IS4S Salute To Veterans Bowl Preview: South Alabama vs Western Michigan
Kickoff: Saturday, December 14, 2024
Venue: Cramton Bowl, Montgomery, AL
TV/Streaming: ESPN
Radio: 96.1 fm The Rocket, Sports Talk 99.5 fm, iHeartRadio App
Thunderjags on X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAThunderjags
South Alabama is playing in their third-consecutive bowl game just one season after earning their first-ever bowl win in the 68 Ventures Bowl in 2023. This game will cap off head coach Major Applewhite’s first at the helm of the program and could mark the first head coach to win a bowl game in their debut at South Alabama.
It also marks a return for the Jaguar program. They return to the site of their first-ever bowl game ten-years removed. The Jags, then still under the direction of Joey Jones, played in the first-ever Cameillia Bowl in 2014.
The Jaguars knew about their selection a little early, the official bowl selection show was just on Saturday, December 8th which would have been less than a week before the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl. Early last week the teams accepted their invites so preparations by both teams could begin in earnest for the kickoff of the bowl season.
USA enters the game 6-6 overall and 5-3 in conference play. Their season finale against Texas State didn’t turn out the way they wanted. They came out on the losing side of a 45-38 score after committing three turnovers and eight penalties at home.
Western Michigan (6-6, 5-3 Mid-American Conference) got a 26-18 win over Eastern Michigan in their season finale to earn bowl eligibility and to snap a three-game losing streak.
Let’s compare the stats between the two teams.
Offensive Stats
| Stat | South Alabama | Western Michigan |
| Points | 34.8 | 29.4 |
| Total Offense | 433.8 | 374.4 |
| Passing Offense | 240.8 | 186.1 |
| Rushing Offense | 193 | 188.3 |
| Interceptions | 5 | 8 |
| Time of Possession | 29:33 | 29:21 |
| Penalty Yards per game | 71 | 39.1 |
| 3rd Downs | 58 – 146 (39.7%) | 51 – 147 (34.7%) |
| 4th Downs | 11 – 17 (64.7%) | 18 – 30 (60%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 46 – 53 (86.8%) | 34 – 38 (89.5%) |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 34 – 53 (64.2%) | 28 – 38 (73.7%) |
| Penalties – Yards | 99 – 852 | 48 – 469 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 11 – 6 | 11 – 4 |
| Total Turnovers | 11 | 12 |
Defensive Stats
| Stat | South Alabama | Western Michigan |
| Points | 25.3 | 31.4 |
| Total Offense | 397.8 | 404.9 |
| Passing Offense | 253.3 | 218.6 |
| Rushing Offense | 144.6 | 186.3 |
| Interceptions | 15 | 7 |
| Time of Possession | 30:27 | 29:48 |
| Penalty Yards per game | 49.1 | 35.7 |
| 3rd Downs | 66 – 172 (38.4%) | 68 – 157 (43.3%) |
| 4th Downs | 12 – 24 (50%) | 11 – 14 (78.6%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 35 – 44 (79.5%) | 40 – 43 (93%) |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 21 – 44 (47.7%) | 30 – 43 (69.8%) |
| Penalties – Yards | 64 – 589 | 52 – 428 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 11 – 4 | 23 – 13 |
| Total Turnovers | 19 | 20 |
Western Michigan
The Broncos are back in a bowl game for the first time since 2021 and the first under head coach Lance Taylor. Taylor is fairly well known in southern Alabama and to some in the state of Alabama. He’s a native of Mt. Vernon, went to high school at Citronelle, and was a walk-on at the University of Alabama from 1999-2003 where he played in 38 consecutive games and served as specials teams captain for then head coach Mike Shula.
After a short stint in the Arena Football League, Taylor began his coaching career as a graduate assistant for Nick Saban at Alabama from 2007-08. He then coached receivers at App State in 2009. Then spent 2010-2012 with the New York Jets as an offensive quality control coach and assistant tight ends coach.
He made two stops at the Carolina Panthers with a stint at Stanford in between. While at Stanford he coached running backs such as Heisman runner-up Christian McCaffrey and recruited another runner-up in Bryce Love. He then spent three seasons at Notre Dame coaching running backs and run game coordinator. Finally, he served as the offensive coordinator at the University of Louisville before landing the head job at Western Michigan.
Offense
Hayden Wolff is 191 of 285 (67%) for 2,212 yards with 17 touchdowns to 7 interceptions.
His most prolific receiver, tight end Blake Bosma, caught 37 passes for 403 yards with 6 touchdowns. However, he entered the transfer portal and does not look like he will be playing. Chris Toudle is the next tight end on the receiving list with just 8 catches for 91 yards in 7 games with a touchdown.
Kenneth Womack is next up with 34 catches in nine games, with 456 yards and a touchdown. Anthony Sambucci has 31 catches in 10 games with 376 yards and two touchdowns.
Zahir Abdus-Salaam has 28 catches for 227 yards and a touchdown.
Jaden Nixon leads the rushing attack with 876 yards on 132 carries with 12 touchdowns. Jalen Buckley has 657 yards on 120 carries with 8 touchdowns in 9 games played. Abdus-Salaam has 567 yards on 104 carries with three touchdowns. Broc Lowry has 123 yards on 22 carries with three touchdowns in 10 games played.
Defense
Donald Willis leads the defense with 99 total stops, 58 solo, with a sack and six tackles for loss from his linebacker position. Tate Hallock is second on the team with 78 total stops, 47 solo, with a team-leading four interceptions and 5 tackles for loss from his safety position.
Isaiah Green leads the team with three sacks. Mason Nelson is behind him with two sacks and nine other players each have one sack each.
Special Teams
Ryan Millmore is averaging 40.3 yards per punt with 21 fair catches, 21 downed inside the 20-yard line, 7 kicks of 50+ yards and a long of 60 on the season.
Luka Zurak is 10 of 12 on the season placekicking with a long of 45 yards. His misses were from 40+ yards and one of 50+ yards.
South Alabama
Offense
Gio Lopez is 205 for 311 (65.9%) for 2,557 yards with 18 touchdowns to 5 interceptions in 11 games played while adding 465 yards rushing and 7 touchdowns. His availability for the game is unknown after suffering an injury against Texas State that forced him out of the game.
Bishop Davenport is 33 for 55 (60%) for 333 yards and a touchdown on the season passing and added 76 yards rushing.
Jamaal Pritchett finished the regular season with 91 catches for 1,126 yards with 9 touchdowns.
Jeremiah Webb had 467 yards on 30 catches with three touchdowns. Devin Voisin had 31 catches for 365 yards. DJ Thomas-Jones had 22 catches for 191 yards and three touchdowns.
Fluff Bothwell ended the season as the Jags leading rusher with 834 yards on 112 attempts with 13 touchdowns. However, it is uncertain if he will play as he announced he was entering the transfer portal.
Kentrel Bullock was the next leading rusher with 702 yards on 135 carries with six touchdowns. Braylon McReynolds rushed for 113 yards on 19 carries in 8 games with a touchdown.
Defense
Blayne Myrick finished the regular season with 92 total stops, 41 solo, with two sacks and 7 TFLs and an interception.
Jaden Voisin is second on the team with 74 total stops, 38 solo, with 2.5 TFLs and a team leading 5 interceptions.
Special Teams
Aleksi Pulkkinen averages 40.5 yards per punt with 21 fair catches, 16 downed inside the 20, two touchbacks and two kicks of 50+ yards with his longest being 67 yards.
Laith Marjan is 16 of 17 placekicking on the season with his only miss coming from 50+ yards. He has a long of 49 on the season. It’s uncertain if he will play as he has also announced he is entering the transfer portal.
If Marjan does not play, it will either be Davis Little (true freshman) or Hamilton DiBoyan (redshirt freshman) handling the placekicking duties.
Keys to the Game
Don’t beat yourself with penalties
Against Texas State the Jags had eight penalties but many of them came at inopportune times. South Alabama finished the regular season tied for 127th in fewest penalties, only four schools were flagged more than the Jags. They also finished 124th with fewest penalty yards.
So many penalties have disrupted offensive drives and put the offense behind the chains which led to the ball going over to the other team one way or another.
Turnovers
Both teams are +8 in turnover margin, both teams are better at taking the ball away from their opponents than giving the ball away. However, both teams have gotten there in different ways. The Jags have done it more through intercepting the ball while Western Michigan has gotten there by generating fumbles. The Broncos have forced 23 fumbles and recovered 13 of them.
Three turnovers coupled with the eight penalties was just too much for South Alabama to overcome against Texas State.
Fundamentals
Often times bowl games are kinda sloppy because teams have had a lot of time off from the end of the season until the bowl game without game action. So you tend to see more unforced errors, missed tackles, and the such. Both teams enter just two weeks since their last action and should be ready to go, like both teams just had a bye week.
Prediction
Bowl games in this day in age with Name, Image and Likeness and the Transfer Portal is very hard to predict. We may not know until the day of the game who may or may not play for either team. We already see that a key offensive and defensive player for the Jags have opted to go into the portal. Meanwhile the Broncos have a laundry list of players in the portal, including some key players on both sides of the ball as well.
Setting aside the uncertainty of NIL and transfer portal, I believe South Alabama has a more talented roster from top to bottom, however inconsistent they can be from game to game.
The spread opened with South Alabama as the favorite by 10.5-points and is down to 7.5-points depending on where you look. Some of the factors are Fluff Bothwell and Jordan Scruggs opting for the portal and Gio Lopez’s injury against Texas State. While by all accounts Bishop Davenport is a very capable quarterback who really hasn’t been used to his full potential on gameday, we have only really seen him in limited duty even when he started against Ohio in week 2.
I think the Jags cover the 7.5-points and goes into the postseason with momentum for 2025.
Go Jags!
Preview: South Alabama vs Georgia Southern
Kickoff: Saturday, November 2, 6:30pm
Venue: Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, AL
TV/Streaming: ESPNU
Radio: 96.1 fm The Rocket, Sports Talk 99.5 fm, iHeartRadio App
Thunderjags on X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAThunderjags
#5 Jersey: TBA
South Alabama enters this week’s game with an even record overall and looks to both break some bad patterns and continue some good patterns when they host Georgia Southern on Saturday night at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
The Jags (4-4, 3-1 Sun Belt) comes in after winning their last two match-ups on the season, both at home. This will be the third and final game of a three-game home stand by the Jags. They also have a two-game streak going against Georgia Southern (5-3, 3-1 SBC).
They are also the only two wins the Jags have had in nine meetings between the two programs.
We also alluded to breaking a streak. Dating back to the 2023 season the Jags have had a curious pattern going. They tend to win and lose in pairs. It’s not a perfect pattern, it was technically broken by the win in the 68 Ventures Bowl.
Or was it just interrupted?
Head Coach Major Applewhite can have a testy side to him. Last week when a reporter brought up that his team was 3-0 in weeknight games but 0-4 in Saturday games, he didn’t seem very…entertaining of that question. This week the same reporter asked about “the pattern” as I have referred to it.
“This is about as much prosperity as we can handle,” Applewhite joked. “So, everybody brace themselves it’s time to go win three in a row.”
It’s good to see both sides of coach Applewhite, throwing some shade and also tossing out a laugh.
The Eagles come to Mobile tied for first place in the Sun Belt East Division and looking to keep it that way. But they are tied with Old Dominion who holds the tiebreaker based on their 47-19 head-to-head loss on Thursday, October 17. They will have a slight advantage over the Jags since they will be coming in with a couple extra days to prepare.
But enough of that, let’s take a look at some of the team stats.
Georgia Southern
Clay Helton is in his third season at the helm in Statesboro. He’s led the Eagles to back-to-back 6-7 seasons with losses in the Camellia Bowl (2022) and the Myrtle Beach Bowl (2023). He came to Georgia Southern after spending 11 years at USC in all. He started as the quarterbacks coach under Lane Kiffin then was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2013. He served at interim head coach when the previous interim head coach, Ed Orgeron, resigned following the hiring of Steve Sarkisian. In the 2015 season he served as the interim head coach again when Sarkisian took a leave of absence. USC then they promoted him to the head coach.
Helton went 46-24 over his time as head coach at USC and notably with a win in the 2017 Rose Bowl over Penn State.
Fans in Statesboro are getting a little itchy to get back to their winning way more like they had previously. Everything was looking up and up until their upset loss to Old Dominion.
Offense
Ryan Aplin has helped Helton transform Georgia State into a passing team. After setting just about every passing record for the Eagles in 2022, the 2023 season saw the Eagles finish in the top 20 nationally in passing yards per game with many of the records previously set falling again.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 28.6 |
| Total Offense | 379.1 |
| Passing Offense | 252.1 |
| Rushing Offense | 127 |
| Time of Possession | 30:24 |
| Penalty Yards | 47.5 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 50 of 112 (44.6%) |
| 4th Downs | 6 of 9 (66.7%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 25 of 27 (92.6%) |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 22 of 27 (81.5%) |
| Penalties – Yards | 45 – 380 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 16 – 7 |
JC French is 169 of 265 (63.8%) for 1,790 yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. He is also the fourth leading rusher on the team with 138 yards on 68 attempts with one touchdown.
Dalen Cobb leads the team in catches with 37 for 434 yards and three touchdowns. Derwin Burgess Jr leads the team in receiving yards with 440 on 35 catches with three touchdowns as well.
Josh Dallas has 25 catches for 325 yards and a pair of touchdowns. LV Bunkley-Shelton has 20 catches for 216 yards. Tyler Fromm has 18 catches for 211 yards and two touchdowns as the final pass catcher with over 100 yards receiving for the season.
Jalen White leads the ground game with 393 yards on 92 carries with seven touchdowns. OJ Arnold has 253 yards on 43 carries with three touchdowns. David Mbadinga adds 145 yards on 35 carries with a pair of touchdowns.
Defense
Brandon Bailey is in his second season as defensive coordinator for Georgia Southern. In 2023 the Eagles finished top 30 nationally in passes intercepted, defensive touchdowns and tackles for loss.
In 2022 he was the youngest defensive coordinator in FBS while at the University of Buffalo. His defense finished 7th nationally with 28 turnovers, 7th nationally in interceptions with 13, and 2nd nationally with 15 forced fumbles. They were 4th in the MAC in scoring.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 30.5 |
| Total Offense | 457.6 |
| Passing Offense | 272.5 |
| Rushing Offense | 185.1 |
| Time of Possession | 29:36 |
| Penalty Yards | 83.9 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 51 of 110 (46.4%) |
| 4th Downs | 5 of 13 (38.5%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 24 of 26 (92.3%) |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 19 of 26 (73.1%) |
| Penalties – Yards | 69 – 671 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 8 – 3 |
Marques Watson-Trent (r-Sr LB) far and away leads the team with 77 stops, 34 solo. He also leads the team with 6.5 tackles for loss and is in a three-way tie for second on the team with 1.5 sacks. He is a big disrupter too with four forced fumbles, two quarterback hurries and a pass breakup.
Marc Stampley II (Jr DB) leads the team in sacks (2) and pass breakups (7), and is tied for the team lead in interceptions (2).
Special Teams
Alex Smith is averaging 43 yards per punt attempt with 20 fair catches, 15 downed inside the 20, 5 punts of over 50 yards, and a long of 63 yards.
Gavin Stewart is 7 of 9 placekicking for the Eagles with a long of 53 yards. He is 24 of 26 on extra point attempts.
South Alabama
Offense
The Jags currently sit 1st in the Sun Belt Conference in rushing offense and scoring offense while 2nd in the conference in total offense and time of possession. Nationally the Jags are 14th in rushing offense, 22nd in scoring offense, 19th in total offense, 29th in time of possession. But they are also 2nd nationally in Passes Had Intercepted (1), Turnovers Lost (4), and 3rd in Punt Returns (21.5).
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 36.3 |
| Total Offense | 454.8 |
| Passing Offense | 238.5 |
| Rushing Offense | 216.3 |
| Time of Possession | 31:41 |
| Penalty Yards | 70.5 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 43 of 102 (42.2%) |
| 4th Downs | 6 of 10 (60%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 32 of 38 (84.2%) |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 24 of 38 (63.2%) |
| Penalties – Yards | 63 – 564 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 7 – 3 |
After a predominantly ground game last week Gio Lopez is 128 of 200 (64%) for 1,632 yards, 13 touchdowns and 1 interception.
Behind his career-high 11 catches last week, Jamaal Pritchett has 50 receptions for 662 yards and 6 touchdowns for the season. Second place on the team in receptions is Devin Voisin with 22 for 260 yards. Jeremiah Webb is third on the team in receptions with 17 but second on the team in reception yardage with 276 and a pair of touchdowns. DJ Thomas-Jones is second on the team in touchdown receptions with 3.
Fluff Bothwell continues to lead the Jags rushing attack with 580 yards on 85 carries with 8 touchdowns as a true freshman. His average of 6.88 yards per carry is 9th in the nation while his rushing touchdowns is 28th, but 1st among true freshmen.
Kentrel Bullock is not too far behind him with 505 yards on 85 carries with 5 touchdowns. Lopez is third on the team with 350 yards on 55 carries with 4 touchdowns. His 5.93 yards per carry ranks 38th nationally.
Defense
The Jags defense stacks up pretty good in the several categories in the conference. They are 2nd in Rush Defense, 3rd in 3rd down defense and red zone defense, 4th in scoring defense and 1st down defense, 6th in 4th down defense, and 7th in total defense.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 23.6 |
| Total Offense | 401.7 |
| Passing Offense | 268.4 |
| Rushing Offense | 133.3 |
| Time of Possession | 28:19 |
| Penalty Yards | 47.3 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 39 of 107 (36.5%) |
| 4th Downs | 4 of 11 (36.4%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 22 of 28 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 13 of 28 |
| Penalties – Yards | 42 – 378 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 8 – 3 |
Blayne Myrick continues to pace the team with 58 total stops, 23 solo. He also has a sack, 5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups and a forced fumble to his resume. Jordan Scruggs is second on the team with 41 total stops, 19 solo, with an interception and a pass breakup.
Courtney McBride leads the team with 3 sacks. Tyler Thomas is next with 2 sacks.
Jaden Voisin’s three interceptions leads the team and is 14th nationally.
Wesley Miller’s interception against ULM ties him with Lardarius Webb for second on the team with two each.
Special Teams
Aleksi Pulkkinen averages 41.9 yards per punt with 13 downed inside the 20, 12 fair catches, 2 touchbacks, two kicks of 50+ yards and a season long of 67 yards.
Laith Marjan is 11 of 12 (91.7%) in field goals for the season, his only miss was from 52 yards. His season long is 49 yards. He is now officially 26 of 28 on extra points, but that counts as a miss against ULM was due to a poor snap and hold.
Jamaal Pritchett is still averaging 21.9 yards per punt return with the 1 touchdown on the season.
Keys to the Game
Turnovers
Georgia Southern’s defensive coordinator Brandon Bailey prioritizes defensive turnovers. They’ve forced seven interceptions but have only recovered three fumbles of the eight fumbles by opponents. On the other hand, the Eagles offense has turned the ball over 13 times (6 INT, 7 fumbles). Astonishingly, the Eagles have put the ball on the ground 16 times. So overall the Eagles are -3 in turnover margin.
South Alabama is very protective of the ball with only 4 offensive turnovers (3 fumbles, 1 INT). Defensively the Jags are pretty good at generating takeaways with 14 overall (11 INT, 3 fumbles) for a turnover margin of +11.
If past patterns continue, the Jags may have some opportunities to force some turnovers.
RTDB
The Jags found their offensive identity again last week: Run the damn ball.
In three of their four wins this season, the Jags have rushed for 300+ yards. The second half against ULM the Jags fully committed to the run and they ran all over the Warhawks.
The running back trio of Bothwell, Bullock and McReynolds were able to shoulder the run load and Gio only had to give the ball off. On passes, he stayed in the pocket more and didn’t move out immediately when he felt some pressure. Hopefully that was planned and not a change due to his lingering turf toe injury from week 1.
Getting the running backs rolling is a huge advantage for the Jags.
Pass Rush
Georgia Southern is predominantly a passing offense. Historically this has given the Jags problems. Generating a pass rush has been problematic in those instances. If they can get to the quarterback and make him uncomfortable, they can disrupt what they do and maybe force some more interceptions out of their quarterback.
Prediction
South Alabama is in the thick of the Sun Belt Conference West race. They have a chance to make another statement with a win. ULM entered with a darling storyline and the Jags were able to make a statement last week. Now they have a chance to knock off one of the eastern division leaders.
But it would also be nice to break “the pattern” and continue the current streak against the Eagles.
The Jags enter the match-up as a 6.5-point favorite. Once again, I have a feeling that the line is too high for whatever reason. I think the Jags win, but I don’t think they’ll cover. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again here, I’m completely open to them proving me wrong.
Go Jags!
Preview: South Alabama Travels To Arkansas State In West Division Showdown
Kickoff: Saturday, October 6, 6pm
Venue: Centennial Bank Stadium, Jonesboro, AR
TV/Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 96.1 fm The Rocket, Sports Talk 99.5 fm, iHeartRadio App
Thunderjags on X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAThunderjags
#5 Jersey: TBA
South Alabama went to LSU last Saturday and was in the game for about three plays. Well, technically it was about nine plays, but it only took LSU three offensive snaps to really show where the game was going. On those three plays they gained 158 yards and put two touchdowns on the scoreboard.
The Jags (2-3, 1-0 Sun Belt) could never really mount a comeback after that as LSU (4-1) showed they had the bigger, stronger, faster team on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium.
The Jaguar offense protected the ball very well, the defense generated two turnovers to further bolster their turnover margin on the season to +7 after picking off Garrett Nussmeier twice in the contest. Neither Gio Lopez nor Bishop Davenport have thrown an interception this season, which makes the Jags one of only five schools who haven’t had a pass intercepted yet on the season.
Now that the Jags have concluded their non-conference slate, the focus is now on the remaining seven games that are all conference contests. Next up in Arkansas State (2-2, 0-0).
Arkansas State
The Red Wolves are led by fourth-year head coach Butch Jones. He holds a 13-28 record at ASU with a 6-18 conference record since taking over the program. The win total has improved each season under his leadership and led them to the Camellia Bowl last season (loss to Northern Illinois 21-19).
Over his 14 seasons as a head coach, Jones is 97-82 with previous stops at Central Michigan (2007-2009), Cincinnati (2010-2012), and Tennessee (2013-2017). He served as an offensive analyst and special assistant to the head coach at Alabama from 2018-2020.
Last season the Jags earned a hard-fought victory over the Red Wolves in Mobile when they needed to win two of the last three in order to get bowl eligible.
Arkansas State (2-2, 0-0 SBC) opened the season with a pair of close wins over FCS Central Arkansas and Tulsa but have lost their last two matchups at #16 Michigan (28-18) and at Iowa State (52-7).
So far this season the Red Wolves have a turnover margin of -2. They have given the ball away on 5 interceptions and lost four fumbles while the defense has taken the ball away from opponents six times by interception and only recovered one fumble.
Offense
The Red Wolves offense is under the direction of Keith Heckendorf in his sixth season at the position. He held the position for the two years before Jones took over. Under his guidance, the Red Wolves offense has put up lots of numbers through the air. True freshman Jaylen Raynor was the first true-freshman quarterback to be named SBC Freshman of the Year since 2007 and only the second in conference history. He finished with 2,543 yards passing with 17 touchdowns along with 380 yards rushing and five more touchdowns.
Raynor is 69-of-128 for 780 yards with 3 touchdowns and 5 interceptions passing and is leading the rushing attack with 143 yards on 44 carries with 2 touchdowns. Timmy McClain is 11-of-18 for 132 yards and three touchdowns in limited action, mostly when Raynor was benched against Iowa State.
Corey Rucker leads the receiving corps with 265 yards on 17 catches with 2 touchdowns. Courtney Jackson has 150 yards on 14 catches. Reagan Ealy has 140 yards on 11 catches.
Behind Raynor is Zak Wallace who has 134 yards on 40 carries with 2 touchdowns. Freshman Devin Spencer has 80 yards on 16 carries in three games. Junior Ja’Quez Cross has 61 yards on 21 carries.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 21.8 |
| Total Offense | 328.8 |
| Passing Offense | 228 |
| Rushing Offense | 100.8 |
| Time of Possession | 29:28 |
| Penalty Yards | 53 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 31-of-71 (43.7%) |
| 4th Downs | 3-of-5 (60%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 8-of-9 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 6-of-9 |
| Penalties – Yards | 21 – 212 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 8 – 4 |
Coming off a bye week, the Red Wolves have a pair of offensive linemen who are trending towards returning to the lineup. Coming into the season Arkansas State expected to have a better running game but it has yet to appear.
Will they debut a more improved run game when the Jaguars come to town?
Defense
Defensive coordinator Rob Harley is in his fourth season as the defensive play caller for the Red Wolves. Statistically the defense had improved along with the results in the win-loss column. Their red zone defense improved by 82 spots in the national rankings as well as ranking 20th in the nation with an average of 6.8 Tackles for Loss per game.
Marvin Ham (R-Sr LB) and Justin Parks (Sr-Safety) pace the defense with 31 total stops each. Ham has 10 solo with a quarterback hurry, 2.5 TFL’s and .5 sacks. Parks has 15 solo, 1.5 TFL’s, a pass breakup and a forced fumble. Trevian Thomas is third on the team with 29 stops, 16 solo.
Thomas and Dontay Joyner are team co-leaders with 2 interceptions each. Two other defenders have one interception each.
Jayden Jones leads the team with 4 TFLs and 2 sacks.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 33.8 |
| Total Offense | 429.8 |
| Passing Offense | 195.8 |
| Rushing Offense | 234 |
| Time of Possession | 30:31 |
| Penalty Yards | 50.3 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 24-of-49 (49%) |
| 4th Downs | 2-of-2 (100%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 15-of-15 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 13-of-15 |
| Penalties – Yards | 26 – 201 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 3 – 1 |
The Red Wolves defense also has a few players that have been out due to injuries. Unlike their offensive counterparts, their return seems to be less certain. Massachusetts transfer senior cornerback Jordan Mahoney and senior Texas A&M transfer defensive lineman Micaiah Overton are two key pieces the Red Wolves hope to return.
ASU has been susceptible to big, pass-catching tight ends. Could this be a game where Coach Applewhite and offensive coordinator Rob Ezell lean more on DJ Thomas-Jones?
Special Teams
Ryan Heicher is averaging 44.2 yards per punt attempt with 10 fair catches, 7 downed inside the 20, 4 kicks of 50+ yards and a long of 56 over his 20 kicks.
Clune Van Andel is 3-of-6 on his field goal attempts with a long of 44 yards and only 1-of-4 from 30+ yards out.
Courtney Jackson is averaging 17.5 yards per punt return over his 8 returns including one for a 77-yard touchdown.
South Alabama
The Jaguars record-setting run over the last two games came back to earth against LSU. While the Jags looked great against App State, a fellow Sun Belt program, they didn’t match up very well against one of the upper programs in the SEC.
The second half was a bit different, with the Jags scoring their only touchdown while holding LSU to only one touchdown.
This week will be more telling as the Jags return to conference play.
Offense
South Alabama couldn’t establish a running game and the LSU defense was able to routinely get pressure on Lopez and Davenport. The offensive line was outplayed at the line of scrimmage, but still look to be a really good group that have been improving week after week.
Lopez is 73-of-114 (64%) for 1,014 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air. Bishop Davenport is 27-of-45 (60%) for 276 yards and a touchdown.
Jamaal Pritchett, despite leaving the game early against LSU, still leads the team with 29 catches for 394 yards and 4 touchdowns. Devin Voisin is next on the team with 17 catches for 207 yards.
Anthony Eager has 114 yards on 5 catches with two touchdowns. He scored the only touchdown against LSU as he stepped up when Pritchett was unavailable.
Tight end DJ Thomas-Jones adds 60 yards on only 7 catches with 3 touchdowns.
True freshman Fluff Bothwell leads the team with 376 yards on 47 carries with 6 touchdowns. Kentrel Bullock has 260 yards on 39 carries with 3 touchdowns. Lopez in third on the team with 204 yards on 31 carries with 2 touchdowns.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 40.6 |
| Total Offense | 468.8 |
| Passing Offense | 258 |
| Rushing Offense | 210.8 |
| Time of Possession | 31:19 |
| Penalty Yards | 58.8 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 25-of-61 (41%) |
| 4th Downs | 5-of-8 (62.5%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 23-of-25 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 18-of-25 |
| Penalties – Yards | 37 – 294 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 5 – 2 |
Defense
Blayne Myrick continues to lead the defense with 37 total stops, 12 solo, with 2 pass breakups, a TFL and a forced fumble. Jordan Scruggs is next with 25 total stops, 10 solo, with 1.5 TFL’s, a pass breakup and an interception.
Jaden Voisin leads the team with 2 interceptions and has 24 total stops, 16 solo. Scruggs, Amarion Fortenberry, Lardarius Webb Jr and Caldwell Chrystyile each have an interception.
Four Jags all share the lead with one sack each.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 29 |
| Total Offense | 448.6 |
| Passing Offense | 303.4 |
| Rushing Offense | 145.2 |
| Time of Possession | 28:41 |
| Penalty Yards | 56.6 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 27-of-64 (42.2%) |
| 4th Downs | 1-of-4 (25%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 14-of-19 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 11-of-19 |
| Penalties – Yards | 31 – 283 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 5 – 3 |
Special Teams
Aleksi Pulkkinen handled all of the punting duties against LSU and is averaging 41 yards per kick with 7 downed inside the 20, 6 fair catches and 1 punt of 50 yards is his longest.
Laith Marjan is 6-of-7 on the season with a season long of 49 yards last week against LSU.
Jamaal Pritchett is averaging 28 yards per punt return over his 7 returns including one touchdown return of 62 yards.
Keys to the Game
Quarterback Pressure
In the two games prior to LSU the Jags defense generated more pressure on the quarterback and forced bad passes and even some interceptions. They didn’t allow the quarterback to hang in the pocket and wait for a receiver to get open to pick the defense apart.
Even the week before against Ohio, while they didn’t generate a lot of qb pressure, they started to generate some and it showed both on the scoreboard and on the stat sheet. Though they didn’t manage a win, they played well enough to win.
Against LSU the Jags only managed to get the slightest pressure on the qb and even then, they managed force a couple of incompletions and two interceptions.
Arkansas State is so predominantly a passing team that getting pressure on Raynor will be key to disrupt their game script and prevent them from running up-tempo to take advantage of matchups. Plus Raynor already has five interceptions on the season, the Jags could add to their interception column.
Establishing the Run
When the Jags can run the ball, their offense runs much more efficiently. The Red Wolves allow an average of almost 200 yards rushing per game. With Bullock, Bothwell, PJ Martin, and Braylon McReynolds, who we haven’t seen in a few games, South Alabama has a strong rotation of backs to keep fresh legs in the game and pound on the ASU defense.
Explosive Plays
Explosive plays have caused havoc against the South Alabama defense. In almost every game the defense has allowed an explosive play for a touchdown. Even against Northwestern State they gave up a 74-yard touchdown catch and run for the Demon’s only touchdown of the game.
Last week explosive plays doomed them from the start with a 71-yard touchdown pass and run on the first snap of the game. Then LSU’s second offensive snap they rush for 86 yards before being stopped at the 1-yard line (they scored on the very next play).
Prediction
South Alabama is a 2.5-point favorite against Arkansas State in Jonesboro. Only recently have the Jags found any success on the road in Arkansas. The Jags have won the previous two meetings in Jonesboro, however they were 0-for-4 at Centennial Bank Stadium prior to that. They’ve also won the five meetings overall between the two programs.
Arkansas State is not an easy place to play, or even to get to really. Which may be a reason why it’s a tough location to play.
While this isn’t the same Arkansas State team that the Jags have faced in Jonesboro that previous two match-ups there, they have improved somewhat.
Injury wise, the Jags are trending well this week. Jamaal Pritchett left the LSU game late in the first quarter and was in the concussion protocol returned to practice on Wednesday in a limited capacity. Cornerback Reggie Neely (ankle in the season opener) and safety Trent Singleton (R-So) transfer from Mississippi State (foot injury in preseason camp) are both expected to be available to play. Gio Lopez was pulled from the game in the fourth quarter after a sack, Applewhite explained that he got up “gimpy” so they took him out as a precaution.
I think the Jags win and cover. They have a lot to play for this season and they won’t let last week define their season.
Go Jags!
Preview: South Alabama Visits #14 LSU For Nighttime Showdown In Death Valley
Kickoff: Saturday, September 28, 6:45pm
Venue: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA
TV/Streaming: SEC Network
Radio: 96.1 fm The Rocket, Sports Talk 99.5 fm, iHeartRadio App
Thunderjags on X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAThunderjags
#5 Jersey: TBA
South Alabama travels to Baton Rouge to play in one of the toughest environments in college football: Tiger Stadium. The Jags (2-2) are in the second game of a three-game road swing after their 48-14 dismantling of Appalachian State on Thursday, September 19th in Boone, NC. The #14 ranked LSU Tigers are looking to handle business and get to their bye week to rest and heal up.
The Jags are considered one of the hottest teams in the nation right now. Over the last two weeks they have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 135-24. Head coach Major Applewhite and offensive coordinator Rob Ezell have been making all the right calls offensively and defensive coordinator Will Windham has been doing the same on the opposite side of the ball.
Meanwhile LSU (3-1) enters the game in the second game of a three-game homestand by welcoming USA. Last week the Tigers held UCLA scoreless in the second half to pull away for a 34-17 win after taking a 17-all tie into halftime. The Tigers opened the season with a narrow loss to USC in the Vegas Kickoff Classic then followed with a closer-than-expected game against Nicholls (44-21) and a narrow victory on the road at South Carolina (36-33).
This will be the highest ranked opponent the Jags have faced since they took the field against #10 ranked Oklahoma State in 2017 and the first ranked opponent since playing #25 Louisiana-Lafayette in 2020.
LSU
LSU is led by third-year head coach Brian Kelly, who LSU hired away from Notre Dame after 12 seasons as the head guy there. He was 92-40 with the Fighting Irish after vacating 22 wins in the 2012 and 2013 seasons due to academic misconduct. He also had a record of 4-6 in bowl games after a vacated win in the 2013 Pinstripe bowl.
So far Kelly is 23-8 and 13-4 in SEC games at LSU. His career record is 286-104-2 in his 34th year as a head football coach.
Before Notre Dame, he spent 13 seasons at Grand Valley State (118-35-2 from 1991-2003), three seasons at Central Michigan (19-16 from 2004-2006), and four seasons at Cincinnati (34-6 from 2006-2009).
Getting into the stats, the Tigers have been able to generate six turnovers defensively and have forced nine fumbles overall. They have a +3-turnover margin through the first four games of the season.
Offense
Garrett Nussmeier is the Tigers’ starting quarterback going 113-of-160 (70.6%) with 13 touchdowns and two interceptions on the season.
Mason Taylor is the leading pass catcher on the team with 25 receptions for 237 yards and a touchdown. Aaron Anderson leads the team in receiving yards with 298 on 21 catches with a touchdown. Kyren Lacy is the teams leading scoring receiver with 5 touchdowns on 20 catches with 245 yards. CJ Daniels adds 199 yards on 17 catches while Zavion Thomas rounds out the double-digit receptions with 10 catches for 76 yards and two touchdowns.
The Tigers have two 100-yard rushers on the season. Josh Williams has 134 yards on 36 carries with two touchdowns while averaging 3.7 yards per carry. Caden Durham has 116 yards on 22 carries with two touchdowns while averaging 5.3 yards per carry.
Keleb Jackson has 95 yards on 26 carries while John Emery Jr has 61 yards on 10 carries.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 33.5 |
| Total Offense | 418.5 |
| Passing Offense | 239.8 |
| Rushing Offense | 119 |
| Time of Possession | 27:54 |
| Penalty Yards | 83.3 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 25-of-51 (49%) |
| 4th Downs | 2-of-5 (40%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 17-of-20 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 13-of-20 |
| Penalties – Yards | 31 – 237 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 1 – 1 |
Defense
Whit Weeks leads the defense with 30 total stops, 17 solo, with 1.5 tackles for loss. Greg Penn III is second on the team with 24 stops, 10 solo, with 1 TFL and a forced fumble.
As a team the Tigers have 12 sacks with Bradyn Swinson leading the team with 5 for a loss of 45 yards with two quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles. Sai’vion Jones is right behind him with 4 sacks (19 yards) with two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
The defense only has two pass interceptions. Zy Alexander and Jardin Gilbert each have one pick each.
However, the Tigers have lost Harld Perkins Jr for the season due to an ACL tear. While he hasn’t put up flashy numbers, he has been a player offenses have had to account for every play. Could that be a factor in this game?
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 24.5 |
| Total Offense | 358.8 |
| Passing Offense | 321.3 |
| Rushing Offense | 134.7 |
| Time of Possession | 31:57 |
| Penalty Yards | 64.7 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 17-of-46 (37%) |
| 4th Downs | 2-of-6 (33%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 11-of-12 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 8-of-12 |
| Penalties – Yards | 36 – 333 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 9 – 4 |
Special Teams
Peyton Todd has handled the majority of the punting duties with an average of 40.7 yards per kick, five fair catches and two downed inside the 20. Blake Ochsendorf is averaging 37.7 yards per attempts with one fair catch and all three of his attempts downed inside the 20.
Damian Ramos is 5-of-6 on field goals this season with a long of 45.
South Alabama
After a pair of losses to begin the season, the Jags have gelled as a team and found their footing in their last two games. The offensive line, who lost a few players in summer camp for various reasons, have improved leaps and bounds over the first four games. They controlled the line of scrimmage against Appalachian State. They’ll face their toughest test yet when they take on LSU Saturday night.
Similarly, the defense has matured a lot over the first four weeks. After only returning two starters, the Jags started the season with a bit of a learning curve experience wise. They’ve improved each and every week. Over the first two weeks the defensive front couldn’t get any pressure on the quarterback, then last week they were harassing Joey Aguilar on pretty much every play.
The Jags have a +5-turnover margin on the season with only two fumbles lost while the defense has a total of 7 take-aways (4 interceptions and 3 fumble recoveries).
Offense
The offense starts with Gio Lopez, who showed that his turf toe injury is not bothering him anymore. He is 57-of-92 (62%) with nine touchdowns and no interceptions on the season.
Jamaal Pritchett continues to lead the receiving corps in receptions (26), yards (354), and touchdowns (4). Devin Voisin has 16 catches for 206 yards on the season. Jeremiah Webb adds 10 catches for 185 yards with a touchdown. DJ Thomas-Jones has 6 catches for 52 yards with three of them being touchdown receptions.
True freshman Fluff Bothwell has emerged as the Jags leading back with 359 yards on 37 carries with six touchdowns through four games. Kentrel Bullock has 204 yards on 30 carries with three touchdowns.
Both Bothwell and Bullock have recorded 100-yard games the last two games.
Gio Lopez is third on the team with 171 yards on 21 carries with a pair of touchdowns.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 48.3 |
| Total Offense | 502.8 |
| Passing Offense | 267.3 |
| Rushing Offense | 235.5 |
| Time of Possession | 31:24 |
| Penalty Yards | 64.8 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 21-of-47 (44.7%) |
| 4th Downs | 4-of-5 (80%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 23-of-24 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 18-of-24 |
| Penalties – Yards | 32 – 259 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 4 – 2 |
Defense
Blayne Myrick continues to pace the defense with 34 total stops, 11 solo, with two pass breakups and a forced fumble. Jordan Scruggs and Jaden Voisin are next with 21 stops each, Voisin with 13 solo while Scruggs has 9 solo and 1.5 Tackles for loss.
The Jags defense has intercepted four passes on the season, Scruggs earned the Sun Belt Player of the Week honor with his 96-yard interception return, it would have been a 100-yard touchdown return however an App State defender pulled him down from behind with a horse collar tackle. Voisin, Amarion Fortenberry, and Chrystyile Caldwell each have one interception each.
Defensively the Jags only have four sacks on the season. Jordan Norman, Maurice Strong Jr, Courtney McBride Jr, and Tyler Thomas have collected one sack each.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 25.8 |
| Total Offense | 394 |
| Passing Offense | 271.8 |
| Rushing Offense | 122.3 |
| Time of Possession | 28:36 |
| Penalty Yards | 60.8 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 21-of-55 (38%) |
| 4th Downs | 1-of-4 (25%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 10-of-14 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 7-of-14 |
| Penalties – Yards | 27 – 243 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 5 – 3 |
Special Teams
Aleksi Pulkkinen has handled most of the punting duties, he’s averaging 38 yards per kick across his nine punts with five downed inside the 20-yard line and three fair catches. Jack Martin is averaging 45 yards per kick across his three punts with one touchback.
Laith Marjan is 5-of-6 on field goals this season with a long of 39. His only miss came from over 50 yards. He’s only missed one of this 18 extra point attempts, his first attempt after halftime last week went off the left upright.
Pritchett is averaging 28 yards per return in seven punt return opportunities with one 62-yard touchdown return.
Keys to the Game
Communication
When playing in big games on the road in a hostile environment, communication is at a premium. Death Valley at night is notoriously loud with Tiger Stadium actually registering on the seismograph a couple of times in big games. When the game is on the line, the Tiger fans can get loud and raucous.
But South Alabama just played in front of a loud crowd in Boone, NC. Are they the same? No, but the team knows what to expect and they can be prepared.
With the new in-helmet communications from the sideline, getting the play onto the field is a bit easier but any pre-snap adjustments still need to be communicated. Hopefully they can stay on the same page in all phases of the game because LSU will take advantage of any miscue.
Fundamentals
Defensively the Tigers have taken the ball away from opponents six times in four games. But they have forced 9 fumbles through those same four games. But the Jags have been very surehanded on the season with only two turnovers, one of them on a muffed punt. Continuing to keep possession of the ball will be big fundamentally.
Tackling will be a big factor. The Jags cannot let LSU run through arm tackles and pick up additional yards after contact. In the first two games the Jags had problems tackling but in the last two games have been more fundamentally sound.
The offense needs to stay on schedule because the LSU defense is blitz happy on 3rd down.
“A little Magic”
Something unexpected needs to go South Alabama’s way.
South Carolina had a pick-six that would have given them the lead late, but it was called back in a poor flag on what should have been a good play (that’s a discussion for another day).
LSU hasn’t looked the best this season and struggled against Nicholls. The Tigers narrowly led 23-21 early in the third quarter before finally pulled away from the FCS program.
If the Jags can get an unexpected play or two to go their way at an opportune time it will quiet the crowd and energize the Jaguars. A little voodoo magic if you will.
Prediction
LSU opens as a 21.5-point favorite over the Jags across most of the betting odds websites.
The Tigers are thought to have better players top-to-bottom because they are an SEC program. They should, shouldn’t they?
Perhaps the Jags can catch the Tigers asleep and looking ahead to having a week off to prepare for Ole Miss. But having a week off after the Jags will perhaps keep the Tigers focused enough for a little G5 Sun Belt team from Mobile.
As much as I want to pick the Jags to win or even to cover the spread, my head tells me that the Tigers in Tiger Stadium is a very tough draw. Then play it at night after the Tiger fans have had all day to marinade and it’s a very tough draw.
I think LSU wins and covers at home but maybe the score to cover comes late so it looks like a better win than it actually was. But I would LOVE to have South Alabama prove me wrong. They’ve been doing it all season so far, why not another week…
Go Jags!
Jaguars Dominate App State 48-14 In Big Conference Opening Road Win
South Alabama picked up right where they left off last week in their 48-14 win. But this week it was against an Appalachian State football team in a sold-out Kidd Brewer Stadium that was the preseason favorite to win the Sun Belt Conference championship instead of an FCS program.
It was the first win against Appalachian State since 2014 and breaks a 4-game losing skid against them.
The Jags (2-2, 1-0 Sun Belt) took the opening possession right down the field to establish their dominance. Gio Lopez took the second snap of the game and slashed the Mountaineer defense for 50 yards. Then a couple plays later he connected with DJ Thomas-Jones over the middle for a 10-yard touchdown.
One of the questions entering the game was answered quickly.
The Jag defense allowed one first down and forced App State to punt on their opening possession. Jamaal Pritchett’s 21-yard punt return gave the offense the ball near midfield. But it was Fluff Bothwell’s turn to make some fireworks. He had runs of 20, 7, and then the final 22 yards on three-consecutive carries to make it 14-0 in the first quarter.
The Mountaineers thought they had pinned the Jags back at their 5-yard line early in the 2nd quarter. A flag for a hold set them back to the 3-yard line, but the Jags were not going to be deterred. A steady mix of Lopez and Bothwell moved the ball down the field. Kentrel Bullock gave Bothwell a rest but didn’t let the running production fall off. Lopez covered the final 31 yards on his own to put the Jags up 21-0.
It was probably the Jags best drive of the game. They ran 13 plays and burned over half of the quarter off the clock.
When it looked like App State was going to put points on the board, Jordan Scruggs intercepted the pass in the end zone and was off to the races. It took a horse collar tackle to bring him down from behind at the 5-yard line to save a touchdown. Kentrel Bullock got to benefit from the tackle and penalty to get a 2-yard touchdown for a 28-0 lead.
The Mountaineers ended the shutout with a hail Mary touchdown as time expired for a halftime score of 28-7.
The Jaguar defense got a turnover on downs near midfield and the offense only needed three plays to get back on the scoreboard. Two passes to Jamaal Pritchett with a Bullock run in between and the Jags were up 34-7 after Laith Marjan saw his PAT go off the left upright no good.
Bothwell added another touchdown in the third quarter showing his excellent balance and ability to stay on his feet to put the Jags up 41-7.
Bishop Davenport took over at quarterback in the fourth quarter and led a scoring drive of his own. Davenport and Iverson Celestine kept the ball on the ground the entire drive for a 9 play, 55-yard drive using up six minutes.
App State added a trash-time score against the second- and third-string defense with 52 seconds left in the game.
“I think everybody on our team knew they were capable of this, but to be able to come do it on the road against a quality opponent – a traditionally really good program, kind of the standard bearer for our conference along with a couple of other schools – there’s a lot of excitement in our locker room,” head coach Major Applewhite explained. “There is a lot of time left in the season, but it’s great that we all came tonight and had this type of win.”
Stats
| Stat | South Alabama | App State |
| Total Yards | 474 | 385 |
| Passing Yards | 154 | 266 |
| Rushing Yards | 320 | 119 |
| Penalties – Yards | 9 – 69 | 6 – 47 |
| 1st downs | 26 | 23 |
| 3rd downs | 6-of-10 | 4-of-13 |
| Avg Yards per Play | 7.1 | 5.7 |
| Red Zone | 5-of-5 | 1-of-4 |
| Time of Possession | 34:12 | 25:48 |
| Turnovers (points off) | 1 (0) | 2 (7) |
The 320 yards rushing is the 4th most in program history against Division I teams.
South Alabama
Gio Lopez was 16-of-24 passing for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air. He added 105 yards rushing on 7 carries with another touchdown.
“It means a lot, going into somebody else’s house and not just winning, but executing all game,” Lopez said. “It was a good team win for our first road win of the season.”
Fluff Bothwell led all rushers with 116 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns. Bullock added 46 yards on 11 carries with a touchdown.
Jamaal Pritchett led the Jags receivers with 68 yards on 6 catches with a touchdown. Jeremiah Webb added 38 yards on 4 catches. Devin Voisin, wearing the #5 jersey, had 22 yards on three catches. DJ Thomas-Jones had one catch for a 10-yard touchdown.
Blayne Myrick led the Jags with 9 total stops, 2 solo, with .5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup. Courtney McBride Jr had the only sack of the game for USA.
Jordan Scruggs had the only Jaguar take-away in the game. “We were in a zone, where I have to play in between the Number 1 and Number 2 receiver,” he explained. “I just read the quarterback’s eyes and made a play. I tried to score, but I got too tired and he caught me.”
App State
Joey Aguilar was held to 21-for-40 passing with 266 yards with a touchdown and an interception.
Maquel Haywood rushed for 47 yards on 7 attempts with a touchdown. Kanye Roberts had 38 yards on 8 carries.
Kaedin Robinson led with 85 yards receiving on 6 catches. Christian Horn had 47 yards on 4 catches. Dalton Stroman had 2 catches for 60 yards, including the hail Mary reception at the end of the half to put the first points on the board for App State. Six Jaguars combined for 9 quarterback hurries.
Jordan Scruggs got his first interception of the season and returned it 96 yards before he was taken down from behind.
Next
The Jags will travel to Baton Rouge, LA to take on a nationally ranked LSU squad for a 6:45 kickoff on the SEC Network on Saturday, September 28. This will be the second game of three-consecutive road games for the Jags.
Preview: Jags Open Conference Play At App State On National TV
Kickoff: Thursday, September 19th, 6:30pm
Venue: Kidd Brewer Stadium, Boone, NC
TV/Streaming: ESPN
Radio: 96.1 fm The Rocket, Sports Talk 99.5 fm, iHeartRadio App
Thunderjags on X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAThunderjags
#5 Jersey: Devin Voisin
South Alabama earned their first win of the season and under new head coach Major Applewhite in record breaking fashion last Thursday night. The Jags (1-2) scored in all three phases of the game while setting a new single-game scoring record for the program as well as the Sun Belt Conference. It was also the highest scoring college football game since 1991, even with the fourth quarter shortened to only six minutes.
This week the Jags have an entirely new challenge when they travel to Boone, NC to take on Appalachian State (2-1) in the conference opening game for both programs.
App State
Head coach Shawn Clark is in his fifth season as head coach of the Mountaineers. He returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach for two seasons under Scott Satterfield before Satterfield left for Louisville after the 2018 season. Clark was retained by newly hired head coach Eliah Drinkwitz. But Drinkwitz would be a one-and-done as he was hired away after a 12-1 season, including a win over Power-5 North Carolina and winning the SBC Championship game, the fourth-consecutive for the Mountaineers at the time.
Clark was promoted and made his debut in the 2019 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl with a 31-17 win over UAB. Since becoming the head coach, he has a 37-19 record with the Mountaineers overall and 22-10 in conference play.
Clark can also boast three consecutive seasons with a win over ranked opponents: 2021 vs #14 Coastal Carolina, 2022 vs #6 Texas A&M, and 2023 vs #18 James Madison.
Last season they were 9-5 overall, 6-2 in conference play, and represented the East Division in the SBC Championship Game, though they finished 2nd in the division because newcomer James Madison was ineligible due to FBS transition rules.
Before coaching at App State, Clark served as offensive line coach for Kent State, Purdue, and Eastern Kentucky.
Offense
The Mountaineers base offense is a Pro-Tempo scheme. It has pro-style concepts with a tempo base. They will dial up and down their tempo based on their success. If they hit a big play, they will go with tempo in order to prevent the defense from substituting. They will also turn down the tempo and play methodically during some parts of the game. It’s similar to what Drinkwitz ran while in Boone.
Joey Aguilar is 72-of-124 (58.1%) for 964 yards and 5 touchdowns on the season at quarterback. He was selected as the preseason Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
Kaedin Robinson leads the receiver corps with 18 catches for 290 yards but no touchdowns. Makai Jackson isn’t far behind with 14 catches but with 164 yards and two touchdowns. Christian Horn has 11 catches for 244 yards and a touchdown. Horn also has the longest reception with 83 yards. Eli Wilson rounds out the receivers with double-digit catches with 10 for 122 yards and two touchdowns.
Anderson Castle leads the Mountaineers rushing attack with 148 yards on 33 carries with a touchdown, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. Makai Jackson has 71 yards on three carries with a touchdown. Kanye Roberts has 63 yards on 19 carries, averaging 3.3 yards per carry. Ahmani Marshall has 49 yards on 14 carries, averaging 3.5 yards per carry. Aguilar is next in line with 44 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 26.3 |
| Total Offense | 456 |
| Passing Offense | 321.3 |
| Rushing Offense | 134.7 |
| Time of Possession | 31:57 |
| Penalty Yards | 64.7 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 16-of-39 (41%) |
| 4th Downs | 1-of-2 (50%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 10-of-12 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 5-of-12 |
| Penalties – Yards | 18 – 194 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 3 – 2 |
Defense
The defense is listed as a 3-4 base but tends to run more 3-3-5 and relying more on their Star safety. The Star position can be explained like a hybrid linebacker-safety position.
Linebacker Caden Sullivan (R-Jr) leads the team with 20 total stops, 9 solo, with a quarterback hurry. Safety Ronald Clarke is next on the team with 18 total stops, 9 solo.
Outside linebacker Thomas Davis leads the team with 1.5 sacks ahead of five other players each with one sack each.
Senior cornerback Seth Robertson has the only interception on the defense.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 31.7 |
| Total Offense | 447 |
| Passing Offense | 269.3 |
| Rushing Offense | 177.7 |
| Time of Possession | 27:35 |
| Penalty Yards | 64 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 14-of-38 (37%) |
| 4th Downs | 2-of-6 (33%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 7-of-8 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 4-of-8 |
| Penalties – Yards | 21 – 192 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 5 – 2 |
Special Teams
Mitchell Lake handled the punting duties through the first two games with an average of 38.2 yards per kick, three fair catches, two downed inside the 20 and a long of 61 yards. Connor Maynard handled the punting duties in their latest game with an average of 44.8 yards per kick, two touchbacks, one downed inside the 20 and a long of 50.
Michael Hughes is a perfect 5-of-5 on the season with a long of 36 yards. He is also a perfect 8-of-8 on extra points.
South Alabama
After starting the season with two losses, the Jags took the opportunity to have a get-right game against FCS Northwester State last Thursday. The game was moved back to Thursday to allow for a full week of preparation for this game after it was picked up by ESPN for national broadcast.
Offense
Gio Lopez started against Northwestern State after missing the previous game with a turf toe injury. On the season he is 41-of-68 (60.3%) for 689 yards and seven touchdowns. Bishop Davenport is 23-of-37 (62.2%) for 228 yards and a touchdown.
Jamaal Pritchett leads the receivers with 20 catches for 287 yards and three touchdowns. Devin Voisin has 13 catches for 184 yards. DJ Thomas-Jones has two touchdowns on 5 catches for 42 yards. Shamar Sandgren, Jeremiah Webb, and Anthony Eager each have one touchdown catch each on the season.
Fluff Bothwell in his first career 100-yard rushing game continues to lead the Jaguars rushing attack with 243 yards on 23 carries, averaging 10.6 yards per carry, with four touchdowns. Kentrel Bullock, also coming off a 100-yard rushing game himself, has 157 yards on 19 carries, averaging 8.3 yards per carry, with two touchdowns. PJ Martin, Gio Lopez, and Jarvis Durr all have one rushing touchdown each.
Pritchett also leads the team in all-purpose yards with 416 thanks to his punt return yardage of 129 yards added in. He also has a 62-punt return touchdown.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 48.3 |
| Total Offense | 514.7 |
| Passing Offense | 305.7 |
| Rushing Offense | 209 |
| Time of Possession | 30:28 |
| Penalty Yards | 63.3 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 15-of-36 (42%) |
| 4th Downs | 3-of-4 (66.7%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 18-of-19 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 13-of-19 |
| Penalties – Yards | 23 – 190 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 4 – 1 |
Defense
Blayne Myrick continues to lead the defense with 25 total stops, 9 solo, with .5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble. Jordan Scruggs has 17 total stops, 7 solo, with 1.5 TFLs and a pass breakup. Jaden Voisin has 16 total stops, 10 solo, with an interception.
Amarion Fortenberry and Chrystyile Caldwell each have one interception on the season.
Jordan Norman, Maurice Strong Jr, and Tyler Thomas all have one sack each.
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 29.7 |
| Total Offense | 394.3 |
| Passing Offense | 273.7 |
| Rushing Offense | 120.7 |
| Time of Possession | 29:32 |
| Penalty Yards | 65 |
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 17-of-42 (40%) |
| 4th Downs | 1-of-2 (50%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 9-of-10 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 6-of-10 |
| Penalties – Yards | 22 – 195 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 4 – 2 |
Special Teams
Aleksi Pulkkinen has served as the punter the last two games with an average of 37.6 yards per kick with four downed inside the 20 and two fair catches. Jack Martin averages 44 yards per kick on two punts.
Laith Marjan is 5-of-6 on the season with a long of 39 yards. He is also a perfect 12-of-12 on extra point attempts.
Keys to the Game
Pass Defense
The Mountaineers have a prolific pass offense, and it all starts with quarterback Joey Aguilar.
Aguilar was named the Sun Belt Player of the Week after throwing for 424 yards and two touchdowns in their come-from-behind 21-19 win over East Carolina.
Despite all of their yards, they aren’t putting up the points that one would expect looking at the stats sheet.
The Jags secondary hasn’t been the best in coverage this season and the defense has struggled to get pressure on the quarterback in the first two games of the season. They also allowed a 75-yard touchdown pass in the first half to Northwestern State in the 87-10 blowout.
If the Jags want to win, they have to generate pressure on Aguilar and tighten their coverage on the receivers.
Special Teams
In both losses, the Jags had miscues on special teams. Against North Texas a punt went off one of the blockers for the punter after a bad snap, that was recovered for a touchdown. A muffed punt by Pritchett gave Ohio a short field, which they turned into points as well.
Pritchett made amends for his special teams play with a punt return touchdown in the big win.
Solid special teams play may not win the game, but poor special teams play sure can lose a game.
Offensive Line
What can be said here that we haven’t already said before? Games are won on the line. Pass protection and run blocking are the fundamentals for an offense to function.
The Jags were able to get some good in-game reps for lots of players last week. Hopefully it builds confidence in the starters as well as depth on the bench.
They’ll be tested by the Mountaineers.
Prediction
South Alabama enters probably their toughest three-game stretch of football this season. With all three being road contests too.
But the goal this week is do what they need to do to go 1-0. The other games have to wait.
The Mountaineers are 7.5-point favorite at home. South Alabama took the first matchup between the two schools back in 2014 but have lost each of the four subsequent meetings, including a 31-7 loss in 2021.
The game will be nationally broadcast on ESPN and it will be the only college football game available on Thursday night. This is a huge opportunity for the program to shine and playing a good, exciting game will go a long way to further the Jaguar brand of football.
If the Jags are healthy, and they look to mostly be back healthy, they can score points. With over a 60% chance of rain and thundershowers Thursday evening, that could favor the Jags running game with Bothwell, Bullock, Braylon McReynolds, PJ Martin, and Jarvis Durr.
I think the Jags cover but fall in a very close game.
Go Jags!
South Alabama Rewrites Record Books In 87-10 Trouncing Of Northwestern State
South Alabama took the opportunity to exorcise some demons on Thursday night at Hancock Whitney Stadium in a historic 87-10 win over Northwestern State.
The Jags (1-2) set a new Sun Belt Conference record for points as they get their first win of the season and the first under new head coach Major Applewhite. Despite a short week and the threat of a hurricane, the Jags never let the game be in doubt against Northwestern State (0-3).
Jamaal Pritchett got the party started a mere 1:36 into the game when he took the first punt of the game 62 yards to the house. They would take a 14-0 lead on their first offensive snap after Jaden Voisin intercepted JT Fayard’s pass. Gio Lopez got the start after missing last week with a turf toe injury, connected with Jeremiah Webb for a 39-yard touchdown.
They weren’t even four full minutes into the game with only eight seconds of possession and were up two scores.
The Jags were up 24-3 in the first quarter after a 28 yard field goal by Laith Marjan when the Jags defense gave up their only touchdown of the night. The defense bit on a screen pass allowing Myles Kitt-Denton to get behind the defense. JT Fayard laid a perfect pass to him and 75 yards later the Demons had a touchdown.
South Alabama added four touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 52-10 lead into halftime.
They would score four more touchdowns in the third quarter, one a pick-six by redshirt sophomore Chrystyile Caldwell, before the coaches would mutually agree to a 6 minute fourth quarter. And yet redshirt freshman Jarvis Durr still tacked on one last touchdown.
The 87 points put on the scoreboard by the Jags eclipsed the previous record by a Jaguar team (64 three times against Division II or NAIA opponents in the program’s infancy). It also beats the 59 points scored last season in the 68 Ventures Bowl against a fellow FBS school.
It also set a new scoring record in Sun Belt Conference history, beating out Arkansas State’s 83 points scored against Texas Southern in 2008 and Georgia Southern against Savannah State in 2014.
Stats
The stats read like playing EA College Football on easy mode.
| South Alabama | Northwestern State | |
| Total Yards | 620 | 237 |
| Passing Yards | 257 | 171 |
| Rushing Yards | 363 | 66 |
| Penalties – Yards | 7 – 60 | 7 – 60 |
| 1st Downs | 22 | 8 |
| 3rd Downs | 4-of-7 | 3-of-15 |
| Avg Yards per Play | 11.7 | 4.2 |
| Red Zone | 9-10 | 1-1 |
| Time of Possession | 33:13 | 26:47 |
South Alabama
Gio Lopez got one possession in the second half and ended the night going 15-of-19 for 257 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Devin Voisin led the Jag receivers with 47 yards on three catches. DJ Thomas-Jones had 3 catches for 34 yards and two touchdowns. Jeremiah Webb and Jamaal Pritchett both had a touchdown each.
True freshman Fluff Bothwell ended the night with 143 yards on just 7 carries with two touchdowns, averaging 20.4 yards per carry. Kentrel Bullock broke the century mark with 102 yards on 8 carries with 2 touchdowns as well. Bothwell and Bullock are the fourth duo in school history to each rush for over 100 yards in a game.
PJ Martin came up short of making it three 100 rushers with 72 yards on 6 carries with a touchdown. Jarvis Durr got the final rushing touchdown of the game.
Maurice Strong Jr led the defense with 7 total stops, 4 solo, with two TFL’s and a sack. Jaden Voisin had 5 total stops, 3 solo, with an interception. Freshman Amarion Fortenberry and Chrystyile Caldwell both came away with an interception each.
In all, the Jags forced four turnovers with Julian Demby recovering a fumble.
“I’m proud of the way our guys played, the way they responded coming off a loss,” head coach Major Applewhite said after the game. “In a short week, the staff did an outstanding job. I know people say that a lot, it sounds cliché, but they did. Our practices were good, we went a little bit more Wednesday that we normally do the day before a game and there was no complaining. I was proud of the guys and the way the coaches got them to play today.”
While Pritchett’s receiving numbers weren’t very high, he finished the game with 124 punt return yards with a touchdown. He led the team in All-Purpose yards with 146, just edging out Bothwell’s 143.
“It was definitely a big win for us to get the ball rolling and move on to the next game and keep it rolling,” Pritchett said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been on a team that scored 87 points, even in basketball.”
Northwestern State
JT Fayard led the way for the Demons going 9-of-23 for 165 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
Kitt-Denton led the Demons with 80 yards on three catches with the lone touchdown. Twon Hines had 59 yards on three catches.
Zay Davis led the team in rushing with 32 yards on 9 carries. Kennieth Lacy added 14 yards on 10 carries.
Christian Williams led the Demons with 6 total stops, 4 solo. Caesar Magee III was next with 5 total stops, all solo.
Next
South Alabama will have a full week to prepare for their road trip to Boone, NC to face Appalachian State on Thursday, September 19 to open their Sun Belt Conference schedule. The game is set for a 6:30pm kickoff on ESPN.
Preview: South Alabama Opens 2024 Season Against North Texas
Kickoff: Saturday, August 31, 4:00pm
Venue: Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, AL
TV/Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 96.1 fm The Rocket, Sports Talk 99.5 fm, iHeartRadio App
Thunderjags on X (formerly known as Twitter): @USAThunderjags
#5 Jersey: Not announced yet
South Alabama enters the 2024 season with momentum that the program has never experienced before. Though the regular season record took a step back from the 10-win 2022 campaign, the 2023 season culminated with a ferocious 59-10 defeat of Eastern Michigan in the 68 Ventures Bowl. It finally gave the school and it’s fans the long-awaited first bowl victory in program history. They unleashed some of their pent up frustration from previous bowl games with talk on the field. Though what happened after the game garnered most of the national spotlight.
However less than a month later, the entire college football world was shocked by the announcement of Nick Saban’s retirement. Less than a week later a new head coach, Kalen DeBoer, was announced at the University of Alabama, which began a series of dominoes falling across the college football landscape.
One of dominoes was South Alabama’s head football coaching position.
After only three seasons, Kane Wommack left to be the defensive coordinator at Alabama alongside his former Indiana staff-mate who had accepted the huge task of replacing a legend of college football.
In a swift but thorough search, South Alabama Athletics Director Joel Erdmann announced the selection of Major Applewhite to become the fourth head football coach in South Alabama football history. Applewhite was a clear and easy choice to make in retrospect. He had already been on staff for three seasons with Wommack, he knew the players and the program, and he knew all about the recruiting for the Jags. But in the new age of the transfer portal and players ability to enter it when their head coach leaves, it was also an opportunity to keep roster as intact as possible.
The Coaches
Long considered one of the great offensive minded coaches in the nation, Coach Applewhite helped lead an offense that set many records over the last three seasons. The 2023 offense set a program record for points scored in a single season with 430, scored 55 points or more in three games (including the 59 points scored in the 68 Ventures Bowl which itself set a program record for most points scored against an FBS opponent). They scored 55 points in back-to-back victories over Louisiana-Monroe and Southern Miss during the regular season.
This will be Coach Applewhite’s third season overall as a head coach, he previously held the position at Houston leading the Cougars to a 15-11 record with two bowl appearances and a win over nationally-ranked South Florida during his tenure.
In Coach Applewhite’s first game as head coach for the Jags, he will get to host a program that is not unknown to long time South Alabama supporters.
North Texas was a member of the Sun Belt Conference from 2001 until their departure for Conference USA in 2013. While all of the other sports programs faced the Mean Green many times, the football program only faced off on the gridiron once in what would be their final season in the SBC. It happened to be the Jags first season playing a full FBS and SBC schedule, and only their 4th season sponsoring football, as the first year of their transition. They came out on the wrong side of a 24-14 game in route to a 2-11 season, the worst season in program history.
South Alabama will finally get to renew the sports “rivalry” between the two schools and get finally host North Texas for a game in Mobile.
North Texas head football coach Eric Morris enters his second season at the helm for the Mean Green after going 5-7 in his debut season. He is one of the younger offensive minds that is making a mark for themselves in college football.
Since becoming offensive coordinator at Texas Tech in 2013, Morris has put together a top 25 offense in either FBS or FCS eight of the last 11 seasons. He’s also worked with great offensive minds like Mike Leach and Kliff Kingsbury while recruiting and coaching Pat Mahomes at Texas Tech.
Morris served as head coach at Incarnate Word for four seasons where he amassed a 24-18 record with two trips to the FCS playoffs. His first was in his first season where they lost in the first round, then again in his final season where his team went 10-3 but lost in the second round to top ranked Stephen F Austin. Between UIW and UNT, Morris served as offensive coordinator for Washington State, where they went 7-6 with a loss to Fresno State in the LA Bowl days after he accepted the head coaching position at North Texas.
The North Texas coaching staff had some offseason changes to it. They brought in Cutter Leftwich to coach the offensive line from Oregon, where he was an assistant offensive line coach. The 2023 Oregon OL was a finalist for the Joe Moore award, given to the nation’s top offensive line group. They also brought in Brian Odom to coach linebackers from USC where he previously coached inside linebackers as well as associate head coach for defense. He also filled in as interim co-defensive coordinator in 2023.
Defense is definitely where the Mean Green needs attention as you’ll see in the stats section below.
Measurables
Texas State
Let’s start what they did well.
In Coach Morris’ first season they finished 5-7 with an offense that put up some impressive numbers. They were one of only four teams who could say they had a 3,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver. They were also one of only five FBS programs ranked inside the top 25 in scoring, rushing, passing and total offense in 2023. Their offense led the AAC and was 6th in the nation in total offense (495.8 yards per game), 12th in the nation is passing (307.4 yards per game) and 21st in the nation in both rushing offense (191.2 yards per game) and scoring (34.5 points per game).
But they needed that kind of production with their defense.
The Mean Green’s defense ranked 130th or dead last in the nation in Total Defense (5,717 total yards, 6.56 yards per play, 476.4 yards per game) and Rushing Defense (3,062 yds, 255.2 yards per game, 5.63 yards per rush). They ranked 128th in the nation is scoring defense allowing 37.08 points per game. They ranked 63rd in passing yards allowed with2,655 yards for the season, 221.2 yards per game, and 8.09 yards per attempt. But who needs to pass when allowing those kinds of rushing numbers.
North Texas has 77 new players on the roster for the 2024 season, the most of any FBS program. Out of that number, 36 of them are transfers, which is tied with New Mexico State for the most transfers in FBS. A number of transfers will be starting for UNT on both sides of the ball with others sprinkled throughout the two-deep depth chart.
Listed as the starting quarterback, Chandler Morris transferred from TCU where he played in 15 games overall and started six games in 2023. In his standout game he threw for 461 yards and ran for 70 against Baylor in 2021.
Ikaika Ragsdale appeared in two games last year before suffering a season-ending injury. In 2022 he had 755 yards and 7 touchdowns.
UNT returns three of their top six receivers from last year. They combined for 93 catches, 1,235 yards and 11 touchdowns. Damon Ward Jr leads the receiver corps with 39 catches, 487 yards and 5 touchdowns a year ago. His best game came against Memphis with 8 catches for 120 yards.
Jordan Brown returns after leading the team with 83 tackles last season. They added a pair of Texas transfers to bolster their secondary along returners Jayven Anderson and Evan Jackson. Both returners were freshmen last season with Anderson finishing with 30 tackles (21 solo) and Jackson finished with 27 tackles while finishing second on the team with 3 pass breakups.
South Alabama
The Jaguar offense finished the season ranked 24th overall in total offense (440.2 yards per game, 6.38 yards per play). They were 27th in scoring (33.1 points per game), 32nd in passing (268.8 yards per game, 12.17 yards per completion), and T-48th in rushing (172 yards per game, 4.77 yards per rush).
Defensively the Jags finished 15th in the nation in total defense (313.2 yards per game), T-19th in rushing defense (113.7 yards per game, 3.22 yards per rush), T-26th in scoring defense (21.0 points per game), and 28th in passing yards allowed (199.5 yards per game, 12.47 yards per completion).
The Jags return several key players all over the field.
Offensively Gio Lopez is set up with lots of playmakers around him. He was pretty much tabbed as the quarterback of the future during his freshman season and the coaching staff used every bit of his playing time without burning a year of eligibility doing so.
Lopez will have playmakers in his pass catchers Jamaal Pritchett, Devin Voisin, Javon Ivory as well as tight end DJ Thomas-Jones. Despite losing their top receiver, Caullin Lacy, and Voisin going down with a season-ending injury in the second game of the season, the Jags return 109 receptions, 1,429 yards and 15 touchdowns between the four returners. Voisin led the 2022 receiver corps with 871 yards, was 2nd on the team with 64 catches and had five touchdowns.
Braylon McReynolds is tapped to be the starting running back to replace 1,000-yard rusher La’Damian Webb. Though McReynolds missed a huge chunk of the season due to an injury in the season-opener, he managed to see action in 5 games and rushed for 260 yards on 46 carries and adding 141 yards receiving on 17 receptions. While the numbers don’t jump off the screen as outstanding, it was his speed and elusiveness in key moments that does stand out. Kentrel Bullock, who finished 2nd to Webb with 476 yards rushing on 83 carries with four touchdowns is also back in the Jags uniform this season.
Depth at running back has been a big focus leading into the season. Expect more of a running back by committee rather than having any one running back dominating like Webb has over the past two seasons. Some of the young players will likely see some playing time too. Look for freshman #24 “Fluff” Bothwell to be one of those to see some early time and potentially make some highlights too.
The offensive line has taken three fairly substantial hits in fall camp. Mississippi State transfer Jayden Hobson left the team early in camp with the intention to join the work force. Redshirt freshman John Ward, who was the second-team right guard and was expected to eventually take over for senior Reed Buys, was medically disqualified. Most recently Lucas Taylor was medically retired from football due to a heart condition. Taylor entered camp as the Jags starting left guard.
The current starting line from left to right are Jordan Davis (R-Jr), Kenton Jerido (R-So), Malachi Preciado (R-So), Reed Buys (R-Sr), and Malachi Carney (R-So).
The Jag defense returns some names that should be familiar to fans. Wy’Kevious Thomas, Ed Smith IV, and Maurice Strong all return to the defensive line. In the secondary Ricky Fletcher, Jaden Voisin, Reggie Neely and Dallas Gamble all make their return in Jaguar uniforms.
Jack Martin returns to his punting duties while Laith Marjan takes over placekicking and kickoff duties for Diego Guajardo, who graduated.
Keys to the Game
Defense
The Jag defense is without Wommack and former defensive coordinator Corey Batoon, the architects of South Alabama Swarm D of the last three seasons. Calling the plays will be first year defensive coordinator Will Windham. Coach Windham has served on the staff each of the previous three seasons, so he’s familiar with the terminology and defensive philosophy but will be calling plays for the first time.
As for the team, the linebacker corps is probably the most concerning defensive personnel grouping.
Several of the players have seen limited action for the Jags. Many saw most of their playing time on special teams. Wolf linebacker Aakil Washington is probably the most experienced amongst the listed starters.
Offensive line
The Jags entered fall camp with three more players than they currently have. As we went over above: one left the program, one was medically disqualified, and a third was forced to medically retire.
While that is a hit on depth, some of those were either starters or expected to challenge for a starter position/be a solid second-teamer.
Similar to the linebackers, the offensive line has limited starting experience and will need to gel quickly under game pressure in order to protect Gio Lopez and give the running backs a chance.
Gio is a very mobile quarterback and is quite good at making plays, but if he’s running for his life most plays how accurate can he be?
Fundamentals
Early season games are easily won and lost based on fundamentals. After several months between seasons, with only inter-team scrimmages in the spring and fall camp attempting to simulate games, the rubber meets the road in the first game. No matter how much you try, you just cannot adequately simulate an actual game in a scrimmage. That’s why you see lots of teams try to schedule what should be an easier game to open the season.
Ball protection, pursuit angles, footwork, and execution will all be tested early and often in this game.
Prediction
The Jags have a very good test to open the season with North Texas. Perhaps a good measuring stick to gauge where the program stands to being coach Major Applewhite’s first season. It’s also an opportunity to set the tone for the season.
With the coaching changes and the personnel changes, the football program enters the season with the more open questions than they’ve had over the last couple of seasons. However, they’ll have the first three games to really solidify before South Alabama opens conference play at App State on September 19.
But they would really like to roll into Boone, NC with a 3-0 record. Each week is a one-game season. You have to focus on the game at hand, you can’t look ahead to games further down the schedule.
This week it’s North Texas and the goal is to go 1-0.
Both teams have lots of questions but maybe my red, white and blue glasses may be affecting me as I think the Jags have better skill players returning offensively. They have some solid personnel on the defensive line and secondary. So, I think the Jags pull this out, possibly in a high scoring affair. It may even come down to the final possession.
USA is a 5.5 point favorite and has been as high as an 8 point favorite leading up to the game. Maybe I’m a little too nervous about the open questions with the offensive line and linebackers. I think the Jags win, but I don’t think they’ll cover.
Go Jags!
South Alabama Rally Falls Short At Texas State 52-46
South Alabama couldn’t overcome an early 24-point deficit in the first quarter as Texas State wins 52-44 in San Marcos.
“We dug ourselves into an incredible hole and earned a loss with poor execution,” head coach Kane Wommack said after the game. “We didn’t make enough plays defensively. We weren’t nearly responsive enough. That was really the story to me all season. When we’re in tight games and tough moments, we didn’t have a defense that was responsive enough.”
DJ Thomas-Jones had three receiving touchdowns. Desmond Trotter, who came in for an injured Bradley Carter in the second half, threw for 220 yards and four touchdowns. Braylon McReynolds, who started for an injured La’Damian Webb rushed for a team-leading 79 yards on 19 carries.
After the South Alabama (6-6, 4-4 SBC) defense kept Texas State (7-5, 4-4 Sun Belt) off the scoreboard on their first possession for only the third time this season.
But on the first offensive play by the Jags, the Bobcats forced Caullin Lacy to fumble and Texas State’s Kaleb Culp scooped it up and ran it back 31 yards for the first score of the game.
On the Bobcats next possession, TJ Finley connected with Ashtyn Hawkins for a 48-yard touchdown to take a 14-0 lead at the 8:47 mark.
The Jags offense go three-and-out and the Bobcats march down the field sparked by a 31-yard run by Donerio Daveport on the first play of the drive. Jahmyl Jeter keeps the ball in the wildcat and scores from a yard out to put the Bobcats up 21-0 at the 3:38 mark in the first quarter.
Texas State catches the Jags off-guard with an onside kick and recover it at the Jags 37-yard line. The defense finally got their legs underneath them and held the Bobcats to a 28-yard field goal at the 1:05 mark of the first quarter.
“We just made too many errors in all three phases – offense, defense, special teams,” Wommack said.
South Alabama finally gets on the board early in the second quarter when Carter Bradley connected with Javon Ivory for 39-yards and his first touchdown of the season. The Jags go for a two-point conversion but it fails on an incomplete pass leaving the Jags trailing 24-6 at the 14:08 mark of the second quarter.
Texas State’s Kole Wilson caught the kickoff about two yards deep in the endzone and found a lane on the left side of his protection and returned it for a touchdown to go up 31-6 with 13:55 left in the second quarter.
After Khalil Jacobs forces a fumble and Marquise Robinson caught it and returned it 25 yards to the Bobcats 29-yard line. Diego Guajardo added a season-long 51-yard field goal.
The Jags forced a punt and got the ball back with 1:52 left in the first half. Bradley led the Jags down the field and found DJ Thomas-Jones for an 18-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion was good when Bradley went back to Thomas-Jones to make it 31-17 at halftime.
On the third play of the second half Carter Bradley would go down on a hit that aggravated his left knee injury. Desmond Trotter led the team into field goal range, but Guajardo’s 55-yard attempt had the distance but was pulled wide right.
After forcing the Bobcats the punt, Trotter hit on back-to-back passes for 19 yards to Lacy then 51 yards to Jamaal Pritchett to quickly flip the field. A couple plays later Trotter would toss a 1-yard touchdown to Thomas-Jones to cut the Texas State lead to 31-24 at the 6:41 mark of the third quarter.
Unfortunately, that would be as close as the Jags would get.
“Our offense was better in the second half,” coach Wommack said. “But our defense never gave us a chance to get back in the game enough. We had to find a way to get one more stop and we didn’t do that. That’s kind of been the take of our season, we have not been responsive enough in tough games. That’s something we’ve got to get better at.”
Texas State would go back up by two touchdowns just a little bit later. Aided by pass completions of 39 and 16 yards, the Bobcats capped off a 64-yard drive with a one-yard TJ Finley touchdown run with 3:35 left in the third quarter.
On the second play of the fourth quarter, Quentin Wilfawn tipped Finley’s pass at the line of scrimmage and Khalil Jacobs intercepted it and returned it 12 yards to the Texas State 28-yard line. Braylon McReynolds opened the drive with a 16 play rush then on the third play Trotter connected with Lacy on a perfectly thrown corner route for a 12 yard touchdown at the 12:57 mark. But the two-point conversion attempt would fall incomplete leaving the Jags trailing 38-30.
The Bobcats only needed four plays to get back on the scoreboard. Finley connected with Kole Wilson for a 24-yard score with 11:31 left in the game to go up 45-30.
Trotter led the Jags back down the field with a mix of run and pass, but the drive took 7:25 off the clock. He threw it to Thomas-Jones who used his size and hands to come down with the touchdown. The Jags got two attempts at the two-point conversion after a pass interference penalty on the first attempt. On the second, Trotter was rushed and had to move up in the pocket. He threw to the right side of the end zone, but possibly could have kept it and converted. The Jags were then down 45-36 with 4:01 left to play.
The Jags used two of their time outs on the ensuing Texas State possession, but on 3rd & 9, Finley connected with Konner Fox for 41 yards to the 1-yard line. The Jags let the Bobcats score to preserve time and go up 52-36 with 2:54 left in the game.
The game got very chippy on the Jags possession after Jordan Revels was flagged for unnecessary roughness when he leveled Thomas-Jones after the whistle had blown and Thomas-Jones was looking to the sideline. By all rights he should have been ejected, but the officials let him keep playing and Texas State kept him in the game.
Dontae Lucas was flagged on the next play for unsportsmanlike conduct, though it was actually another Jaguar, who took a shot at Revels after the play. The offense caught the Bobcats in the neutral zone on two consecutive plays, but were unable to capitalize on the free plays down the field. A few plays later Trotter connected with Hopper for a 5-yard touchdown. McReynolds converted the two-point attempt on a shovel pass from Trotter to make it 52-44 with 1:02 left in the game.
However, the Jags were unable to cover the onside kick and only had one time out which allowed Texas State to run out the clock.
Stats
After being dominated on the stats sheet in the first quarter, the Jags ended up out-gaining the Bobcats overall.
| Stat | South Alabama | Texas State |
| Total yards: | 485 | 479 |
| Passing yards: | 403 | 368 |
| Rushing Yards | 82 | 111 |
| 3rd down conversions: | 7-of-15 | 6-of-13 |
| 4th down conversions: | 2-of-2 | 1-of-1 |
| Turnovers (defensive points off) | 2 (6) | 2 (9) |
| Possession: | 31:15 | 28:45 |
Bradley finished the game 18-of-24 for 183 yards and two touchdowns before having to exit the game. Trotter finished out 19-of-22 for 220 yards, four touchdowns and an interception.
“I’m so proud of Desmond Trotter,” Wommack said. “He answered the bell and made play after play. He’s worked so hard every single day. He’s been the guy ready at a moment’s notice. He was selfless when we put Gio in versus Troy. I didn’t want to burn Gio’s redshirt, but we wanted to give Dez a shot and what a tremendous job he did. We would have loved to be able to execute better so he had a chance to win it at the end.”
Caullin Lacy led with 11 catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. Thomas-Jones had 56 yards on nine catches with the three touchdowns. McReynolds had six catches for 70 yards. Javon Ivory had 85 yards on four catches with a touchdown. Pritchett had four catches for 81 yards.
McReynolds added 79 yards rushing on 19 carries. Trotter had 20 yards on seven carries. Marco Lee Jr had 4 yards on four carries.
Several Jags all finished with six stops each – James Miller, Ricky Fletcher, Quentin Wilfawn, Khalil Jacobs and Charles Coleman III. Wilfawn and Jacobs both had sacks in the game with Jacobs getting the only interception by the Jags.
TJ Finley finished 19-of-28 for 368 yards, three touchdowns and an interception.
Kole Wilson led the Bobcats with six catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. Ashtyn Hawkins led all receivers with 131 yards on five catches with a touchdown.
Ismail Mahdi had 97 yards on 23 carries with a touchdown. Donerio Davenport added 35 yards on six carries. Jahmyl Jeter had two carries for 3 yards and a touchdown.
Next
South Alabama will officially find out their bowl destination on Sunday, December 3rd. Go to usajaguars.com/tickets/bowlgames to secure your tickets to any of the three bowl games that the Sun Belt Conference is tied to in case the Jags are selected to one of them. You will not be charged and the ticket office will contact you BEFORE charging you if you have tickets selected for one of the SBC tie-in bowl games. This helps the Jags with ticket-commitments to lobby for their selection by the respective bowl committees.
See you at the Bowl Game!
Preview: South Alabama Looking For First Win In San Marcos Against Texas State
Kickoff: Saturday, November 25, 6:00pm
Venue: Bobcat Stadium, San Marcos, TX
TV/Streaming: NFL Network
Radio: 96.1 fm The Rocket, Sports Talk 99.5 fm, iHeartRadio App
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With the Jags back-to-back wins over the last two weeks, they have achieved bowl-eligibility with one game left in the season. These last two games have been won on the defensive side of the ball.
South Alabama (6-5, 4-3 Sun Belt) forced two takeaways on Marshall’s first two possessions last Saturday. Though the Jaguar offense was only able to capitalize with a pair of field goals, they set the tone for the game. The defense shut down the run game and the entire Marshall offense for most of the game.
Texas State (6-5, 3-4 SBC) started the season 4-1 but have sense gone 2-4 and dropped their last two games. Two weeks ago they fell to Coastal Carolina 31-23 but last week they were routed by Arkansas State 77-31. The Bobcats allowed 7 rushing touchdowns in the game. They allowed three defensive touchdowns (in the second half), and a 93-yard kick return touchdown in the third quarter.
The Bobcats gave up three scores of 40+ yard runs in the first half. Then allowed three touchdowns over a seven-minute span early in the third quarter to fall behind 56-17. The Red Wolves has back-to-back pick-sixes to go up 77-24 with 10:39 left in the game. The Red Wolves didn’t take a snap between 8:20 mark in the third quarter and the 6:19 mark in the fourth quarter.
Both teams are bowl eligible, but ending the season with a win has some huge upside. It helps secure a winning season, is more enticing for a bowl game to choose them, and gives momentum into post-season play.
The all-time record is even between South Alabama and Texas State. Homefield advantage is strong in this series. Each school is a perfect 4-0 playing at home. Half of the games have been decided by seven points or less. The Jags would love to break through and get their first road win against the Bobcats, like they were able to do against ULM a few weeks ago.
Texas State (6-5, 3-4 SBC)
Head coach GJ Kinne is in his first season as head coach of the Bobcats and only his second season as a head coach in his career. His first season as a head coach was at FCS Incarnate Word where he led the team to a 12-2 record (5-1 Southland Conference) with a season-ending loss in the FCS Division I semifinals and a #7 national ranking. The offense was ranked #1 in all of NCAA Division I – FBS and FCS – with 51.5 points and 581.2 yards per game.
Kinne came into Texas State and put together a newcomer class of 53 scholarship players which was rated by 247Sports as the program’s best in its FBS history. Kinne and the Bobcats grabbed attention in their season opener when they upset Baylor 42-31 for the program’s first win over a Power 5 program. They then scored 77 points in the home opener against Jackson State, which was one point shy of tying the program record for most points in a game.
The Bobcats have a turnover margin of -8 on the season. They’ve given the ball away 21 times total; eight interceptions and 13 fumbles lost. Defensively they’ve had 13 takeaways; they’ve intercepted five passes and recovered eight fumbles.
Offense
| Stat | Average per game |
| Points | 34.55 |
| Total Offense | 471.1 |
| Passing Offense | 272.91 |
| Rushing Offense | 198.2 |
| Time of Possession | 29:08 |
| Penalty Yards | 65.91 |
TJ Finley is 245-of-357 (68.63%) for 2,919 yards with 21 touchdowns to 7 interceptions on the season.
Joey Hobert leads the team with 71 catches for 847 yards and 8 touchdowns in 10 games. Ashtyn Hawkins has 688 yards on 47 catches with two touchdowns. Kole Wilson has 55 catches for 595 yards and 7 touchdowns.
Ismail Mahdi leads the team with 1,112 yards on 176 attempts with nine touchdowns. Donerio Daveport has 423 yards on 84 carries with two touchdowns. Malik Hornsby has 229 yards on 35 carries with 6 touchdowns. Finley sixth on the team with 101 yards on 65 carries with five touchdowns.
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 69-of-154 (44.81%) |
| 4th Downs | 19-of-30 (63.33%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 45-of-53 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 35-of-53 |
| Penalties – Yards | 77-725 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 20-13 |
Defense
| Stat | Average Allowed per Game |
| Points | 32.91 |
| Total Offense | 408.7 |
| Passing Offense | 244.0 |
| Rushing Offense | 164.7 |
| Time of Possession | 30:52 |
| Penalty Yards | 46.64 |
Brian Holloway leads the defense with 83 total stops, 45 solo, with a team leading 12.5 Tackles for Loss (TFL) and also a team leading two interceptions, with ½ sack, 8 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles and two forced fumbles. Shawn Holton is next in line with 74 total stops (53 solo) with an interception, two pass breakups, and four forced fumbles. Kaleb Culp is third on the team with 64 total stops, 42 solo, with 1.5 TFS, five pass breakups, three fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.
Ben Bell is second on the team with 12 TFLs and leads the team with 7 sacks.
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 78-of-164 (47.56%) |
| 4th Downs | 13-of-30 (43.33%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 40-of-48 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 32-of-48 |
| Penalties – Yards | 61-513 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 22-8 |
Special Teams
Mason Shipley is a perfect 13-of-13 placekicking this season. His long on the year is 47 yards and hasn’t attempted a kick of 50+ yards on the season.
Seamus O’Kelly is averaging 41.33 yards per punt with a long of 55, 15 fair catches, five downed inside the 20 and five that have gone 50+ yards.
South Alabama (6-5, 4-3 SBC)
After having a turnover margin of +2 last week against Marshall, the Jags are no even for the season through 11 games. The Jags have given the ball away 17 times in total, nine interceptions and eight fumbles. Meanwhile the Jag defense has 17 total takeaways with 10 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries.
Offense
| Stat | Average per Game |
| Points | 29.73 |
| Total Offense | 420.3 |
| Passing Offense | 252.73 |
| Rushing Offense | 167.5 |
| Time of Possession | 30:26 |
| Penalty Yards | 57.64 |
Carter Bradley is 203-of-302 (67.22%) for 2,477 yards with 17 touchdowns to 7 interceptions for the year.
Caullin Lacy leads the team with 1,222 yards on 80 catches with 6 touchdowns. Jamaal Pritchett has 675 yards on 45 catches with 6 touchdowns as well. DJ Thomas-Jones has 165 yards on 17 catches.
La’Damian Webb became the first Jaguar to rush for over 1,000 yards in two seasons in program history. He has 1,007 yards on 186 carries with 16 touchdowns. Kentrel Bullock has 380 yards on 77 carries with three touchdowns. Marco Lee Jr has 216 yards on 49 carries with 2 touchdowns.
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 65-of-150 (42.67%) |
| 4th Downs | 15-of-24 (62.5%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 34-of-38 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 28-of-38 |
| Penalties – Yards | 74-634 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 13-8 |
Defense
| Stat | Average Allowed per Game |
| Points | 19.18 |
| Total Offense | 312.5 |
| Passing Offense | 195.27 |
| Rushing Offense | 117.3 |
| Time of Possession | 29:34 |
| Penalty Yards | 46.18 |
Quentin Wilfawn continues to lead the team with 75 total stops, 44 solo stops, 13.5 TFLs, and 5.5 sacks. Trey Kiser is next with 63 total stops, 28 solo stops, and 8.5 TFLs with 2.5 sacks.
Jamie Sheriff and Brock Higdon are tied for 2nd on the team with 3 sacks each.
Khalil Jacobs is third on the team with 6.5 TFLs. Jamie Sheriff has 6 TFLs.
Jaden Voisin leads the team with 4 interceptions. Marquise Robinson has two interceptions. Yam Banks, Maurice Strong Jr, Jalen Jordan, and Wesley Miller each have one interception each.
| Stat | Cumulative for Season |
| 3rd Downs | 48-of-147 (32.65%) |
| 4th Downs | 7-of-17 (41.18%) |
| Red Zone Scoring Attempts | 19-of-26 |
| Red Zone Touchdowns | 11-of-26 |
| Penalties – Yards | 62-508 |
| Fumbles – Lost | 13-7 |
Special Teams
Diego Guajardo is 12-of-16 (75%) placekicking for the Jags. He made a season-long 47-yard kick last week against Marshall. Two of his misses have been in the 40–49-yard distance and the other two have been both of his 50+ yard attempts.
Jack Martin is averaging 39.71 yards per punt. That average is skewed by a punt he had to quickly get off after a bad snap that was very nearly blocked. Of his punts his long on the season is 54 yards, 18 have been fair caught, 11 downed inside the 20, three have gone 50+ yards, one being a touchback.
Injuries
DJ Thomas-Jones left the game on the first drive of the second half after the officials indicated he needed to be checked out. After he came off the field, he entered into the concussion protocol and did not return. Concussions are impossible to forecast a timeline to return, each one is different.
Jacob Hopper also left the Marshall game with an injury. Since Lincoln Sefcik will miss remainder of the season the once deep tight end position could be pretty thin if Thomas-Jones or Hopper are unable to play on Saturday. However both have reportedly been practicing this week.
Jordan Davis was helped to the sideline and was eventually carted to the locker room before halftime. It’s unknown the extent of his injury or if he may be available this week. I would not expect him to be able to go as a hunch. Josh McCulloch, who Davis replaced, may be ready to return to action after suffering a knee injury in practice leading up to the Oklahoma State game.
Dontae Lucas also missed some game time last week but is likely to play against Texas State.
Keys to the Game
Jaguar Defensive Front vs Texas State’s Offensive Line
Texas State has a potent offense. They roll up a lot of yards both through the air and on the ground. But it all starts at the line of scrimmage. The Bobcats like to run the ball in order to open up the passing game. The Jags defensive front needs to stop the run first then they need to attack and pressure Finley to make him uncomfortable. He’s not really known for running the ball all that much. He is just 81 yards short of passing for 3,000 yards on the season and has 21 touchdowns. Getting pressure on him will be key.
But they cannot simply sell-out to pressure Finley either because the Bobcats average close to 200 yards rushing per game themselves. The Jags have been caught blitzing and the opposing offense found some success running into the blitz.
Honestly it will take an entire defense effort with good coverage in the secondary, attacking defensive front to pressure the quarterback, and containment of the running backs.
Turnovers
Similar to Marshall, Texas State tends to turnover the ball quite a bit. The Jags need to challenge the Bobcats and force some turnovers. The Red Wolves were able to score on a pair of pick-sixes in the second half when they forced the Bobcats to throw the ball a lot due to game script.
But the Bobcats suffer more from ball security than interceptions. They have fumbled 20 times on the season and lost 13 of them to their opponents.
Offensive Efficiency
Though the Jags have won the last two weeks, they have done so more though defense than offense. They have struggled converting third downs and taking advantage of short fields or takeaways.
The offense had great field position after two takeaways from Marshall and were only able to turn them into a pair of field goals. They were also unable to punch the ball in from the 1-yard line on multiple tries too. The final try was a leap by La’Damian Webb where he was marked inches short of the goal line.
With Texas State’s productive offense, the Jags defense will have their work cut out for them. The offense needs to be able to convert more on third down to extend drives and keep the ball away from the Bobcat offense.
While the Jag offense is clearly better when Bradley is at quarterback, the defenses have turned up their pressure to try to get to him. He’s made good decisions with the ball and has shown that he can move to protect himself but he hasn’t tucked the ball and ran with it much since the injury against Louisiana that caused him to sit out against Troy.
Prediction
South Alabama opened as a 5.5-point favorite against the Bobcats.
The Jags have never won in San Marcos. Some of the losses have been heartbreaking too. Texas State has already improved their win totals by two games over their records the last two seasons. They enter this game after a disastrous second half against Arkansas State where they had 28 points scored off of four turnovers and also allowed seven rushing touchdowns. Three of those rushing touchdowns were runs of 40+ yards.
The Jags have been an inconsistent team this season that goes in cycles, generally in twos.
After a season-opening loss at Tulane, they started the two-game pattern. Wins over Southeastern Louisiana and Oklahoma State. Losses to Central Michigan and James Madison. Blowout wins over ULM and Southern Miss. Losses to Lafayette and Troy. Defensive wins over Arkansas State and Marshall.
Now what.
Complete the cycle with a loss? Or break the cycle with a win?
As I joke every game day, it depends on which team gets off the bus on gameday. If the right team shows up, they can definitely win.
I’m going to roll with the Jags to win and cover this week. I think they are motivated and ready to make some more program history. The first win in San Marcos and securing back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in the FBS.
Go Jags!