South Alabama has been playing football in the FBS since 2012. The program started in 2009.
They play in the Sun Belt Conference and they’ve won only one bowl game and that was last year when the Jaguars defeated Eastern Michigan 59-10 in the 68 Ventures Bowl which was played in Mobile, Alabama.
Kane Wommack was the head coach of that team last year and he’s now a co-defensive coordinator at Alabama.
Baton Rouge native and former Catholic High Star Major Applewhite is the current head coach. Applewhite was the offensive coordinator at South Alabama for three seasons before he was promoted to head coach.
The former quarterback at Texas was also the head coach at Houston in 2017 and 2018. Applewhite was 15-11 in his two seasons at Houston.
Applewhite has served as an assistant for Mack Brown at Texas and Nick Saban at Alabama.
He’s led South Alabama to a 2-and-2 record in his first season in Mobile.
The Jaguars lost to North Texas 52-38 to open the season and then took one on the chin in week two on the road at Ohio, 27-20 in overtime.
South Alabama erupted for 87 points in week three and ended up winning 87-10 over Northwestern State. The Jags followed up that win with a road win at Sun Belt foe Appalachian State 48-14.
South Alabama’s quarterback is redshirt freshman Gio Lopez. He’s six-foot, 200 pounds. Lopez made his first collegiate start in the 68 Ventures Bowl last December and was named the game’s MVP as he threw for 192 yards and three touchdowns and he also rushed for 88 yards and a score.
Lopez missed the second game of this season with a turf toe and came back the following week throwing four touchdowns against Northwestern State. And then last Thursday against Appalachian State, he threw for 154 yards and two touchdowns, he also rushed for 105 yards and a score.
South Alabama’s rushing attack is led by freshman Fluff Bothwell. He’s a big back at 5-foot-10, 220 pounds. Not very fast, but he can break tackles and he’s averaging nearly ten yards a carry and has 359 yards rushing on 37 carries and six touchdowns.
Junior Kentrel Bullock is also having a good season, with nearly seven yards a carry and 204 yards rushing on 30 carries. Bullock has found the end zone three times.
Senior Jamall Pritchett leads South Alabama in receiving with 26 catches for 354 yards and four touchdowns. Pritchett had ten catches for 197 yards and a TD in the season opener.
Jeremiah Webb has ten catches for 185 yards and a touchdown. The redshirt senior from Chicago is averaging nearly 19 yards a catch.
South Alabama is averaging 48 points a game and averaging 7.6 yards a play, which is 12th highest in the nation.
South Alabama’s defense has forced seven turnovers and has four sacks, 20 tackles for a loss.
Safety Jaden Voisin is a preseason All-Sun Belt first-team selection and has one interception on the season.
South Alabama is allowing 271 passing yards a game which does not bode well as they’ll face one of the best passing offenses in the country in Tiger Stadium on Saturday night.
South Alabama owns two wins against teams from Power Conferences. The Jaguars beat Mississippi State 21-20 in 2016. And last year, the Jaguars dominated Oklahoma State 33-7 in Stillwater.
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