Preview: South Alabama Looking For 3rd Consecutive Win Over Arkansas State On Homecoming
Kickoff: Saturday October 30, 4:00pm
Venue: Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile, Alabama
TV/Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: 96.1 fm The Rocket, Sports Talk 99.5 fm, iHeartRadio App
Thunderjags Twitter: @USAThunderjags
South Alabama ran into a fired-up ULM team last week that put up season-high numbers on the Jags defense. It was uncharacteristic of the defense to struggle as much as they did against the ULM offense.
But credit is due to ULM (4-3, 2-2 SBC) and offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez for scheming a game plan and preparing their players for the Jaguars (4-3, 1-3 SBC) defense.
ULM put up 554 total yards of offense on the Jaguars with 369 yards coming through the air.
USA only managed to briefly seize control of the momentum in the game in the third quarter against ULM. They opened the half with a 10 play, 75 yard touchdown drive to tie the game. The defense held on a 4th and 3 at the Jags 34 yard line to give the ball back to the offense. Then the offense only took four plays to cover the 66 yards, the final 40 via a touchdown pass to Jalen Tolbert.
It seemed at that time that the halftime adjustments had cured the ills.
But ULM took the ball on the ensuing kickoff and responded to the Jags two-consecutive scores with a touchdown of their own to tie the game again.
The Warhawks had retaken the momentum and would not relinquish it.
Arkansas State
South Alabama’s next opportunity to get a game closer to bowl eligibility comes up this weekend. The Jags will host Arkansas State (1-6, 0-3 SBC) for their annual homecoming on Saturday.
Last season the Jags notched their first win in Jonesboro in four tries. It marked the Jags first two-game winning streak against the Red Wolves and the third win in the last four meetings.
Overall the Jags still trail in the series 3 games to 6.
Gone is coach Blake Anderson. His replacement is former Tennessee head coach Butch Jones and most recently University of Alabama analyst.
However the Butch Jones tenure is off to a rough start.
The Red Wolves are off to a 1-6 start to the season. But they’ve had some close calls. They came up short in a shootout against Memphis 55-50, on the road against Tulsa 41-34, and just last week they fell to Louisiana-Lafayette 28-27 coming off their bye week.
But they’ve also been on the wrong side of some blowouts too. They fell to Washington 52-3, to Georgia Southern 59-33, and to Coastal Carolina 52-20.
Each week you’re not quite sure which team you’re going to get.
Offense
Arkansas State averages 29.6 points per game, 436.3 total yards, 348.6 passing yards, and 87.7 rushing yards per game.
They are converting 36-of-99 3rd down attempts (36%) and 1-of-7 4th down attempts (14%) on the season.
The quarterback has been sacked 26 times on the season for a loss of 140 yards. That’s an average of 3.7 sacks per game.
They have turned the ball over 11 times on the season, seven interceptions and four fumbles lost of their eight total fumbles.
Their top three running backs are all within a couple carries of each other. Lincoln Pare has 41 carries for 205 yards and a touchdown, Johnnie Lang has 44 carries for 172 yards, and Alan Lamar have 40 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown.
The Red Wolves do not have as much of a two-quarterback system as they have utilized under coach Anderson. However they are still utilizing a two quarterback system.
James Blackman is 109-of-184 (59.2%) for 1,334 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions on the season. Layne Hatcher is 78-of-139 (56.1%) for 1,106 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions. Each quarterback have missed a game each.
ASU has a long list of receivers with catches. Three of them stand out from the rest. Corey Rucker has 35 catches for 550 yards and eight touchdowns. Te’Vaila Hunt has 32 catches for 511 yards and four touchdowns. Jeff Foreman has 24 catches for 419 yards and two touchdowns. Four other receivers have over 100 receiving yards on the season and five receivers beyond the three mentioned have double-digit numbers of receptions.
Lamar is the team leader with 900 all-purpose yards with 690 of them coming from kickoff returns. That includes a 93 yard kickoff return for a touchdown against Tulsa.
The Red Wolves have rushed for over 100 yards in a game twice. In their only win of the season they rushed for 194 yards against Central Arkansas. The other time was last weeks close game against Louisiana where they ran for 113 yards.
Defense
The defense has really been the Achilles heel for the Red Wolves. Particularly their run defense it seems.
Lets delve into the statistics first.
The defense is allowing a whopping average of 44 points per game.
On average the defense is allowing 578.6 total yards of offense, 288 yards passing and 290.6 yards rushing per game this season.
As a defensive coach those numbers make you cringe a bit. As an offensive coach I’m sure that makes you smile.
Opponents are converting 36-of-87 3rd down attempts (41%) and 5-of-6 4th down attempts (83%).
Safety Elery Alexander leads the team with 50 total tackles, 31 solo with a sack and two fumble recoveries.
The next closest defender is linebacker Caleb Bonner with 39 stops, 16 solo.
Georgia Southern ran for 503 yards and averaged 9.9 yards per rush. Coastal Carolina rushed for 294 yards and 8.2 yards per rush. Louisiana ran for 424 yards and 8.0 yards per rush. Tulsa ran for 308 yards and 6.3 yards per rush.
Louisiana only threw the ball 20 times in the game with 11 completions for 122 yards. Their final drive was a gruelling 18 play, 88 yard march burning 10:26 off the clock before they took two knees to end the game.
Special Teams
Blake Grupe is 22-of-23 on extra points and 10-of-12 on field goals for the season. His long is a 50 yarder against Tulsa.
Ryan Hanson has 42 punts on the season and is averaging 43.3 yards per attempt. He has 9 punts that have gone 50+ yards, the longest being a 60 yard kick. He has 16 of them inside the 20 yard line and none have been touchbacks.
South Alabama
Good news was that some injured players returned to the lineup for the Jags. Kareem Walker, Caullin Lacy were among those who returned.
However with the good also comes some bad. They lost Hadon Merchant to a knee injury early in the game. At a minimum he’s going to miss some time and could possibly miss the remainder of the season.
Also at practice during in the week leading up to the ULM game Josh McCulloch suffered an injury that kept him sidelined. It’s unknown if McCulloch will be ready for the Red Wolves.
But others continued to be hampered by lingering issues. Jamal Brooks was one of those who had to leave the ULM game a few times but tried to play through the pain.
Offense
South Alabama is averaging 28.9 points, 390.7 total yards, 263 passing yards, and 127.7 rushing yards per game on offense.
Their third down efficiency needs improvement. They are converting 38-of-101 (38%) 3rd down attempts on the season. They are converting 11-of-17 (65%) 4th down attempts on the season. That includes the 4th and 3 near the goal line last Saturday that went for a touchdown.
The Jags have converted 26-of-31 (84%) of their red zone trips into scores. Of those 26 scores, 22 (71%) of them have been touchdowns.
Jaguar quarterbacks have been sacked 14 times for a loss of 88 yards on the season.
Terrion Avery leads the Jaguar backfield with 286 yards on 73 carries with a touchdown. Bryan Hill is next with 224 yards on 57 carries through five games with three touchdowns. Kareem Walker has 211 yards on 58 carries and four touchdowns in only four games.
Jake Bentley is completing 69.1% of his throws. He is 152-of-220 for 1,825 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions.
Jalen Tolbert is far and away the leading pass catcher in the offense. He has 46 receptions for 873 yards and four touchdowns. That averages out to be 124.7 yards per game and 19 yards per catch.
Jalen Wayne has 343 yards on 29 catches with two touchdowns. Caullin Lacy has 27 catches for 223 yards. Tight end Lincoln Sefcik has 12 catches for 114 yards and three touchdowns.
As mentioned above, the Jags offensive line has suffered more than their share of injuries this season. However there’s a good chance that James Jackson could return to action this week. If so that would allow Trey Simpson to move back over to left guard.
Defense
The Jaguars are allowing an average of 22.1 points, 334.6 total yards, 204.6 passing yards, and 130 rushing yards per game. Which rank nationally at T43rd, T35th, 40th, T40th respectively.
The Jags defense has 13 takeaways which is tied for 24th nationally.
Keith Gallmon and Yam Banks are tied for the lead with 34 total stops each. Both has 20 solo stops each. Gallmon has 2.5 tackles for loss, an interception and a fumble recovery. Banks has 4 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
CJ Rias continues to lead the defense with three sacks on the season. Tre Young also continues to lead the defense with two interceptions.
Special Teams
Jack Brooks has punted 31 times with an average of 41.9 yards per punt. Eight downed inside the 20, 11 fair caught, six have gone 50+ yards and his longest has gone 54 yards.
Diego Guajardo is 22-of-24 on extra point attempts. He is 8-of-12 in field goal attempts, missing one attempt in each of the last four games. His long on the season in 48 yards.
Keys to the Game
Consistent Execution
In every game, except maybe the Georgia Southern game, the Jags have had stretches with some quite poor execution. In the first five games, the Jags opening possession all ended with three-and-outs.
Against ULM the defense couldn’t execute well enough to stop the Warhawks passing game taking advantage of seams in the coverage.
The only game where the Jags executed consistently for the most part was against Georgia Southern. And you can see what they are capable of when they do.
Stay Healthy
Many teams are bruised and beat up by this point in the season.
The Jags are no exception. And they may be more bruised and beat up than a few others.
They need to get through a week without accumulating more injuries, especially on the offensive line. But the linebacker corps could use a break from the injuries as well.
Flying Footballs
There is no denying that Jalen Tolbert is a beast.
Arkansas State is particularly bad at defending the pass. This could set up for a huge game for Jake Bentley, Jalen Tolbert, and the rest of the Jaguar receivers.
But Arkansas get most of their offensive yards through the air themselves. After ULM’s slicing and dicing of the Jaguar secondary, this should be of some concern.
Prediction
The Jags chances are growing fewer by the game. If they want to attain bowl eligibility that is. Arkansas State looks like they should be a team the Jags can and should win against.
However last week the Jags were a double-digit favorite and we see how that turned out. You simply cannot take anything for granted.
As we keep pointing out, the final three or four games are brutal. And as it stands right now they will need to find at least one win out of those four to get bowl eligible.
Three consecutive weeks of travel to rival Troy, App State, and SEC opponent Tennessee is followed by the regular season finale against Coastal Carolina at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
But we can’t lose focus on this week. Arkansas State is coming and the Jags need a win.
The Jags are favored in the game by 9.5 points. Last week I had a bad feeling about the game. I picked the Jags to win but not to cover. Well, I was a bit wrong.
This week I feel a bit better. The Jags will be at home, not playing in Monroe, LA. It’s homecoming and the opposing team’s rush defense is particularly weak and has a weak rushing offense.
If the Jags secondary can hold up against the Red Wolves passing, they can win the game. But as we saw last week, the Jags had better be prepared.
I think the Jags win, but they don’t cover. It may come down to a defensive stand late in the game or Diego’s leg once again. It could also be a one sided affair, it really depends on which Jaguar team and which Red Wolves team show up at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Go Jags!
South Alabama Falls On The Road At ULM 41-31
The South Alabama Jaguars couldn’t get it done in Monroe as the Jags fall 41-31 to Louisiana-Monroe. The Jags record falls to 0-4 in Monroe, LA. and the Warhawks extend their lead in the series to 5-3.
The Warhawks (4-3, 2-2 SBC) grab control of the game early. They took the opening possession down the field in chunks with gains of 12, 18, 19 and 20 yards. The drive only took 7 plays to score with a 20 yard touchdown run by Andrew Henry.
The Jags (4-3, 1-3 SBC) start driving on their first possession of the game however a completion to Jalen Tolbert was knocked loose and recovered by the Warhawks at their 42 yard line.
ULM was driving and looking to go up two scores however a very similar situation happened. Quarterback Chandler Rogers connected with Will Derrick, Jamal Brooks knocked the ball loose and Keith Gallmon picked it up and returned it 26 yards to the USA 38 yard line.
USA tied the game on the possession when Bentley connected with Jalen Wayne in the back of the end zone on a 4th and 3 play at the ULM 10 yard line.
Bentley was intercepted early in the 2nd quarter which led to a touchdown pass to Jared Sparks for the Warhawks to go back up by a touchdown, 14-7.
The Jags answer with a field goal from 28 yards out. Facing 3rd and 6 at the Warhawk 7 yard line Bentley couldn’t find a receiver and was sacked for a three yard loss.
The Jags defense kept them out of the end zone but couldn’t keep them off the scoreboard. Calum Sutherland connected on a 39 yard field goal for a 17-10 advantage.
The Jags and the Warhawks traded scores with ULM taking a 24-17 lead into the halftime locker room.
South Alabama came out in the second half with some urgency. They took the opening possession and drove down the field methodically. The 10 play, 85 yard drive spanned 4:43. Jalen Tolbert called off the drive with an 8 yard touchdown reception to tie the game at 24-all.
ULM could not convert a 4th and 3 at the Jags 33 yard line turning the ball over on downs. The Jags only needed four plays to put it into the end zone again. The drive was capped off when Bentley connected with Tolbert for a 40 yard touchdown to go up 31-24.
The Jags offense went cold and the defense got worn down after that. ULM scored 17 unanswered points to go up 41-31.
The Jags got the ball back after the final score of the game, a 40 yard field goal, with 6:21 left in the game. Facing 3rd & 19 Bentley scrambled for 14 yards to the ULM 21. However Diego Guajardo’s 39 yard field goal attempt missed wide left with only 1:22 left on the clock.
USA managed to get the ball back with 1:00 left in the game, but it was too little too late.
The Jags defense allowed a season-high 554 total yards of offense. The Warhawks passed for 369 yards and rushed for another 185 yards.
ULM converted 7-of-13 3rd down attempts (54%), the best conversion rate the Jags have allowed this season.
Chandler Rogers was 25-of-35 for 369 yards with four touchdown passes.
Boogie Knight caught 6 passes for 75 yards and a touchdown. Will Derrick had 135 yards on 5 catches, including an 81 yard touchdown reception.
Andrew Henry carried the ball 18 times for 88 yards and a touchdown as the leading rusher.
The Warhawks also won the turnover battle 2-1.
The Jags had 409 total offensive yards, 320 through the air and 89 on the ground. They converted 6-of-16 of their 3rd down attempts (37.5%). They were also 3-of-4 on 4th down attempts (75%).
Jake Bentley went 30-of-41 for 320 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions.
Jalen Tolbert set the record for career touchdown receptions in the game and also set a school-record seventh 100-yard game of his career. He caught 10 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns. Terrion Avery caught seven for 48 yards. Jalen Wayne caught 5 for 36 yards and a touchdown.
Avery led the Jags backfield with 87 yards on 14 carries. Bryan Hill had 10 yards on 5 carries. Kareem Walker had 5 carries for 3 yards in his return to action.
“I thought ULM did a nice job of attacking our seams,” head coach Kane Wommack said. “They did a good job attacking some of the zone windows. Their quarterback was very decisive. Credit Rich Rod [offensive coordinator Rich Rodriguez] on what he was able to do… I thought he did a nice job of continually adjusting and keeping us off balance and off kilter. At the same time, we call things and we have to know that our guys are in this position.”
“I thought it was an all-around thing,” Wommack said as to what he thought led to the struggles in the game. “There wasn’t enough effort or execution.”
“To build consistency in a program is the only way that we are going to be able to get to where we want to go,” Wommack said. “That means consistent effort, consistent execution, consistent adjustment and we are not there as a program right now and we have to be. We have to get to that point. It’s not all going to change in year one, but we’re capable of it, and so we have to be able to go do it.”
The Jags return home on Saturday, October 30 when they host Arkansas State for a 4pm kick at Hancock Whitney Stadium for the Jags Homecoming game.
Preview: South Alabama Travels To ULM Looking For First Conference Road Win Of Season
Kickoff: Saturday October 23, 6:00pm
Venue: Malone Stadium, Monroe, Louisiana
TV/Streaming: ESPN3
Radio: 96.1 fm The Rocket, Sports Talk 99.5 fm, iHeartRadio App
Thunderjags Twitter: @USAThunderjags
#5 Jersey: Jake Bentley
The South Alabama Jaguars got the win they needed last week against Georgia Southern. Not only did you see players step up to fill in for injured players, but they did it in an impressive fashion by a score of 41-14.
The Jags (4-2, 1-2 SBC) now turn their focus to Louisiana-Monroe team (3-3, 1-2 SBC) that just upset a heavily favored Liberty team 31-28 on Saturday.
ULM is the next game in a four-game stretch of games that are ripe for the picking as we wrote about a few weeks ago. The Jags dropped the first one to Texas State in a 4OT heartbreaker. The Jags came out of that game bruised and battered from a very physical contest.
The team was without Kareem Walker, Caullin Lacy, James Jackson, Shawn Jennings, and Trent Tyre. They also had a number of players who missed practice time leading up to that Georgia Southern win.
Despite the adversity the Jags showed that any given week they can play and compete with any team in the conference.
ULM
The Warhawks are under the direction of a new head coach this season. His name may be a bit familiar to some people in the state of Alabama.
At a minimum, his last name should be very familiar to anyone who’s a fan of college football.
Terry Bowden was the head coach at Auburn University in the 1990s, succeeding Pat Dye. As his last name suggests, he is the son of hall of famer Bobby Bowden.
He spent about 10 years out of coaching as a broadcaster for ABC sports among other football related media jobs. In 2009 he returned to the coaching ranks with North Alabama where he accumulated a 29-9 record and three consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs.
He then went to Akron for the 2012 season and went from a 1-11 record his first season with the Zips to almost upsetting Michigan in 2013. There he compiled a 35-52 record and led the Zips to their first MAC Championship game appearance since 2005 and only the second in program history. He also led the Zips to their second bowl game in three seasons and only their third bowl game in program history. He was fired in 2018.
After being let go by Akron, Bowden join the Clemson staff for the last two seasons as an offensive analyst before being hired by ULM in the offseason.
Joining Bowden as his offensive coordinator is another name that many football fans may also remember, Rich Rodriguez.
Rodriguez came to prominence at the West Virginia University (2001-2007) with his zone read offensive concepts. He was considered for the job at the University of Alabama, which he turned down and eventually led to Nick Saban being hired.
He was hired at the University of Michigan in 2008. His first team finished with a 3-9 losing record, the worst season in school history and missed a bowl game for the first time in 33 years. After acknowledging rules violations to the NCAA and a disappointing season, the was dismissed.
He was the head coach at University of Arizona from 2012-2017, winning 33 games in his first four seasons, the most in school history over a four-year period. It included four-consecutive bowl berths, a first in program history.
In 2018 he was hired as offensive coordinator at Ole Miss under head coach Matt Luke. When Luke was let go, he was not offered a position with the Lane Kiffin staff.
Prior to the upset of Liberty, the Warhawks lost back-to-back games against Coastal Carolina (59-6) and Georgia State (55-21).
Offense
On the season, ULM’s offensive stats are not that impressive. They are averaging 18.2 points per game, 259 total yards of offense, 164.5 passing yards and 94.5 rushing yards per game.
They have converted 25-of-92 3rd down attempts (27.2%) and 6-of-8 4th down attempts (75%). In 12 red zone trips they have scored 11 times (91.7%) but of those 11 conversions, only six of them have been touchdowns. They have fumbled seven times and lost two of them.
Andrew Henry leads the team in rushing yards with 283 on 66 carries with two touchdowns. Chandler Rogers is next with 213 yards on 77 carries. No other ball carrier has over 65 yards rushing after that.
Chandler Rogers is leading the Warhawks quarterback position. He is 44-of-75 for 590 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Rhett Rodriguez, coach Rodriguez’s son, is 35-of-62 for 337 yards and a touchdown though he’s missed three games due to a punctured lung.
Boogie Knight leads the receiving corps with 23 catches for 285 yards. Zach Jackson has 17 catches for 239 yards and two touchdowns in five games. Jared Sparks also has 17 catches for 162 yards. No other receiver has over 71 yards receiving or more than 6 catches on the season.
Against Liberty the Warhawks came out in the third quarter, trailing 14-0, and scored 28-unanswered points to take a 28-14 lead. They broke the 28-all tie with the game winning 53-yard field goal with 1:44.
Defense
As mentioned before, prior to the Liberty win, the Warhawks allowed 50+ points in back-to-back games. They allowed 291 yards rushing to Coastal Carolina and then 323 yards rushing to Georgia State. Those numbers skew the game averages, but definitely shows how Jekyll and Hyde ULM seems to be.
The Warhawk defense allows an average of 35 points, 455.3 total yards, 275.3 passing and 180 rushing yards per game.
Opponents have converted 42-of-79 3rd down attempts (53.2%) but only 1-of-7 4th down attempts (14.3%).
Opponents have had the ball in the red zone 22 times and have scored 19 times (86.4%), of those 17 have been touchdowns.
Linebacker Traveion Webster leads the defense with 46 total stops, 14 solo, two tackles for loss, and 1/2 sack on the season. Cornerback Adam Sparks has 39 stops, 21 solo with a fumble recovery.
Defensive end Ty Shelby leads the team with 6.5 tackles for loss and also leads the team with 5 sacks on the season. Linebacker Zack Woodard has 34 total tackles on the season with 4 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, both of those are second on the team.
Special Teams
Calum Sutherland is 10-of-14 this season in his field goal attempts. He is 1-of-2 from 50+ yards, 4-of-6 from 40-49 yards. His longest was from 53 yards out. He’s had one attempt blocked. He has made all 11 extra point attempts on the season. Of his 27 kickoffs, he has eight touchbacks and one has gone out of bounds.
Punter Devyn McCormick is averaging 42.1 yards per punt over his 40 kicks this season. He’s kicked seven 50+ yards, his longest went 56 yards. He has four touchbacks and 18 fair catches. Nine has been downed inside the opponents 20 yard line.
South Alabama
Game six was finally the game where the offense came out ready to go. Not only did they get their first 1st down on an opening drive this season, but they also scored a touchdown.
That helped propelled the Jags to a 41-14 rout of Georgia Southern and broke seven-game winless streak the Jags held against the Eagles.
Offense
Jake Bentley finally showed his FBS experience. He set a school-record throwing for 389 yards and accounting for five total touchdowns in the game. That earned him Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors.
The offense is now averaging 28.5 points, 387.7 total yards, 253.5 passing yards and 134.2 rushing yards per game.
They have converted 32-of-85 3rd down attempts (38%) and 8-of-13 4th down attempts (62%). They have scored 22 times in 27 red zone trips (81%) with 19 of those being touchdowns.
Bryan Hill is currently the teams leading rusher with 214 yards on 52 carries in four games with three touchdowns. Kareem Walker has 208 yards on 53 carries with four touchdowns, but has missed the last couple of games due to a quad injury.
Terrion Avery has 199 yards on 59 carries with a touchdown. AJ Phillips has 78 yards on 23 carries with two touchdowns in only two games played.
Bentley is 122-of179 (68.2%) passing for 1,505 yards, 7 touchdowns and two interceptions.
Jalen Tolbert has 36 receptions for 718 yards and two touchdowns. He’s averaging 119.7 yards per game and 19.9 yards per reception.
Jalen Wayne is the next closest receiver with 307 yards on 24 catches with one touchdown. Caullin Lacy has 170 yards on 23 catches.
Defense
The Jags Swarm D keeps living up to its name. They are producing turnovers and causing havoc for the opponents.
The defense is allowing an average of 19 points, 297.8 total yards, 177.2 passing, and 120.7 rushing yards per game.
With the interceptions they gathered against the Eagles, USA now has 8 INTs on the year and have recovered four fumbles from opponents too. The team turnover margin is +3.
Yam Banks leads the Jaguar defense with 28 total stops, 17 solo. Keith Gallmon Jr. has 27 total stops, 15 solo with 2.5 sacks and an interception. CJ Rias leads the team with three sacks. Tre Young leads the team with 2 interceptions.
Special Teams
Diego Guajardo has connected on 7-of-10 field goal attempts this season. He is 4-of-5 from 40-49 yards on the season with his longest being from 48 yards out. Of his 33 kickoffs, 15 have been touchbacks.
Jack Brooks is averaging 40.9 yards over his 28 attempts on the season. He’s had three go 50+ yards and his longest has been 54 yards. None have been touchbacks, 9 have been fair caught, 7 have been downed inside the opponents 20 yard line. He had one kick blocked.
Keys to the Game
Early Game Momentum
It took six games, but the Jags offense finally came out of the locker room ready to go last week. They took the opening kick and drove 84 yards for the score.
At one point they converted first downs on 5 consecutive plays.
They really need to come out and do that again, this time on the road.
Sustaining Momentum
Last week ULM started slow and was in a 14-0 hole at halftime. They then scored 28-unanswered points to seize control of the game in the second half.
The Jags need to put pressure on ULM early like they did Georgia Southern. But they need to keep applying pressure because the Warhawks will not give up and they also have proven they can make that come back.
Minimizing Mistakes
Well, obviously minimizing mistakes is a big deal. But where I’m coming from is penalties and mental mistakes in some specific instances.
Two weeks ago the Jags lost AJ DeShazor in the second half due to a targeting call. That forced him to sit out the first half of the Georgia Southern game. He was previously flagged for targeting in the season opener against Southern Miss and missed playing time.
Against Georgia Southern Yam Banks was flagged for targeting on a kickoff return. Upon review it was overturned otherwise the Jags linebacking corps was going to be quite thin without Banks and the injured players unable to play last week.
The offense and defense has had the occasional mistake occur. The offense has committed a penalty to negate a good play and put them behind the down and distance schedule. Also the defense has committed a penalty that extended drives.
Prediction
A couple weeks ago we saw one of the best second halves of football the Jags have played all season when they came back against Louisiana.
This past week we saw the best complete game effort by the Jags this season. It was probably one of the best team efforts in several years.
Coach Wommack’s mantra about the “neutral mindset” is his process. It’s all about the team playing to the same standard regardless of the score or game situation.
There are going to be highs and lows in each game. Some will be really high and some will seem really low.
But if they can continue to focus on the next play. If they can continue to do their job at a high level, regardless of success or adversity, then good things will happen. They want to do the same high-level job over and over again. Play after play.
When the team plays like that, they can compete with anyone in the Sun Belt.
If they can do that play after play and game after game, then they will build into a consistent program.
ULM leads the series 4-3. They’ve won every game in Monroe and the Jags have won three of the four contests in Mobile. It’s an opportunity for the Jags to break another streak against a Sun Belt foe.
Monroe is a tough place to play. The Warhawks have pulled off a pair of surprises this season under coach Bowden, both at home. They upset Troy 29-16 on September 25 then the 31-28 upset Liberty last week that was mentioned above.
The Jags will need the neutral mindset and they will need to play at a high level for the entire game in order to not fall into the Monroe trap.
The Jags are favored by 13.5 points over ULM. That line makes me nervous. You can call me a homer, but I think the Jags win however I don’t think they cover. ULM plays very tough at home and it’s not the best place to travel to.
Go Jags!
South Alabama’s Comeback Falls Short In 20-18 Loss To Louisiana
South Alabama went toe to toe with Louisiana-Lafayette but came up short in their upset bid, falling by a score of 20-18.
The Jags (3-1, 0-1 SBC) had opportunities late to take the lead over the Ragin’ Cajuns (3-1, 2-0 SBC). Diego Guajardo just barely missed a 37-yard field goal with 1:06 left in the game.
In the previous offensive drive, the Jags had the ball 4th and 1 at the Cajuns 4 yard line. Head coach Kane Wommack opted to keep the offense on the field. The snap to quarterback Jake Bentley was low and rolled on the ground. Bentley picked it up and rolled to his right and tossed the ball towards a diving Lincoln Sefcik however the ball was just too short and incomplete.
Two missed extra points and a failed two-point conversion attempt also left points on the field for the Jags.
Cajuns’ Chris Smith took the opening kickoff to the Jaguars 13 yard line. Smith would get the touchdown a couple plays later to put Louisiana on top 7-0 with under a minute off the clock.
The Jags offense was stuck in reverse and went three-and-out.
The Cajuns kept the ball on the ground and gashed the defense for second touchdown on only four plays. Runs of 13, 8, 14 and capped off by quarterback Levi Lewis’ 22 yard touchdown run. USA then trailed 14-0 with 11:10 left in the opening quarter.
The Cajuns got down to the Jaguar 23 at the end of the first quarter. The defense stood their ground and forced a 43 yard field goal attempt by Nate Snider, however sailed wide right.
Coach Wommack and the Jags special teams were looking to catch Louisiana off guard with a fake punt early in the second quarter. However Jack Brooks couldn’t get to the edge and ended up losing 3 yards and giving the ball back to the Cajuns at the Jags 31 yard line.
Two Emani Bailey’s runs later and the Cajuns were back in the end zone. However Nate Snider missed the extra point leaving the Cajuns with a 20-0 lead with 11:23 left in the second quarter.
South Alabama finally put points on the board just before halftime. Bryan Hill ran the ball and Bentley connected with Jalen Wayne to move the ball down the field. Hill finally punched it in on 3rd and goal at the 1. Guajardo’s extra point was blocked leaving the Jags trailing 20-6 with 1:33 left in the half.
The Jags came out in the second half with a completely different air about them. They had an air of confidence about them.
South Alabama looked to Bryan Hill and Jalen Tolbert to jump start the offense. Hill was the workhorse, but it was a pass to Tolbert for 49 yards that flipped the field. Hill capped off the drive with a two yard touchdown. The extra point attempt by Guajardo missed to the right leaving the Jags trailing 20-12 at the 4:20 mark in the third quarter.
USA got the ball back after the defense forced a three-and-out on the ensuing possession.
It looked like the Jags were going to go three-and-out themselves but a snap to Keith Gallmon, the up man, who took it 38 yards to the Louisiana 13 yard line. Jake Bentley carried it in for the touchdown with 12:51 left in the game.
The coaches opted for the two-point conversion since they trailed by two points. Bentley was pressured and rolled to his left and missed seeing a wide open Terrion Avery on the right side of the field and took a sack.
Jags get the ball at their own 20 yard line with 9:58 left in the game. Their second offensive play Bentley went deep for Jalen Tolbert, who high pointed the ball perfectly, and came down with a 61 yard catch at the Cajuns 13 yard line.
Facing 4th and 1 at the 4, the ill-fated snap occurred where the ball rolled to Bentley then the throw was short for Sefcik and giving the Cajuns the ball at their own 4 yard line with 6:20 left in the game.
The Jags offense got the ball back at their own 35 yard line with 3:20 left in the game. On the second offensive play again, Bentley went deep to Jalen Wayne for 34 yards and flipped the field once more.
Terrion Avery put the ball on the left hashmark at the 19 yard line with 1:11 left in the game for the potential game-winning field goal from 37 yards out. Guajardo’s kick looked like it was going to slip inside the upright, but instead it barely slipped outside the right upright.
The Jags put up 387 yards of total offense, 144 rushing and 243 passing.
Bryan Hill led the Jags with 81 rushing yards on 22 carries with two touchdowns. Gallmon had 38 yards on the one run. Avery added 27 yards on 10 carries.
Bentley went 19-of-29 for 243 yards.
Tolbert led all receivers with 6 catches for 143 yards. Wayne added 5 catches for 56 yards. Lacy had 5 catches as well for 19 yards.
USA was 6-of-17 on 3rd down attempts and 3-of-5 on 4th down attempts. USA also led the way in time of possession with 36:47.
The South Alabama defense held the Cajuns to 283 total yards of offense, 225 rushing and 58 passing.
Emani Baily rushed for 81 yards on seven carries. Quarterback Levi Lewis rushed for 61 yards on 10 carries.
Lewis went 9-of-20 for 49 yards. Chandle Fields came in for one play and completed his only pass attempt for 9 yards.
Cajuns had three receivers who all caught two passes each and four players with one catch each.
The Cajuns only converted 2-of-10 3rd down attempts and converted their only 4th down attempt.
Next Up
South Alabama will travel to San Marcos, Texas to face Texas State on Saturday, October 9 with kickoff scheduled for 6pm. The game will be streamed online on ESPN+.
South Alabama Defeat Bowling Green With Field Goal As Time Expires
It wasn’t pretty, but the Jags pulled out the 22-19 win over Bowling Green with Diego Guajardo’s 44 yard field goal as time expired.
The Jaguars start the season 2-0 for the first time since 2011 and for the first time as a FBS team. Bowling Green falls to 0-2 on the season.
The Jaguar defense kept the team in the game. But Terrion Avery and Caullin Lacy took the team on their shoulders to tie the game.
Avery carried the ball seven times on the touchdown drive and caught a pass too. However it was Lacy who stepped up on 4th and 8 to convert a first down at to the Bowling Green 16 yard line. Then Avery would cap the drive off with a 3 yard gain and then a 13 yard touchdown.
The Jags defense, after getting a much needed rest when the offense put together the touchdown drive, set their cleats in the turf and were not going to bend or break again.
On 3rd and 11 at their own 24, Falcon quarterback Matt McDonald found Christian Sims open but Shawn Jennings came in and punched the ball loose and Quentin Wilfawn fell on it giving the Jaguar offense the ball at the Falcon 33 yard line with just 1:21 left in the game.
Major Applewhite kept the ball on the ground with Avery setting up Diego Guajardo for the game-winning kick.
The game started off terrible, but it could have been worse.
Bentley was sacked for a 2 yard loss, Bentley then threw it to Lacy for a 4 yard loss and Kareem Walker was dropped for a 2 yard loss. The snap to Jack Brooks on 4th down was high and he luckily pulled it down but it gave the Falcons the time to get in and block the punt. Fortunately the ball went out of the back of the end zone to give Bowling Green a 2-0 lead.
With 4:53 left in the first quarter, Jake Bentley dropped back to pass and didn’t see linebacker Darren Anders drop into coverage and threw it right to him. Anders would return it 27 yards for a touchdown. The point-after was missed wide right and the Jags then trailed 8-0.
South Alabama got the ensuing kickoff and methodically drove down the field to the 9 yard line when the first quarter ended. Walker got the ball down to the 4 yard but the Jags settled for a 22 yard field goal for their first points of the game.
The Jaguars used their time outs wisely and forced the Falcons to punt with with under a minute left in the half.
USA took over on the Falcon 48 yard line. A pair of passes later the Jags were down to the 16 yard line. Fortunately a pass intended for Lacy was not caught as time would have expired witout a chance to kick a field goal most likely. Instead Guajardo drills a 41 yard field goal with 6 seconds left in the half to cut the Falcons lead to 8-6. Which the Falcons would be content to take to the locker room.
Bowling Green opened the second half with a 51 yard pass play on their third play from scrimmage. Aided by a holding penalty on what would have been a 1st down at the Jaguar 5 yard line, the Jags defense would force the Falcons to settle for a 40 yard field goal for an 11-6 lead.
The Jags punched right back with a 5 play, 75 yard touchdown drive. Bentley completed passes to Jalen Wayne for 15 yards then Jalen Tolbert for 42 yards to open the drive. Three plays later Kareem Walker pushes his way into the end zone to give South Alabama their first lead of the game at 12-11 with 10:11 left in the third quarter.
A 2-point conversion attempt looked to be good, but was ruled an incomplete pass. After review the play stood.
It was then Bowling Green’s turn though.
They quickly shredded the Jaguar defense with a 3 play, 83 yard drive. They opened the possession with a 47 yard pass play. Followed by a 3 yard run. But McDonald found Andrew Bench for a 33 yard touchdown to regain the lead.
The Falcons converted their 2-point conversion attempt to take a 19-12 lead with 9:08 left in the third quarter.
Bowling Green threatened to increase their lead with under a minute left in the third quarter but double-pass by Jaedyn McKinstry was overthrown and an easy interception by Keith Gallmon for a touchback.
The Jaguar defense kept bending but not breaking in the fourth quarter. A few times they looked like they were holding on by just a thread or a shoelace.
That was until the Jaguars offense with Avery and Lacy took over.
Stats
South Alabama
The Jags put up 371 yards of total offense, 114 on the ground and 257 through the air. They had 21 first down but converted 7-of-18 on 3rd down. The Jags were a perfect 3-for-3 in red zone scoring, converting two touchdown.
Bowling Green gained 317 yards, only 9 yards rushing with 308 passing. They only had 10 first down and were 2-of-12 on 3rd down. The Falcons only scored a field goal on their only red zone attempt.
Jake Bentley was 29-of-46 for 257 yards and an interception.
Caullin Lacy led the receivers with 8 catches for 63 yards. Jalen Tolbert had 7 catches for a game high 95 yards. Six other Jaguars caught passes in the game.
Terrion Avery led all rushers with 82 yards on 20 carries with a touchdown. Walker carried 12 times for 32 yards and a touchdown.
Yam Banks led the Jags with 6 total tackles, 3 of them solo. The defense had five tackles for loss and three sacks.
Bowling Green
Matt McDonald went 23-of-32 for 308 yards and a touchdown.
Christian Sims led the Falcons with 8 catches for 76 yards. Austin Osborne caught 7 passes for 38 yards. Tyrone Broden caught 3 passes for 76 yards. All six players who caught passes had a reception for 26 yards or longer in the game.
Terion Stewart led the Falcons with 16 yards rushing on 5 carries.
Next Game
South Alabama returns home to face Alcorn State on Saturday, September 18. Kickoff is scheduled for 7pm at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Go Jags!
Your 2020 South Alabama Jaguar Preview
After last season, the Jags can’t get much lower can they? A 2-10 season with their only win over a FBS and conference foe coming in the season finale That one win kept the Jags from having their first winless conference record in program history.
But the final four games of the season looked different from the first eight. Was the team finally starting to click, was it Desmond Trotter leading an offensive attack that could move the ball and score a few more points? Or was it something else?
Well, the 2020 season will tell and, despite Covid, it could be a make or break season for head coach Steve Campbell and his staff.
Offensively, South Alabama returns quite a bit of talent from 2019. Seven of the top 8 receivers are back as well as an experienced offensive line with 42 combined starts. Desmond Trotter is back at quarterback, who started the final four games of the season and saw a boost in offensive production. Trotter has some competition with Chance Lovertich transferring in from the junior college ranks after a juco national championship. Running back has some big question marks as they need to fill Tre Minter’s production.
Defensively the Jags have many question marks. In 2019 the defense made some huge gains statistically, but they didn’t reflect on the win-loss record. Defensive line lost a ton of experience as well as cornerback. The linebacker corps was razor thin at times but managed to make it through the season. The talent loss on the line will put pressure on the linebacker corps to control the run until the defensive line gels and gets their feet under them.
Not much has changed in special teams. Jack Brooks, the Aussie, will handle the punting and it’ll probably be kick-by-committee for field goals unless someone steps up as consistent in short, intermediate and long range field goals. Diego Guarjardo will most likely handle kickoffs as he tends to have the stronger leg. The video of the botched PAT attempt against Memphis has been watched by millions and really was the tone for the 2019 season. After that debacle the Jags will most likely utilize a backup quarterback as holder on field goal and pat attempts, which should help avoid a repeat of the 2019 incident.
Here’s the position group breakdowns.
Offensive line
The Jags only lost three letterwinners from last year and return 10 letterwinners of which three started all 12 games. They return four either redshirts or returning student-athletes.
In the offseason, the Jags brought in nine new faces and only one of them from the junior college ranks with the rest coming in as true freshmen.
Brian Ankerson is the anchor of the unit playing at center. He has the longest active starting streak on the team with 24 consecutive games. Hadon Merchant has started 22 of this 23 appearances in the last two seasons.
These two will be looked at as leaders of the unit.
Jacob Shoemaker, who was an honorable mention to the all-Sun Belt Conference team his first season with the Jags will move from his tackle position to guard.
Last years team allowed too many sacks and had a hard time blocking for the run game. For the 2020 team to have more success, those are two areas they must improve over last year.
Quarterbacks
The Jags return Desmond Trotter, who took over the starting position mid-season and never looked back. Cephus Johnson, who started the first eight games of the season, transfered out after the season.
Tylan Morton and Tanner McGee also return from last season.
Chance Lovertich was brought in from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College as well as true freshmen Elijah Gainey and Brian Garcia.
Trotter appeared in eight games, starting the final four of the season. He led the team with eight touchdowns, tied a school record with four touchdown passes in the season-finale win over Arkansas State. He also had a career-high 337 yards of total offense in the game.
Lovertich brings some juco success to the table. He was named the second-team NJCAA All-American, first-team all-MACJC and the South Division’s Most Valuable Offensive Back after helping MGCCC to the national championship with a 12-0 record his sophomore year.
Morton played in the first four games before sitting out the rest of the season to preserve a redshirt. McGee sat out the entire season to redshirt.
Gainey is a three-star prospect per 247sports but sat our his senior season after suffering a knee injury. He started the previous two seasons.
Trotter has been challenged by Lovertich for the starting spot, but coach Campbell expects Trotter to be the starter in the season opener against Southern Miss. Expect Lovertich to get some playing time, but didn’t get any spring practice to get experience in the program.
To start, the quarterback position must protect the ball and make good decisions. Between Johnson, Trotter and Morton they threw 11 interceptions but only 14 touchdowns while completing only 52.8% of their combined passing attempts.
Running backs
USA returns four letterwinners from last season while losing two.
The biggest loss is by far Tra Minter who rushed for over 1,000 yards last season, the first in program history. Minter also became only the second All-American in program history and the only first-team all-Sun Belt Conference selection.
In addition to the four letterwinners, they also return two redshirt freshmen and a juco.
Carlos Davis led the four sophomores on the team wiht a career best 122 yards on 10 carries against SBC West Division winner Louisiana-Lafayette.
The coaching staff will look to fill Minter’s role with a running back by committee until they have someone step up as ‘the guy.’ The coaches also look at the sophomores to have three years of experience in the offensive scheme and make contributions.
The coaching staff think they have a good mix in the backfield with power, speed, and pass catchers.
The Jags not only need to find their bonafied starter, but they also need backs that can come in, produce, and keep the defense respecting the position.
Wide receivers
The Jags return the two top receivers from the 2019 season. Kawaan Baker led the team with 35 catches, 574 yards, and yards per game (47.8) while Jalen Tolbert led the team with 6 touchdown catches, four of them in the season finale win over Arkansas State.
Davyn Flenord is changing positions this season, last year he caught 14 passes for 127 yards. Tre’Veon Hamilton caught 3 passes for 43 yards also left the program.
Two freshmen redshirted last season and two juniors return from last years squad. The coaching staff also brought in seven true freshmen.
Baker, who is on the Reese’s Senior Bowl Top 250 list, is the leader of the receiver corps but was also used in the running game with jet sweeps and special teams situations. He logged 82 yards rushing and 35 yards in kick returns for 692 all-purpose yards, finishing second on the team in that category.
Tolbert established himself as a receiver to watch against Arkansas State when he caught 5 passes for 144 yards and four touchdowns. His effort was rewarded with an honorable mention National Performer-of-the-Week accolade from the College Football Performance Awards and was College Sports Madness’ Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week against the Redwolves.
The coaching staff feels that they have good depth and with Baker, Tolbert and Jalen Wayne they have a trio of veterans with three years of experience in the program.
Tight ends
Only one letterwinner returns for the 2020 season. Brandon Crum played in all 12 games with six receptions for 65 yards. One reshirted freshmen and two sophomores return this season and the coaching staff brought in a juco and three freshmen. Only two returning players were active last season.
Leaving the program were Zac Crosby, Khameron Taylor and Nick Thompson. They combined for five receptions, 61 yards and the only touchdown from the tight end position (Taylor).
The tight end position is utilized much differently under coach Campbell and it couldn’t have been more obviously last season with only 11 receptions and one touchdown from the group. If the Jags throw to a tight end, it’s more to catch the defense off-guard rather than as a regular threat.
Crum is the de-facto veteran of the group as a sophomore. Meyers, the only other player of the group that was active last year was put on scholarship during fall camp this year.
Trent Tyre brings some much needed experience from the juco ranks.
Cameron Hatcher-Owens is moving from the defensive line to offense this season.
Defensive line
The defensive line lost a lot from last season. Only four letterwinners return from the 2019 squad in Gi’Narious Johnson, Jeremiah Littles, Maurice Strong and Charles Coleman III. Strong had the most tackles among the returning players with 15.
Gone are Jordon Beaton, Sean Brown, Rocel McWilliams, Tyree Turner, and Jeffery Whatley. Four of the five were all-Sun Belt Conference performers during their careers.
Of the additional returning players, two of them are redshirt freshmen. The coaching staff added three juco players and two true freshmen.
The defensive line has a core trio of Johnson (jr), Littles (Sr) and Strong (So) to build around with Jamie Sheriff and Markes Johnson to add some more experience from the Juco level. THen add in a pair of all-state and all-region prep stars and the coaches have something to work with.
Inside Linebackers
Defensive coordinator Greg Stewart returns four letterwinners from last year and only lost one Kade Koler.
Only two other players return at the position, a sophomore and a freshman.
The staff brought in a juco and two true freshmen.
Cole is receiving all the pre-season hype with a second-team all-Sun Belt Conference selection by Phil Steele, a third-team all-League by Athlon over the summer, and the other Jaguar in the Reese’s Senior Bowl Top 250.
Cole has played outside linebacker the last two seasons, but will be moving back to inside for the fall.
Nick Mobley led the team in total tackles with 91, which ranked him in the top 10 for the conference and top 90 in the nation per game.
Roy Yancey returned last year after redshirting in the 2018 season due to an injury. Yancey started six games and appeared in all 12 games.
Stewart feels he has the depth he needs for the first time in his time at USA.
Outside Linebackers
Four letterwinners return in AJ DeShazor, Chris Henderson, Shawn Jennings, and Kelvin Johnson. The two letterwinners lost from last season: Khalil McDonald and Taji Stewart.
Two freshmen reshirted last season also returns for the fall. The coaching staff added Zach Jones as a freshman, Zivaiishe Smith a sopohomore from Juco, and Christian Bell a senior transfer from Wisconsin.
DeShazor had his named called often last season, he was third on the team in total tackles while starting all 12 games.
Johnson finished in the top five it total tackles last season, but he primarily played inside he is making the move to outside for 2020.
Bell appeared in 24 games over three years for Wisconsin, he was a four-star recruit by ESPN coming out of Hoover.
Chris Henderson and Christian Bell are expected to be two of the main leaders of the outside linebacker corps. DeShazor and Doug Sullivan are expected to make some big contributions as well though.
Cornerbacks
The cornerback position had some big losses from last year too. Gone are Travis Reed, Jalen Thompson, and Gus Nave, some names you heard quite a lot last season. Also gone are Jay Woods and Tyrone Leggette.
Returning letterwinners are Devin Rockette, Ryan Melton, Jaden Voisin and Davyn Flenord (moving over from receiver). Also returning is Dallas Gamble who redshirted.
The coaching staff brought in two juco transfers and one true freshman.
Thompson graduated with the career leader in interceptions (9) and INT’s return for touchdowns (2). Reed’s 41 total stops and three tackles for loss led the cornerback group last season as he earned second-team all-Sun Belt honors.
Rockette returns with the second-most pass break ups last season, including a pair of fumble recoveries and an interception.
Darrell Luter Jr was a three-star juco recruit and rated among the top 40 cornerbacks in the nation, selected to the second-team all-Mississippi ACJC.
The coaching staff is hoping that youth, eagerness and willingness to learn will be enough to replace the experience lost from last season. Rockette returns the most reps and will be one to help set an example to the new faces.
Safeties
Gone are DJ Daniels and Sterrling Fisher but returning are Keith Gallmon, Tre Young and Keon Voisin. Also returning are Kwameh Lewis (sr) and Nic Brunkosky (r-fr).
The coaching staff brought in three players, two juco and one senior transfer.
Gallmon earned preseason third-team all-Sun Belt Conference from Athlon and a fourth-team preseason all-league by Phil Steele. He started all 12 games with 59 total tackles, 43 of them solo and two tackles for loss.
DJ Exilhomme was a second-team all-Northeast Conference selection after recording 72 total tackles, three tackles for loss, five passes broken up, three fumble recoveries, an interception and a blocked kick.
CJ Thompson was the top juco recruit in Oklahoma and the 15th rated safety in the country by 247 sports. He was named second-team NJCAA All-American and second-team all-Southwest Junior College Football Conference.
Gallmon returns the most starting experience on the team at the position and has emerged as a leader among the safeties. Add in the other safeties who have played snaps for the Jags and some juco experience and the staff feel pretty good about this squad.
Special teams
All the letterwinners and the lone redshirt return to the team with the addition of Cooper Charlton as an incoming freshman.
Brooks is a fourth-team all-Sun Belt Conference selection by Athlon sports. As a freshmen his punting average was sixth in the conference and in the top 60 in the country.
Frankie Onate led the team in scoring and Guajardo was the first kicker to record double-digit touchbacks in a season since 2014 and Aleem Sunanon.
Kawaan Baker will be continue to be on kickoff return coverage and Jalen Tolbert will replace Tre Minter as the other kickoff returner. Tolbert and Jalen Wayne will be the competing for the primary punt return position this fall.
Coaches have had the student-athletes kicking more balls than previously. Guajardo has working on his kickoffs for consistency and Brooks has been working on more consistent punting. Both were freshmen last season and Brooks was only on campus a few weeks before the season started, so with a season under their belts they should be ready come game time.
Jags Take Another Thumping, Fall to UAB 35-3
South Alabama travelled to Birmingham for their final non-conference game of the 2019 season against the UAB Blazers and came home with a 35-3 loss.
Tyler Johnston III threw for 313 yards and three touchdowns on 22-of-27 passing while also running for 26 yards against the Jaguar defense. In all, the Jags defense gave up 514 yards of total offense.
In a game with few highlights for the Red, White, and Blue, Tra Minter led the Jags with 43 yards rushing and added three catches for 34 yards.
Nick Mobley, sophomore linebacker, led the defense with 10 stops. Keith Gallmon and DJ Daniels each had nine and eight stops respectively in the secondary.
The few highlights for the Jags this week is that they won’t make Sportscenter, C’mon Man, or You Had One Job segments this week with a botched point-after attempt that turns into two-points for the opposite team. They avoided a shut out by notching a field goal in the first quarter. Though they were shut out of the end zone. They did not turn the ball over and were only called for just four penalties.
Cephus Johnson had to leave the game early due to being diagnosed with a concussion, though he was visibly not happy about it on the sideline. He finished the game 3-of-5 passing for 7 yards and 41 yards rushing on six carries.
Tylan Morton came in and went 5-of-10 for 76 yards. Desmond Trotter saw some action late and his only pass attempt was incomplete.
Jalen Tolbert and Kawaan Baker both caught two passes for 23 and 22 yards respectively.
Blazer Spencer Brown carried the ball 18 times for 80 yards and two touchdowns.
With the non-conference slate finished, the Jags will need to regroup for the meat of your schedule.
“We start conference play next week and that gives everybody a chance to start over,” South Alabama coach Steve Campbell said. “Everybody is 0-0 and it starts a new season. We’ll learn from this one.”
“I thought we played better [defensively] in the second half” Campbell said. “Offensively, we didn’t put enough together to generate any touchdowns. This is now two weeks in a row that we haven’t played well offensively, so we have to go back and look at what we’re doing, and whether or not we have the right people at the right spots. We need to find a way to move the ball and score some points.”
Campbell spoke about how to turn things around going into conference play with eight games remaining. “We’ll go back to the drawing board and figure out a way to score some points offensively. Defensively, we did a good job of getting off the field in the second half. They [UAB] went on one [scoring] drive in the second half and that was a nine minute drive where they converted five or six third downs and we just couldn’t get off the field. We made them earn it in the second half and didn’t give them anything cheap. There’s some stuff for us to build off from this game. Our special teams played better.”
South Alabama will travel to Louisiana-Monroe. The Warhawks took Florida State to overtime before falling to the Seminoles. The Jags will have a week figure things out and do some soul searching as they still control their season.
The Jags and the Warhawks are schedule to kick off at 6pm in Monroe, LA. The game can be seen on ESPN+ with a subscription.