467 yards.
The Jags had 23 first downs in the game, were only 3 of 10 on 3rd down attempts, and were only led in time of possesion by two seconds: 29:58 to 30:02.
The Cajuns had 391 yards of total offense, 255 of them came on the ground with 136 through the air. They had 23 first downs in the game as well and were 5 of 14 on 3rd down.
Tra Minter lead all rushers with 137 yards on 22 carries with a touchdown. Carlos Davis added 122 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown. Desmond Trotter carried the ball 12 times for 64 yards.
Cade Sutherland led the Jags with 3 catches for 64 yards. Five other Jags all caught one pass each.
Desmond Trotter was 8-of-15 for 116 yards and sacked twice.
The Cajuns were led by Elija Mitchell who ran for 117 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Raymond Calais added 77 on 13 carries and Trey Ragas had 52 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
Levi Lewis went 16 of 29 for 136 yards and two touchdown and was sacked just once.
Jamal Bell led the Cajuns with 3 catches for 51 yards. Three other Cajuns caught three passes but Neal Johnson was the only one of them to catch a touchdown pass.
“I thought the guys played extremely hard; I thought they gave a really good effort against the No. 1 scoring defense in our league,” South Alabama coach Steve Campbell said. “…There were a couple of plays I wish we could have back, (including) that punt. We knew their guy doesn’t like to fair catch and we worked on it. I wish I could have that one back, and re-emphasize some things there. … Our defense I thought played really good red zone against three of the best backs in the league. We held them to field goals down there.”
The Jags will travel to Georgia State to face the Panthers on Saturday, November 23rd for a 1pm kickoff in Atlanta. The Panthers will enter the game after a 56-27 loss to Appalachian State.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+. Pregame radio coverage and play-by-play will start at 11am and can be heard on 99.5 FM The Jag and 96.1 FM locally in Mobile and through the iHeartMedia app worldwide.
South Alabama Hosts SBC Western Division Leader Louisiana-Lafayette Saturday
South Alabama returns home for one of their final two home games this season and expected to be the final two games hosted at Ladd-Peebles Stadium as the schools new on-campus stadium is on schedule to open in 2020.
After their heartbreaking loss to Texas State last Saturday, the Jags (1-8 overall, 0-5 SBC) continue to search for their first FBS win of the 2019 season. Their opponent this week is Sun Belt Conference Western Division leader Louisiana-Lafayette (7-2 overall, 4-1 SBC).
However head coach Steve Campbell continues to like the way his team has responded and believes that they will eventually turn the corner. “Regardless of circumstance or whatever, just keep grinding and keep chopping wood because I know we’re going to get there,” Campbell said. “We’ve got really good young men on this football team, there’s good talent on this team.”
The Ragin’ Cajuns lead the conference in scoring offense (38.3 points per game) and scoring defense (17.1 points per game). The Cajun defense has only allowed 10 total points over the last two games and have allowed 14 or fewer points in 4-of-9 games this season.
Riding on that defense, the Cajuns have risen to #39 in the ESPN Power Index, four spots ahead of Appalachian State (#43).
Running backs Elija Mitchell and Trey Ragas have combined for 1,374 yards and 20 touchdowns this season. Then quarterback Levi Lewis had a break-out game going 26-of-30 for 296 yards and three touchdowns in their dominating win over Coastal-Carolina.
Cajun head coach Billy Napier, not wanting to overlook any opponent, has kept his team focused over their bye week heading into the game. He even spoke about how the team watched the New Orleans Saints lose to the Atlanta Falcons despite their quite opposite records (7-1 Saints, 1-7 Falcons) and discussed how they have to bring their best each and every game.
Meanwhile the Jags, behind redshirt freshman Desmond Trotter at quarterback, showed a semblance of life with 348 yards of total offense, 184 rushing yards and 164 passing yards. They even converted 6-of-14 3rd down attempts.
Offensive coordinator Kenny Edenfield praised Trotter for managing the game well and helping get the team into the right plays. They’ll probably look to continue that against the Cajuns.
Defensively, the Jags allowed a number of 3rd-and-long to be converted by Texas State. A frustrating amount of them, including a 3rd & 20 situation where they completed a pass for 27 yards.
The Jags defense will face a Cajun offensive line who are among the best in the conference. They lead the way for the two running backs, Mitchell and Ragas as well as quarterback Lewis. They also mix in different formations and personnel to try to get matchups they like and to make the defense stay honest and play fundamentally sound.
If the Jags can limit the Cajuns explosive plays and make tackles, that will go a long way towards the Jags keeping the game close.
The Cajuns come in a 28.5 point favorite over the Jags and are 8-1 against the spread. While I don’t think the Jags will win outright, I think the Jags will cover the spread and it may only be because the Cajuns look to stay healthy for their stretch run to the inaugural Sun Belt Conference Championship game.
The Jags and the Cajuns kickoff at 4pm at Ladd-Peebles Stadium on Saturday, November 16th. Pregame and play-by-play coverage can be heard locally in Mobile on 99.5 FM The Jag, 96.1 FM or via the iHeartMedia app worldwide. The game can be viewed on ESPN+.
Go Jags!
South Alabama Drops Heartbreaker At Texas State 30-28
South Alabama played a spirited game behind Desmond Trotter’s first career start against Texas State, but the potential game-winning field goal attempt would slip just outside the left upright by the slimmest of margins sending the Jaguars home with their seventh consecutive loss of the season.
The Jags opened the game with a mental mistake when Tra Minter ran up to field the kickoff near the sideline at the 5 yard line, but his momentum took him out of bounds. After only managing three yards, the Jags punted giving Texas State great field position at the midfield stripe.
The Jaguar defense bent but did not break as the Bobcats scored first with a field goal.
Later in the first quarter, after the Jaguar defense held on a three-and-out, the Jaguar offense started at their own 23 yard line and behind Carlos Davis and Tra Minter the Jags drove 77 yards in nine plays for a touchdown making it 7-3.
Texas State would get a field goal early in the second quarter to shrink the Jags lead to 7-6. Later in the quarter, the Bobcats would put together a 92 yard, 8 play drive to take a 13-7 lead aided by a face mask penalty on 3rd & 6 deep in Bobcat territory. Three plays later Tyler Vitt connected with Javen Banks for a 40 yard touchdown.
The Jags answered right back with a drive of their own that started with an 8 yard run by Carlos Davis and highlighted by an amazing one-handed catch down the right sideline by Tre’Veon Hamilton for 33 yards. Trotter would find Davyn Flenord on a seam route for a 22 yard touchdown pass to take a 14-13 lead that would hold up going into the locker room at halftime.
Texas State would take the opening possession of the second half to the end zone on a 75 yard, 6 play drive. The scoring play was on a play action pass when Vitt connected with Graham for a 38 yard touchdown making the score 20-14 with only 2:36 off the clock.
USA would answer back on the ensuing possession. Trotter would open the drive with a 12 yard slant pass to Jalen Tolbert to get the offense in gear. Trotter would find Jalen Wayne for an 8 yard touchdown. After a roughing the kicker and an offsides penalty, Frankie Onate would finally put the kick through the uprights and make the score 21-20.
Not to be outdone, the Bobcats would take their next possession of the ball and drive back down for a touchdown, capped off by an 17 yard slant pass to Graham making it 27-21 for the Bobcats.
After a three and out, Texas State opened their drive with a 40 yard pass from Vitt to Hutch White, but the Jaguar defense stiffened and forced a 44 yard field goal attempt that hit the right upright no good.
The Jags took over possession at their own 28 and pieced togehter a 73 yard, 12 play drive using 5:40 off the clock and culminating in a 6 yard touchdown run by Tra Minter. The Jags then held a 28-27 lead with 9:44 left in the game.
Texas State take the kickoff from the 5 yard line and return it 60 yards to the Jaguar 35 yard line. After only managing 21 yards on 7 plays, they settle for a 41 yard field goal to take a 30-27 lead over the Jags.
USA got the ball back and quickly was facing 4th & 1, but the run by Tra Minter went nowhere and gave the ball back to Texas State at the USA 33.
The Jags were looking to hold them to a field goal at worst to keep it a one score game. Facing 4th & 12 after a four yard loss on third down, Head coach Jake Spivital decided to punt the ball and try to make the Jags drive a long field to get into a game-winning field goal position.
However the snap to the punter was bobbled and the Jags recovered at the Bobcat 30 yard line setting up the Jags in excellent position to run the clock down and win the game with a field goal.
But as Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast…” the Jags set up for a 28 yard field goal and Frankie Onate’s kick just stayed left of the upright and missed.
Redshirt freshman Desmond Trotter finished 13 of 17 for 164 yards and two touchdowns in his first career start. Kawaan Baker led the receiving corps with four catches for 34 yards.
Tra Minter led the team rushing with 21 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown. Carlos Davis added 63 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown. Trotter carried the ball 12 times for 34 yards as well.
Tyler Vitter wen 23 for 33 for 373 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Vitt led the Bobcats rushing with 42 yards on 11 carries. Anthony Taylor carried 11 times for 27 yards.
Hutch White led all receivers with 10 catches for 165 yards. Javen Banks had 4 catches for 63 yards and a touchdown. Calvin Hill also had four catches for 61 yards. Graham had two catches for 55 yards and both were touchdowns.
South Alabama will host Louisiana-Lafayette at Ladd-Peebles Stadium with kickoff scheduled for 4pm.
South Alabama Begins Final Four Game Stretch At Texas State
South Alabama (1-7, 0-4 SBC) begins their run of four game to close out the 2019 season with a trip to San Marcos, Texas to face the Texas State Bobcats (2-6, 1-3 SBC) in what may be the Jaguars best chance to add their first FBS win of the season.
Last time out on the gridiron, the Jags fell 30-3 to Appalachian State and secured a losing record. Despite keeping the game close for most of the game, the most concerning aspect of the game was how futile the offense seemed to be for most of the game. Through the first 19 offensive play, the Jags amassed only 2 yards of total offense. By halftime, the Jags only had 43 yards of total offense.
The Jags put together a very good game plan to open the season against Nebraska with the best offensive showing in any of the six FBS games they have played this season (excluding their 37-14 win against FCS Jackson State). But they had all of preseason camp and the normal game-week preparation time to gear up for a good showing against a Power-5 school.
With two weeks to prepare, can the Jags put together another good game plan to face Texas State?
When head coach Steve Campbell spoke to the media on Monday, he said that they worked problem areas such as third down, red zone, and two minute drills. He also confirmed that quarterback Cephus Johnson has been playing on a bad ankle since the Georgia Southern game and it has limited his mobility. It was very apparent against Appalachian State as he kept few, if any, carries in the RPO game which limits its effectiveness. The offense picked up once Desmond Trotter came into the game in the third quarter.
Coach Campbell also indicated that they have made changes at other positions and also indicated the quarterback position was not off limits to potential changes. While it may be Trotter who could be the main recipient of expanded playing time, especially if Johnson’s ankle continues to hamper his ability. But with the new redshirt rule for freshmen, it will benefit Tanner McGee as he can play in all four of the remaining games without losing his redshirt.
Ultimately the offensive strategy and execution has not been successful on the field. Out of the 130 FBS teams in the country, the Jags rank 125th in total offense, 123rd in passing offense, 84th in rushing offense, 127th in 3rd down percentage and 128th in scoring offense.
Defensively the Jags will need to play assignment football. The Bobcats have a handful of plays that they run throughout the game and they take advantage of defenses when they line up wrong or miss assignments.
Last season the Jags defeated the Bobcats in Mobile 41-31. Both teams finished 3-9 that season. Similar to last season, both teams are desperate for a win. This time it’s in San Marcos and it’s the Bobcat’s homecoming game. Texas State is a 7.5 point favorite in the game.
I think the Jags will cover the spread and in fact I think they will win outright and spoil the Bobcats homecoming.
The game is set for a 2pm kickoff at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos, Texas. It can be streamed on ESPN+ and the radio broadcast can be heard on 99.5 FM locally in Mobile and on the iHeartMedia app worldwide starting at 12pm with pregame coverage.
Go Jags!
Jaguar Offense Flounders In 30-3 Loss To Appalachian State
The South Alabama Jaguars dropped their sixth consecutive game of the season to #21 ranked Appalachian State 30-3 to fall to 1-7 (0-4 SBC) on the season. This was also the second consecutive homecoming loss for the Jags, dropping their record to 9-2 all-time in homecoming games.
When you think the offense has hit rock bottom and can only get better, the Jags only mustered 23 total yards of offense in the first half and didn’t cross the 50 yard line until the second half. They had 2 total yards on 19 plays in their first six possessions of the game with only one first down coming by way of a roughing the kicker penalty.
Their first offensive first down came in the final minute of the first half.
The Jags went into halftime with a 13-0 deficit.
Midway through the third quarter the Mountaineers added to their lead on a three yard touchdown run by Williams Jr. He set up the score with runs of 20 and 35 yards on the drive.
After going down 20-0 midway through the third quarter, the Jags coaching staff decided to pull Cephus Johnson in favor of Desmond Trotter after the Johnson-led offense only had 35 yards of offense on 29 snaps.
But Trotter’s first series culminated in a three-and-out leading to the Mountaineers adding a 46 yard field goal to take a 23-0 lead. Highlights of that drive were a 21 yard run by Jalen Virgil and a 29 yard keeper by quarterback Zac Thomas.
Opening the fourth quarter, the Jags had an opportunity to stave off a shutout but Frankie Onate’s 32 yard field goal was partially blocked.
Onate would prevent the shutout with a 37 yard field goal with 5:43 left in the game.
But App State wasn’t ready to go home, as Raykwon Anderson broke a 67 yard touchdown run with 4:48 left in the game to close out the scoring.
The Jags came up on the short end of the statistics too. Total offense they were out gained 139 to 445, rushing they were out gained 87 to 313, and passing they were out gained 52 to 132. ASU gained 21 first downs to the Jags 10. Jags held the ball for only 25:24 while ASU possessed it for 34:36. Both teams converted their only 4th down attempt.
USA only converted 1 (one) 3rd down attempt out of 15 tries. One, uno, ein. In whatever language you want to state it, it is still pathetic. App state converted 6 of 17.
Starting quarterback Cephus Johnson went 3 of 11 passing for 9 yards and sacked once. Desmond Trotter was 3 of 8 for 43 yards and was sacked twice.
Tra Minter led the Jaguar rushing attack with 94 yards on 23 attempts. Jared Wilson was next in line with 5 yards on three carries.
Six Jaguars caught a pass in the game, but no one caught more than one. Cade Sutherland’s catch went for 30 yards to lead the team.
App State’s Zac Thomas was 16 of 28 for 132 yards and a touchdown. Anderson carried the ball four times for 99 yards and a touchdown. Williams Jr carried the ball 11 times for 94 yards and the other Mountaineer touchdown. Thomas Hennigan caught six passes for 58 yards and the only passing touchdown for the Mountaineers.
“We didn’t get much going at all early, until the fourth quarter,” head coach Steve Campbell said after the game. “We’ve got to look at what we need to do… We’ve got to do much better, but Appalachian State is a good football team.”
When asked about making a quarterback change, Campbell would not commit to anything. “We’ll see,” he said. “We’ve definitely got to move the ball better. Desmond will have an opportunity.”
“We need to do something to try to move the football,” he concluded.
The Jags are assured of their sixth consecutive losing season and their third consecutive season without a bowl game.
Campbell and his team have an open date next Saturday and will return to action in two weeks on November 9th when they travel to Texas State, the team they defeated to end the 2018 season.
Over the next two weeks the Jags will have to go to the white board and figure out how to play better on offense in particular.
Jags Take Another Thumping, Fall to UAB 35-3
South Alabama travelled to Birmingham for their final non-conference game of the 2019 season against the UAB Blazers and came home with a 35-3 loss.
Tyler Johnston III threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns on 22-of-27 passing while also running for 26 yards against the Jaguar defense. In all, the Jags defense gave up 514 yards of total offense.
In a game with few highlights for the Red, White, and Blue, Tra Minter led the Jags with 43 yards rushing and added three catches for 34 yards.
Nick Mobley, sophomore linebacker, led the defense with 10 stops. Keith Gallmon and DJ Daniels each had nine and eight stops respectively in the secondary.
The few highlights for the Jags this week is that they won’t make Sportscenter, C’mon Man, or You Had One Job segments this week with a botched point-after attempt that turns into two-points for the opposite team. They avoided a shut out by notching a field goal in the first quarter. Though they were shut out of the end zone. They did not turn the ball over and were only called for just four penalties.
Cephus Johnson had to leave the game early due to being diagnosed with a concussion, though he was visibly not happy about it on the sideline. He finished the game 3-of-5 passing for 7 yards and 41 yards rushing on six carries.
Tylan Morton came in and went 5-of-10 for 76 yards. Desmond Trotter saw some action late and his only pass attempt was incomplete.
Jalen Tolbert and Kawaan Baker both caught two passes for 23 and 22 yards respectively.
Blazer Spencer Brown carried the ball 18 times for 80 yards and two touchdowns.
With the non-conference slate finished, the Jags will need to regroup for the meat of your schedule.
“We start conference play next week and that gives everybody a chance to start over,” South Alabama coach Steve Campbell said. “Everybody is 0-0 and it starts a new season. We’ll learn from this one.”
“I thought we played better [defensively] in the second half” Campbell said. “Offensively, we didn’t put enough together to generate any touchdowns. This is now two weeks in a row that we haven’t played well offensively, so we have to go back and look at what we’re doing, and whether or not we have the right people at the right spots. We need to find a way to move the ball and score some points.”
Campbell spoke about how to turn things around going into conference play with eight games remaining. “We’ll go back to the drawing board and figure out a way to score some points offensively. Defensively, we did a good job of getting off the field in the second half. They [UAB] went on one [scoring] drive in the second half and that was a nine minute drive where they converted five or six third downs and we just couldn’t get off the field. We made them earn it in the second half and didn’t give them anything cheap. There’s some stuff for us to build off from this game. Our special teams played better.”
South Alabama will travel to Louisiana-Monroe. The Warhawks took Florida State to overtime before falling to the Seminoles. The Jags will have a week figure things out and do some soul searching as they still control their season.
The Jags and the Warhawks are schedule to kick off at 6pm in Monroe, LA. The game can be seen on ESPN+ with a subscription.