Preview: Southern Miss at South Alabama
Kickoff: Saturday September 4, 7:00 pm
Venue: Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, Alabama
TV: ESPN+
Radio: Sports Talk 99.5FM, 96.1FM The Rocket, iHeartRadio
The new era of South Alabama football gets underway Saturday, September 4, 2021 with the 7pm kickoff at Hancock-Whitney Stadium against Southern Miss.
Gone is Steve Campbell after three seasons and only nine wins to show for it.
In a homecoming of sorts, Kane Wommack was hired after being a finalist for the Broyles Award last season as defensive coordinator at Indiana University. The hire makes Wommack the youngest head coach in FBS football at 34 years old.
Just like his previous stint at South Alabama, Wommack brings a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm to the field and locker room. Few get more excited about a big play than he does.
Coach Wommack brought in Corey Batoon, who is well versed in his 4-2-5 SwarmD system. The SwarmD system was developed by Coach Wommack’s father, Dave Wommack, and is the scheme that coach Kane Wommack has implemented and improved throughout his coaching career. The same system produced 18 takeaways last season for Indiana.
Wommack also brought in Major Applewhite as offensive coordinator to give the Jaguars struggling offense a makeover.
Applewhite spent the last two seasons on the Alabama staff as an analyst. Prior to that he was head coach at Houston where he took over after being Tom Herman’s offensive coordinator.
Additionally, two offensive assistant coaches hired were Rob Ezell and Gordon Steele who were also analysts at Alabama. Steele is the son of former Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele.
Newcomers Making Impact
Coach Wommack and his staff brought in a total of 19 newcomers intent to make an immediate impact. After taking over as head coach in December, the Jags brought in 13 Division I scholarship transfers, three junior college transfers as well as a few walk-ons. Additionally they brought in a healthy number of high school signees, which are the foundation of the Jaguars future.
Out of those newcomers, eight of them are expected to start against Southern Miss on Saturday. Six of those starters are on the offensive side of the ball.
Leading that group, and arguably the most high-profile, is quarterback Jake Bentley. Bentley started his collegiate career at South Carolina in 2016 being redshirted. They removed his redshirt and in his second start he led the Gamecocks to an upset win over nationally ranked Tennessee. He started the remainder of that season. In 2018 he set the single-game passing record with 510 yards in a loss to eventual national champion Clemson in Death Valley.
Over four seasons at South Carolina and one at Utah, Bentley has a 62.4% completion rate with 61 touchdowns to 38 interceptions. He won the starting job in spring practice over Desmond Trotter.
Another high-profile transfer is Kareem Walker. He comes to USA from Mississippi State and won the starting job in preseason camp.
The offensive line, which has been a serious problem the last couple of seasons, sees three newcomers slated to start. Also a true freshman is listed as second string at left and right guard. This group may be impacted the most by the newcomers.
Defensively Jamal Brooks (Missouri) is the only newcomer slated to start. He beat out a number of returning players for the position and will be tasked with calling the defensive signals this fall as well. Six other newcomers are listed on the defensive depth chart though.
Travis Drosos (Colorado) is listed as the starting long snapper on special teams.
Most of these new faces are not on their last year of eligibility either. Of the 19 brought in, 14 of them have at least two years of eligibility left. Some have four years of eligibility remaining.
Injuries
Linebacker Nick Mobley, a three-year starter for the Jaguars, was medically disqualified prior to fall camp. The team doctors detected a condition to the neck and spine area and for his wellbeing he is not allowed to play. Mobley had 94 tackles for the Jaguars last season.
The only significant injury the Jaguars have suffered in preseason camp was defensive end Jamie Sheriff. Sheriff sustained a torn LCL in his left knee which will require surgery and will sideline him until spring. Sheriff was practicing with the first-team defense at the Bandit position.
Charles Coleman III, a sophomore from Huntsville, AL, is listed as the projected starter against the Golden Eagles in place of Sheriff.
Southern Miss
The Jags defeated Southern Miss in the 2020 season opener in Hattiesburg. That led to the resignation of Jay Hopson after the “highly disappointing home loss.”
USM hired Will Hall, the former Tulane offensive coordinator, to helm the program. Hall got his first head coaching position when he was promoted from offensive coordinator at West Alabama after the retirement of Bobby Wallace. He spent three seasons there before taking the head coaching position at West Georgia for three years. He then served as offensive coordinator at Louisiana-Lafayette and Memphis for one season each before spending the last two at Tulane again as an OC.
In his six seasons as a Division II head coach he compiled a 56-20 record, losing no more then four games in a season.
USM has a veteran offense returning 10 starters from last season. The receiving corps could possibly be one of the better groups in Conference USA. However the Golden Eagles were plagued with turnovers a year ago. They committed 16 turnover, which was 35th most in the nation.
The difference in these two teams match up last season was the Jaguar defensive front tackling and applying pressure on the quarterback. It was one of the few times they were able to do that last year.
USM has Frank Gore Jr and Darius Maberry as a formidable 1-2 punch in the backfield and will be featured in Coach Hall’s power running attack. Add in running quarterback Trey Lowe III, a West Virginia transfer who started three games last season, you have another dimension USM didn’t have last season.
South Alabama Offense
USA allowed 40 sacks last season which was 126th in the nation. Running backs only averaged 2.9 yards per carry last season. Those were two big reasons why it was a priority to bring in some help on the offensive line.
To help bolster the running back position, the Jags brought in Kareem Walker. Carlos Davis, the Jags leading rusher a year ago, was indefinitely suspended prior to spring practice and entered the transfer portal.
The Jaguar offense only converted 39.1% of their 3rd down attempts ranking in at 71st in the nation last season. They also averaged 358.5 yards of offense per game (95th in the nation). Most of that yardage came through the air as they averaged 247.2 yards per game (46th in the nation).
But what matters most, the Jags averaged 19.9 points per game which was 112th in the nation.
The Jags have had inconsistent quarterback play for a number of years now. Bentley and offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Major Applewhite look to turn that around. Going against a young defensive coordinator may help that effort.
It also helps when you have a receiver like Jalen Tolbert, probably among the best in the nation, on the receiving side of your passes. Then add Jalen Wayne, Caullin Lacy, and Cade Sutherland into the mix and you really have some downfield targets to throw to.
South Alabama Defense
Defensively the Jags only allowed 27.3 points per game (53rd in the nation) and forced 14 turnovers (49th).
However they allowed 436.4 yards per game (92nd), 261.9 yards passing per game (104th), and 8.7 yards per pass (114th).
Expecting an immediate turnaround in the defense may be unreasonable. The players have been learning the 4-2-5 SwarmD system and haven’t been put that system into practice under game conditions.
However between coach Wommack and coach Batoon, I feel they will be as prepared as they can be come game time. The fundamentals they have been building through spring practice and preseason camp will only be reinforced as the season progresses.
As mentioned previously, Jamal Brooks will be calling the defensive signals for the Jags from the Mike position. He will be tasked as the primary defender of USM’s running backs, primarily Frank Gore Jr. Gore Jr. rushed for 708 yards and two touchdowns on 121 carries as the leading rusher for the Golden Eagles. Gore Jr.
Devin Rockette enters his third season as a starting cornerback for USA. He and the Jags secondary will have to cover Jason Brownlee, the Golden Eagles leading receiver from a year ago. But throw in sophomore quarterback Trey Love III adding a running dimension to the offense and you have more to prepare for.
Golden Eagle head coach Will Hall has installed his power running attack offense but that goes against the strength of the Jaguars defense from last season.
Jag nose tackle Gi’Narious Johnson will be lining up opposite sixth-year senior center Arvin Fletcher. Fletcher has started 47 games as a Golden Eagle and is truly the anchor of the USM offensive line. Johnson, a freakishly strong player, can make it a very long night if he is able to consistently disrupt the center of the USM offensive line.
Keys to the Game
Offensive Line
The new staff identified the offense line as a position of need and addressed it in the offseason. Three newcomers will be starting on the offensive line. Getting good play out of this position will be key to get the Jaguar offense in gear and scoring points.
Quarterback
Jake Bentley brings a wealth of experience to the team. The sixth-year senior has started at South Carolina and Utah. He set the single-game passing record at South Carolina with 510 yards against Clemson.
While Desmond Trotter was not a bad player, he was simply beat out for the position. In a real competition for the starting position, Trotter looked much improved and ready to step in if needed.
Defense
This one is quite broad. The Jaguar secondary had problems last season. They will have to play better in order to have an improved season. But with a Broyles Finalist as your head coach along with coach Batoon’s experience with the SwarmD system he has improved, I think it will happen.
While the rush defense for the Jags was their strong point, they will be tried by Southern Miss on Saturday. Coach Hall has implemented his signature power rushing attack in Hattisburg. With a veteran and physical offensive line, they will present a serious challenge for the Jags.
Taking away the rushing attack and forcing USM into a one-dimensional offense with a young starting quarterback could be key to a Jags win.
Prediction
Both coaches are full of energy and are looking to start their tenure with a win. Hall the first has a FBS head coach and Wommack the first as a head coach, period.
The cultural change at South Alabama is quite evident and the players have bought into what the coaches have teaching. The defense picked up the system faster than anticipated, which is quite promising.
Southern Miss is a 1.5 point favorite in Mobile.
I think the Jags will start the season with a homefield win in what feels like the real debut of Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Sun Belt Conference And USA Football Release Kickoff And TV Times For Three Games
The University of South Alabama and the Sun Belt Conference released kickoff times and broadcast details for three of the Jaguars games this season.
The season opener, and head coaching debut of Coach Wommack, against Southern Miss will kick off at 7pm at Hancock Whitney Stadium and will be broadcast on ESPN+. The September 11th game against Bowling Green in Ohio will kick off at 3pm and will also be broadcast on ESPN+.
The Jaguars conference matchup against Georgia Southern at Hancock Whitney Stadium on Thursday, October 14th will kickoff at 6:30pm and will be broadcast on ESPN3.
According to the University kickoff times and broadcast details for the remaining games will be announced at a later date.
Kane Wommack Officially Named Head Coach At South Alabama
The University of South Alabama officially announced that Kane Wommack will be only the third head football coach in South Alabama history on Saturday.
Welcome 🏠 @KaneWommack!
— South Alabama Jaguar Athletics (@WeAreSouth_JAGS) December 12, 2020
Full release ▶️ https://t.co/GAvFBg4X8K#Something2Prove pic.twitter.com/NaorcalwWz
Coach Wommack, 33, will be the youngest head coach in the FBS ranks.
Wommack is in his third season as linebackers coach and his second season as the defensive coordinator at Indiana and is a candidate for the Broyles Award after helping the Hoosiers to a #8 ranking in this weeks AP poll.
Our previous post had an extensive rundown of his accomplishments at Indiana.
In his first year at Indiana as the youngest Power 5 defensive coordinator his squad finished in the top-50 nationally in scoring, total, rush, and pass defense.
Prior to Indiana, Wommack was the defensive coordinator at South Alabama under head coach Joey Jones from 2016-2017. He was also the youngest defensive coordinator in FBS at the time. His defense ranked in the top-10 nationally in pass defense (174.6 yards per game). They also allowed 10 fewer points per game over the previous season which ranked them the 5th best improved defense in FBS. In 2017, the Jags were ranked in the top-15 nationally in both red zone defense and fumble recoveries.
Jeremy Reaves, currently with the Washington Football Team in the NFL, was a two-time first-team all-SBC selection and the the school’s first-ever Defensive Player of the Year in 2017. Randy Allen, Bull Barge, Roman Buchanan, Kalen Jackson, and Darrell Songy all earned all-league honors during Wommack’s two years at USA.
Prior to USA he served as defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Eastern Illinois where they finished in the top 25 of the final national poll in 2015 after a first-round appearance in the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs.
Previously he was at Ole Miss from 2012-2013, Jacksonville State 2011, and Tennessee-Martin in 2010.
He began his playing career at Arkansas where he was a fullback in 2005-06 as the Razorbacks won the SEC West in his second season. After transferring to Southern Miss, he helped the Golden Eagles to three straight bowl appearances before earning his degree in 2009 and became a volunteer assistant at the school.
Kane and his wife Melissa have three sons named Asher (6), Tatum (4), and Jones (1).
Wommack had support from various former players, including Reaves.
Mood!!!!!!!!!!!! Proud to be a Jag today ❤️ Welcome home @KaneWommack @MCWommack pic.twitter.com/p4QjUQLjw1
— Jeremy Reaves (@JR1ERA) December 12, 2020
@KaneWommack GOOD TO HAVE YA BACK COACH!!!!
— Nick Mobley (@lone29wolf) December 12, 2020
Welcome back to Mobile and Jag Nation.
Kane Wommack To Be South Alabama’s New Head Coach
Kane Wommack has reportedly been selected and agreed to terms to be the next head football coach for the University of South Alabama according to multiple sources. This news comes five days after Steve Campbell was dismissed following a 4-7 season.
Coach Wommack is only the third head coach in the programs short history that dates back to the 2009 season. He is also the youngest head coach in FBS football at 33 years of age. He has also been nominated for the Broyles Award, which honors the nation’s top assistant coach.
He reportedly was chosen over former FBS head coaches Jim McElwain and Butch Jones, as well as assistant coaches Charles Huff (Alabama) and Tee Martin (Tennessee).
Wommack comes to South from Indiana University where he was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach since December 27, 2018. In his first season as coordinator they finished in the top 50 in several categories: 12th defensive touchdowns, T27th fumbles recovered, 34th in 3rd down conversions, 36th in total defense, T38th in 1st downs, 43rd in rush defense, 45th in scoring defense, 46th in pass defense and 48th in pass efficiency defense.
While the 2020 season has been an odd one with some widely different number of games completed, his defense is currently ranked 1st in interceptions, 1st red zone defense (57.9%), T14th in sacks (17 ints, 3 fumble recoveries, and +10 as a team), 17th in pass defense efficiency, 20th in scoring defense, 27th in fewest defensive penalties, T37th in rush defense, 38th in total defense, and 38th in 3rd down defense. This has helped the Hoosiers to a #12 ranking in the College Football Playoff standing.
Prior to Indiana, he served as the Jags defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for two seasons under head coach Joey Jones. When Wommack was hired he was the youngest defensive coordinator in FBS.
During his two seasons at USA the Jags defense was the 13th-most improved scoring defense and rush defense in the nation, and the 5th-most improved nationally in scoring defense while ranking in the top-10 nationally in pass defense. They finished in the top 5 in the Sun Belt in pass defense, pass efficiency defense, tackles for loss, and 3rd down conversion defense. Safety Jeremy Reaves was named the 2017 SBC Defensive player of the year and twice first team all-conference honoree. The 2017 defense allowed 22 or fewer points in regulation in seven of the eight conference games.
Kane grew up around the game. His father Dave Wommack has been a coach since 1981. Dave has been defensive coordinator at Southwest Missouri State, UNLV, Southern Miss, Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Arkansas State and Ole Miss.
Kane’s coaching career began as quarterbacks coach at the University of Tennesee-Martin in 2010.
Then in 2011, Wommack served as a graduate assistant on Jack Crowe’s Jacksonville State staff working with the defensive line.
He served on Hugh Freeze’s staff at Ole Miss as a graduate assistant on his father’s, Dave Wommack, defensive staff from 2012-2013. He helped coach the Husky position in his fathers 4-2-5 defense.
Kane then served as the defensive coordinator at Eastern Illinois from 2014-2015 where they ranked 2nd in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring and fourth in takeaways with four defensive players earning all-OVC honors. In his second season there he helped them make a first-round appearance in the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS playoffs and a top-25 ranking prior to joining Joey Jones’ staff at South Alabama.
Coach Wommack will have a short time to assemble his staff as the Early Signing Period starts on December 16. They will have to evaluate the group of players that Campbells staff had recruited and had committed.
Kane and his wife Melissa have three sons, Asher (6), Tatum (4) and Jones (1).
Welcome back to #JagNation Coach Wommack!
One Team, One Goal, Let’s Win!
South Alabama Announces Campbell Will Not Return
It’s was previously reported that it was expected that South Alabama would be making a change at head coach. It has not been confirmed with an official announcement by Director of Athletics Joel Erdmann and the University.
He informed the team at a 2pm team meeting.
University of South Alabama Director of Athletics Joel Erdmann announced Sunday that Steve Campbell will not return as head coach of the Jaguar football program.https://t.co/9Zn1NOiaYp pic.twitter.com/ibhOpFm2gQ
— South Alabama Football (@WeAreSouth_FB) December 6, 2020
In three seasons at South Alabama, Campbell compiled a 9-26 record overall as the head coach. He had one year left on his 4 year contract that was signed in December 2017. Reportedly his $350,000 buyout was paid by a program booster.
It had looked like Campbell had secured his job for one more season after notching the programs first-ever win in Jonesboro, Arkansas against Arkansas State on November 28. However an embarrassing 29-0 shutout at home to in-state rival Troy for the first-ever meeting between the two in brand new, $80 million Hancock Whitney Stadium was too much to overcome. The Jaguars had never been shutout at home and finished the 2020 season 4-7.
The 2019 season his team finished 2-10 with their only FBS win came on a season ending upset of Arkansas State behind a stellar five catch, 144 yard and four touchdown performance by Jalen Tolbert.
Campbell came to South Alabama after a four-year stint at Central Arkansas where he went 33-15 and going 24-3 in the Southland Conference. In each of his last two seasons his teams went to the playoffs but were knocked out in the second round each time.
Prior to UCA, Campbell led Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College to an 87-22 record and the 2007 National Junior College Athletic Association national champion during his 10 seasons as the helm.
During his three season stint at Delta State from 1999-2001, his teams posted a 27-8 record including a 14-1 record and the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2000.
Until his time at South Alabama Campbell had never finished with a losing record, however his Jaguar teams were continually plagued by poor performing offensive lines, an offense that struggled to score, and a porous defense that slowly improved through his tenure along with longtime defensive coordinator Greg Stewart.
We would like to also thank coach Campbell and his staff for their hard work for the student-athletes, administration, and the University. We wish them and their families the best.
Campbell became only the second head coach in South Alabama football history after Joey Jones’ contract was not renewed after the 2017 season.
The University will look to fill the position quickly with the early signing period begins on December 16.
Dan Parker of the Parker Search Firm is leading the search for the replacement.
Early names being floated or who have expressed interest are Indiana DC and former USA DC Kane Wommack, Tennessee WR coach Tee Martin, Ole Miss OC Jeff Lebby, Alabama RB coach Charles Huff, Alabama DB coach Karl Scott, Notre Dame RB coach/Run Game Coordinator Lance Taylor, and Wofford head coach Josh Conklin.
South Alabama Expected To Move On From Steve Campbell
It’s being reported that South Alabama will be moving on from head football coach Steve Campbell.
There is a team meeting scheduled for 2pm where it is expected he will make the announcement to the team.
In three seasons at South Alabama, Campbell compiled a 9-26 record overall as the head coach.
It had looked like Campbell had secured his job for one more season after notching the programs first-ever win in Jonesboro, Arkansas against Arkansas State on November 28. However an embarrassing 29-0 shutout at home to in-state rival Troy for the first-ever meeting between the two in brand new, $80 million Hancock Whitney Stadium was too much to overcome. The Jaguars had never been shutout at home and finished the 2020 season 4-7.
The 2019 season his team finished 2-10 with their only FBS win came on a season ending upset of Arkansas State behind a stellar five catch, 144 yard and four touchdown performance by Jalen Tolbert.
Campbell came to South Alabama after a four-year stint at Central Arkansas where he went 33-15 and going 24-3 in the Southland Conference. In each of his last two seasons his teams went to the playoffs but were knocked out in the second round each time.
Prior to UCA, Campbell led Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College to an 87-22 record and the 2007 National Junior College Athletic Association national champion during his 10 seasons as the helm.
During his three season stint at Delta State from 1999-2001, his teams posted a 27-8 record including a 14-1 record and the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2000.
Until his time at South Alabama Campbell had never finished with a losing record, however his Jaguar teams were continually plagued by poor performing offensive lines, an offense that struggled to score, and a porous defense that slowly improved through his tenure along with longtime defensive coordinator Greg Stewart.
Early names being floated as a replacement are Indiana DC and former USA DC Kane Wommack, Tennessee WR coach Tee Martin, Carolina Panthers RB coach Jeff Nixon, and Alabama RB coach Charles Huff.
South Alabama Falls To Troy In Season Finale 29-0
South Alabama dropped their third consecutive ‘Battle For The Belt’ to Troy 29-0. The Jaguars (4-7, 3-5 Sun Belt Conference) was stymied in the first half, particularly in the second quarter, by the Trojans (5-5, 3-3 SBC).
In the end the “battle” felt more like a flailing or a flogging depending on which side you were on.
Despite coming into the game missing a few players and with a few players banged up, the Jags expected to compete in the game. Missing linebacker Christian Bell, tight end Brandon Crum, and wide receiver Kawaan Baker the Jags were missing some key contributors. But they also had player banged up such as Riley Cole, Desmond Trotter, and backup quarterback Tanner McGee.
It was the first time in program history that the Jags have been held scoreless at home, in either Ladd-Peebles Stadium and in the first season at Hancock Whitney stadium. It’s also the first time in the series that a school has won three consecutive games.
It is only the second time in school history that the Jags have been shut out in a game. The only other time was a 52-0 loss at Georgia Southern that effectively ended Joey Jones’ tenure at head coach.
The first points of the game were not scored until there was 6:02 left in the opening quarter. Troy had converted all five 3rd down attempts prior to the failing to convert on 3rd and goal at the Jaguar 1 yard line. The Trojans settled for a 22 yard field goal for the early 3-0 lead.
It was the second quarter where the Trojans did their most damage and pretty much put the game away.
The Jags opened the second quarter with a punt and Troy converted both 3rd down attempts on the drive and finished the touchdown drive with a 15 yard pass from Gunnar Watson to Khalil McClain to grow their lead to 10-0 with 11:06 left in the second quarter.
After connecting with Jalen Wayne for 11 yards on 3rd down, Trotter would get sacked and fumble the ball which Troy would recover at the Jaguar 28 yard line. Three plays later the Trojans would score again on a 15 yard pass from Watson to Kaylon Geiger with 9:26 left in the first half.
South Alabama drove down to the Troy 37 before facing 4th and 5, instead of letting Diego Gujardo try to match this career long head coach Steve Campbell opted to leave the offense on the field down three scores. Trotter threw low and behind his intended receiver and TJ Harris picked him of on a diving catch to take over at the Troy 32.
Continuing to use their very up-tempo offense, the Trojans marched right down the field gashing the defense. On the eighth and final play of the drive, Watson found Tray Eafford for a 21 yard touchdown pass to go up 24-0 with 3:56 left in first half.
After starting at their own 35 yard line from a kickoff out of bounds, the Jags drove down to the Trojans 36 yard line. Facing 4th and 9, Trotter would hold onto the ball too long and get sacked to turn the ball over on downs at the Troy 44 with only 31 seconds left until halftime.
Yet Troy was still not done.
Watson connected on two quick passes for 12 and 11 yards before calling time out at the Jaguar 33 yard line with 15 seconds left in the half. Then Watson connected with Vidal again but for only 6 yards forcing the Trojans to use their final time out with 10 seconds left. Troy head coach Chip Lindsey opted to kick to try for the points with a 44 yard field goal. Coach Campbell called a time out just prior to the snap, but Evan Legassey went ahead and kicked it, missing it wide right. The following snap he would split the uprights to go up 27-0 with 8 seconds left.
When the teams finally headed to the locker room, Troy had put up 24 points in the quarter.
The second half was mostly just running the clock out for Troy. South Alabama moved the ball better but never could hit paydirt.
The Jags Devin Rockette blocked the only scoring attempt in the second half by the Trojans. However Troy also blocked Jack Brooks punt attempt a short time later. The ball went out of the back of the end zone for the only points in the second half, a safety, for the final score of 29-0.
Desmond Trotter went 15 of 28 for 144 yards and an interception. Freshman Eli Gainey lead the final possession and went 6 of 9 for 38 yards. Redshirt freshman Tanner McGee, who finished out last weeks win was unavailable to play due to a shoulder injury.
Caullin Lacy led the Jaguar rushers, I wouldn’t call it an attack, with 38 yards on four carries. Jared Wilson added 33 on eight carries. Carlos Davis was held to a single yard on four carries.
Jalen Tolbert caught 5 passes for 92 yards and because the first Jaguar to break 1,000 receiving yards in a season, ending the year with 1,085 yards. Jalen Wayne caught four passes for 32 yards.
Jaguar linebacker Riley Cole recorded 10 total tackles in his final game as a Jaguar. In a pre-game ceremony to honor seniors on Senior Day, he was surprised with his official invitation to the 2021 Reese’s Senior Bowl. Cole will get to play at Hancock Whitney Stadium once more on January 30.
Gunnar Watson went 34 of 41 for 297 yards and three touchdowns. Kaylon Geiger caught seven passes for 51 yards and a touchdown. Former Blound standout Reggie Todd caught six for 49 yards. Kimani Vidal caught five passes for 29 yards.
Vidal led all rushers with 76 yards on 22 attempts.
Linebacker Carlton Martial, a fellow Mobile native and McGill-Toolen standout, recorded a game-high 14 tackles.
The Trojans won every statistically category. Total yards: 414 to 239. Passing yards: 297 to 182. Rushing Yards: 117 to 57. First downs: 25 to 17. Third down conversions: 10 of 15 to 5 of 15. Sacks: Troy had 5, Jags recorded one sack. Turnovers: Troy recovered two turnovers, the Jags came away with just one. Time of possession: 31:47 to 28:13.
“It got away from us in the second quarter,” head coach Steve Campbell said. “They got on a little run and we had a hard time stopping them. We didn’t generate what we needed to offensively at all.”
“I’m very disappointed in the way it wound up,” Campbell said about ending the season with a loss. “I thought we had gotten over a little bit of a hump, but we didn’t play very well at all today. We didn’t play the way that we needed to, to finish up. We had a chance to finish strong. But I give Troy a ton of respect, they are a good football team. I thought we practiced well this week and the guys worked hard though a bunch of stuff. I thought we would come out and play better than we did today, and we didn’t.”
“It’s an ongoing problem, but it can be either side of the ball,” Jalen Tolbert said. “We should be able to pick each other up when one side is playing off, and today neither side was able to pick it up. Offense nor defense was doing good, it was just a poor performance by us today so we have to get that fixed.”
With the regular season over and the program shifting into post-season mode, there will be talks about the staff.
Through three seasons the Jags are 9-26 under Campbell.
After a 3-2 start the Jags limped to a 1-5 finish. The programs four wins this season came against teams with a cumulative 8-34 record.
Finally Campbell is now 0-3 against Troy which is one of South Alabama’s most competitive recruiting foe in the area. In those three losses, the Trojans have outscored the Jags 104-30 with the closest margin of defeat coming in 2018 in a 38-17 loss.
Campbell has one more season left in his 4 year contract with a buyout of $350,000. Campbell and Athletics Directory Joel Erdmann will be meeting in the coming days, as he always do with coaches at the conclusion of their seasons.
Preview: Troy At South Alabama (Battle for the Belt)
Kickoff: Saturday December 5, 1:00 pm
Venue: Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, Alabama
TV: ESPN3
Radio: Sports Talk 99.5FM, 96.1 The Rocket, iHeartRadio
The Battle for the Belt.
After having their annual match up, that was scheduled for October 3 postponed due to Covid, the Jaguars (4-6, 3-4 Sun Belt Conference) will finally host the Trojans (4-5, 2-3 SBC) at 1pm on Saturday, December 5.
This Rivalry Game will be played late in the season rather near the beginning of their conference schedules for the first time in this series. This is what many South Alabama fans have wanted for some time. They have felt that, like fellow in state rivals Alabama and Auburn, that South Alabama and Troy should be played at the end of the season. Thanks to Covid, their wish has finally come true.
Well, mostly.
The game was first rescheduled to be December 12 and would have been the ending of the season for both schools. However, again thanks to Covid, Troy will take on Coastal Carolina on December 12 and thus the Battle for the Belt needed a new date, and December 5 was it.
The Jags enter the game after breaking their four game losing streak and getting their first win ever in Jonesboro, Arkansas against the Arkansas State Red Wolves last Saturday. The Jags had to fight down to the last second for the win. They clinched it on a quarterback sack as time expired with the ball inside their own 10 yard line.
The Trojans travel to Mobile in the midst of a three game losing streak. Last Saturday the Trojans were dominated by Appalachian State 47-10 in Boone, North Carolina. They allowed 275 yards rushing and were held to just 106 yards rushing themselves in the loss.
But nothing can get a pair of football rivals up for a game like a rivalry game.
Troy Offense
Troy head coach Chip Lindsey is still searching for his guy at quarterback. Quarterback Gunnar Watson is 152-of-223 passing for 1,584 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions on the season. Last week against App State he went 13-of-20 for 125 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
Jacob Free, a 6’5″ 217 pound junior is 79-of-134 for 957 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions on the season. Free last saw action against Georgia Southern on November 7th when he struggled going 21-of-47 with two interceptions. He was unable to play last week due to an illness.
Lindsey was quoted during fall camp saying that their quarterback will be the one who, “can lead the team up and down the field and score.” So its possible that the Trojan may utilize him on Saturday.
On the season Troy is averaging 282.3 yards passing, 102.6 yards rushing, and 384.9 total yards of offense per game. They are scoring an average of 26 points per game, which is a bit un-Troy like.
The leading Trojan runner, true freshman Kimani Vidal, has missed the last two games. Despite that he had 393 yards on 67 attempts for the season with three touchdowns. BJ Smith is behind him with 277 yards on 73 attempts with three touchdowns.
Kaylon Geiger is the favorite receiver with 48 catches and 598 yards on the season with two touchdowns. Reggie Todd and Khalil McClain both have 29 catches and five touchdowns each, they have 380 and 350 yards receiving respectively.
Despite the numbers, Troy can still put points on the board. Especially when you’re talking about a rivalry game with an in-state opponent.
Troy Defense
Overall the Troy defense is allowing 233.7 yards passing, 177.8 yards rushing, 411.4 total yards of offense, and 26.8 points per game.
As previously mentioned, the Trojans allowed 275 yards rushing last week. So defensively they are having trouble stopping the run and the Jags have had problems running the ball in their in games they lost.
Their third down numbers look pretty good too. Defensively opponents are only converting 36% of their 3rd down attempts (48-of-132). The Jaguar offense is converting 40% of their 3rd down attempts (61-of-152) on the season.
The defense is led by linebacker Carlton Martial who has 78 total stops, 40 of them solo, with 7.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups, and two quarterback hurries. Next in line behind him statistically is fellow linebacker Jayden McDonald, who has 59 total stops, 36 solo, four tackles for loss, a pass breakup and two quarterback hurries himself.
On the season, the Trojans have 15 sacks defensively.
Keys to the Game
Offensive Line
Last week the Jaguar offensive line held their own against an Arkansas State defense that, lets face it, is pretty terrible.
The Jaguar offense only netted 99 yards on the ground with Carlos Davis leading the way with 31 yards on 12 carries. So I wouldn’t go out and say it was a great performance by the offensive line, but it was an improvement for sure.
They were able to protect the quarterback and only allowed two sacks (25 over the last 6 games but who’s counting). That protection and the poor secondary play by the Red Wolves allowed the Jags to throw for 387 yards for the game and allowed Jalen Tolbert to set a single game record with 252 yards on 10 catches with three touchdowns.
It was good enough to earn him a helmet sticker on ESPN for his effort.
However that game is now the past and the offensive line will have to do it again this week.
Trotter should be back for the game, but will he be 100% and be mobile? Kawaan Baker seems to have suffered a partially torn MCL and does not look good to play. Brandon Crum, the most prolific pass catcher at tight end, will miss the game due to contact tracing precautions concerning Covid.
Turnovers
The Jags have been pretty good over the last couple of games concerning turnovers.
Turnovers are always big in rivalry games. There’s nothing better at shifting momentum or breathing fresh life into a team than forcing a turnover from a bitter rival.
While the Jags are still negative for the season in turnover margin, they have been +2 in turnover margin for the last two games (+3 in the loss to Georgia State). They need to keep that trend going this week and stay in the positive side of the margin.
And better yet, not giving the ball to the Trojans would be even better.
Scoring Points
The Jags found a way to put points on the board last week.
And it wasn’t field goals either!
Three of the touchdown passes went to Tolbert, the shortest of which was a 37 yard score. The only other passing touchdown went to Kawaan Baker. Tolbert scored on the ground with a designed quarterback run from 2 yards out.
With Crum out and Baker likely missing as well, that could allow Troy to focus more on Tolbert and Jalen Wayne. Could this allow the Jaguar runners to find some space to run?
Prediction
Troy opened at a 1 point favorite and the spread has grown to 4.5 points now.
As mentioned above, Crum will be out and Baker will likely be out. Trotter could have some lingering injury issues as well.
That’s just on offense.
Defensively we don’t know if Riley Cole will play, even though he has indicated that he will be ready come Saturday. But Cole has always been eager to play, but will he be cleared and able to? Christian Bell will probably miss the game as well.
The Jags have lost the last two games to the Trojans and would like nothing else than to end the season with win over their rivals as they are likely not going to get an invite to a bowl game. Plus it would be the second season in a row that the team and coaching staff took some momentum into the off-season with a season ending win.
Could this be a team getting better? Could they improve their win total by TWO games this year? A win just might save Steve Campbell his job too.
I think so! Jags not only cover, but they win outright.
Go Jags!
South Alabama Gets First-Ever Win At Arkansas State 38-31
South Alabama’s Jalen Tolbert set a new single game record with 252 yards receiving on 10 catches with three touchdowns leading the Jags to a 38-31 win over Arkansas State. This is the first win in Jonesboro in seven tries and the first road conference win since their 2017 win over Troy.
The Jaguars (4-6, 3-4 Sun Belt Conference) needed a defensive took it down to the final play but Jeremiah Littles sacked Layne Hatcher at the South Alabama 13 yard line to end the game. Arkansas State (3-7, 1-6 SBC) drops their fifth-straight game and their first losing season since 2010.
Arkansas State opened the game and scored on their first possession after the Jags were forced to punt. The Jags tied it with :35 left in the first quarter when Desmond Trotter ran it in from 2 yards out.
The Jags took the lead 14-7 in the second quarter when Trotter connected with Kawaan Baker for a 26 yard touchdown.
The Red Wolves tied the game up late in second quarter on a 25 yard touchdown pass by Logan Bonner to Brandon Bowling.
The Jags punt after a short 5 play possession using only 38 seconds off the clock. Arkansas State were not content to go into halftime tied and quickly marched down the field to the Jaguar 18 yard line with just 2 seconds left in the half and added a 35 yard field goal to go into halftime with a 17-14 lead over the Jaguars.
Arkansas State opened the second half with a 9 play, 75 yard touchdown drive to go up 24-14 with 9:55 left in the third quarter.
The Jags would respond with their own score. Trotter connected with Tolbert for a 42 yard touchdown with 6:39 left in the game to cut the Red Wolves lead to 24-21.
After Trotter had to leave with an injury, redshirt freshman Tanner McGee would have to come in and the Jaguar offense didn’t miss a beat. McGee would put the Jags ahead on a 37 yard touchdown pass to Tolbert 28-24.
Arkansas State scored early in the fourth quarter when Bonner connected with Jonathan Adams on a 3 yard touchdown pass with 12:03 left in the game to go up 31-28.
McGee plays throw and catch again with Tolbert covering 51 yards for another touchdown and taking a 35-31 lead with 4:56 left in the game.
Arkansas State turns the ball over on downs at their own 31 but the Jags can only manage to get a 30 yard field goal to extend their lead to 38-31 with 1:28 left in the game.
The Red Wolves behind Layne Hatcher drive down to the Jaguar 6 yard line after what looked like a game sealing interception by Keith Gallmon was overturned. With :16 seconds left in the game, Hatcher had three attempts to get into the end zone. Two incomplete passes followed by the game ending sack by Littles as the clock expired.
The Jags gained 486 total yards, 387 of them through the air and 99 on the ground. The Jags offense was only 5 of 15 on 3rd down.
Trotter went 16-of-22 for 242 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game with an injury. McGee came in and went 6-of-8 for 145 yards and two touchdowns.
Tolbert caught 10 passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns. Kawaan Baker added five catches for 51 yards and a touchdown before also leaving the game with an injury.
Carlos Davis rushed 12 times for 31 yards. Caullin Lacy and Jared Wilson both ran for 26 yards on four and 13 carries respectively.
Arkansas State rolled up 494 yards of total offense, 324 of them through the air and 170 on the ground. The Red Wolves were 5 of 14 on 3rd down as well.
Logan Bonner went 11 of 16 for 183 yards and four touchdowns. Layne Hatcher went 8 of 14 for 141 yards.
Jonathan Adams caught 9 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Jeff Foreman caught 5 passes for 111 yards. Brandon Bowling caught 4 passes for 64 yards and two touchdowns.
Jamal Jones carried the ball 19 times for 93 yards to lead all rushers. Marcel Murray carried it 13 times for 38 yards.
South Alabama will return home for the season finale and Senior Day game hosting Troy for the annual ‘Battle for the Belt’. Kickoff is scheduled for 1pm at Hancock Whitney Stadium and will be viewable on ESPN3.
Preview: South Alabama At Arkansas State
Kickoff: Saturday November 28, 2:00 pm
Venue: Centennial Bank Stadium Jonesboro, Arkansas
TV: ESPN3
Radio: Sports Talk 99.5FM, 96.1 The Rocket, iHeartRadio
South Alabama enter into their final road game of the season in the midst of a four-game losing streak. Their offensive line has turned into a sieve, leaking sacks at a frantic pace, 20 over the last four games and 33 for the season.
The Jaguars (3-6, 2-4 Sun Belt Conference) look to put an end to their losing streak and notch their second road win of the season. If successful, that would be the first time that the Jags have won two road games in a season since 2015.
The Arkansas State Redwolves (3-6, 1-5 SBC) have struggled this season well. Their biggest struggles have been on defense. Head coach Blake Anderson relieved his defensive coordinator of his duties earlier this season after a 59-52 win over Georgia State.
The Redwolves are coming off of a 47-45 loss at Texas State. This game against the Jaguars is the beginning of a three-game home stand and they would like nothing more than to start it off with a revenge win over the Jaguars and keep their hopes alive of getting back to .500 and get bowl eligible.
Arkansas State Offense
The Redwolves score an average of 31.4 points per game with 125.7 yards rushing and 352.6 yards passing per game. That’s an average of 478.2 yards per game of total offense.
With all that yardage, they are only converting 37.8% of their 3rd down attempts. However they have scored on 77% of their red zone trips with 63% of them being touchdowns. Not a bad stat to have.
They are also embracing their quarterback rotation. Layne Hatcher has gone 97-of-166 for 1,591 yards, 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. Logan Bonner has gone 139-of-229 for 1,495 for 13 touchdowns with 5 interceptions on the season.
Jonathan Adams Jr leads the receivers with 70 catches for 973 yards and 10 touchdowns. The next closest receiver has 34 catches for 436 yards and 5 touchdowns. Dahu Green has caught 32 passes for 542 yards and 5 touchdowns. Five other ASU players have caught double-digit passes on the season with six touchdowns combined.
Jamal Jones leads the running attack with 452 yards on 99 carries with three touchdowns. Lincoln Pare is next in line with 450 yards on 72 carries with a touchdown.
Against Texas State the Redwolves put up 654 yards of total offense. Jones rushed for 106 yards and wide receiver Jeff Foreman had 148 yards on three catches with a touchdown.
Arkansas State Defense
As mention above, the defense is a glaring deficiency on this team. So bad the coach Anderson let go of his defensive coordinator mid season.
The defense is allowing 39.6 points per game. They allow 316.6 yards passing and 168.1 yards rushing per game for an average of 484.7 total yards per game.
Opponents are converting 45.9% of their 3rd down attempts. They are also scoring 85% of the time when they reach the red zone. 67.5% of those red zone trips have been touchdowns. With numbers like that, will the Jags be able to put points on the board in the red zone?
Last weekend against Texas State they allowed 505 yards of total offense and could not prevent the game-winning score with :34 left in the game.
Linebacker Justin Rice is the leading tackler with 68 stops and also leads the team with seven sacks.
Keys to the Game
Offensive line
The offensive line play has been terrible. They haven’t been helped with the absence over the last two weeks by starters Jacob Shoemaker and Connor Estes due to Covid and contact tracing.
Last week Georgia State sacked Desmond Trotter seven times. They have allowed 20 sacks over the last four games and 33 sacks for the season.
If the offensive line continues to struggle to protect Trotter and establishing the run, then the Jags will likely add to their loss total.
Turnovers
Last week against the Panthers, the Jaguars as a team was +3 in turnover margin. They managed three interceptions and forced a fumble which they recovered. The Jags offense fumbled twice and only lost one of them.
On the season the Jags have only recovered 13 turnovers. So the four takeaways they recorded last Saturday is over 30% of their turnovers for the season! And despite being +3 last week, the Jags are -1 in turnover margin for the season.
The Jags need to keep generating turnovers. If they can keep up the positive numbers, then this can only give the offense more opportunities to put points on the scoreboard.
Points
The most obvious thing to win a game is to score points. Over the last four games the Jags have scored a measly 47 points, or an average of 11.75 points per game.
That’s not going to get it done.
The offense has to find a way to generate points and head coach Steve Campbell understands that. Arkansas State is a prime opportunity. Last year the Jags ended their nine-game losing streak with a 34-30 win over the Redwolves in their season finale.
It was a bit of a coming out party for Jalen Tolbert and Desmond Trotter. Tolbert caught 5 passes for 144 yards and four touchdowns. Trotter, in addition to the four touchdowns passes, rushed for 58 yards for an offense that ran for 216 yards on the ground.
Prediction
Arkansas State is a 7 point favorite and are able to score a lot of points.
The Jaguar defense hasn’t been playing bad, they just don’t get any offensive help. They held Coastal Carolina to well below their season average in the loss. They also held the Georgia State to 7 points through the most of three quarters. But down the stretch the defense allowing 24 points after the Jags had taken a 14-7 lead in the 3rd quarter.
Arkansas State and coach Anderson really need a win, the Redwolves want revenge for 2019, the Jags have never won in Jonesboro, and the Jags are struggling. I think the Redwolves win and unfortunately I also think they cover the spread.
But as always when I pick against South Alabama, I’d love to be proven wrong.
Go Jags!