South Alabama’s 41-36 win over Ohio counts the same as a blowout in the standings, but the Jaguars’ coaches spent Monday focused on what the scoreboard did not show. After watching a 24-7 halftime lead shrink to one score, South Alabama now heads to Lexington for its first SEC test of the season, and the staff’s message for the South Alabama vs. Kentucky matchup is blunt: the Jaguars will need a full 60 minutes to compete at Kroger Field on Saturday, Sept. 26.
Cleaning Up the Second Half
The win over Ohio moved South Alabama to 2-1, but the second half raised some of the same concerns that surfaced a week earlier in a 28-24 loss at Tulane, a game the Jaguars led for much of the night. Against the Bobcats, a 17-point halftime cushion nearly disappeared before South Alabama held on.
Defensive coordinator Todd Orlando did not sugarcoat it. “We’ve got to get better at closing out games and winning in a style that’s necessary to continue to move forward later on down the season,” Orlando said Monday.
He identified sustained focus as the core issue. “The inconsistency about keeping our focus throughout the course of 60 minutes was an issue going into the game, and it’s continuing to be this way,” Orlando said.
Orlando did find a positive in how the Jaguars responded after Ohio seized momentum, regaining control and closing out the victory. “We found a way to get out of it, win a ball game,” he said. “So continue to grow.”
Kentucky Arrives With Momentum of Its Own
The opponent only makes the task harder. Kentucky is coming off a 31-21 road win over nationally ranked Texas A&M at Kyle Field in College Station, Texas, a game in which the Wildcats scored 21 points in the third quarter. First-year head coach Will Stein’s team showed enough on both sides of the ball to catch the attention of head coach Major Applewhite and Orlando.
Orlando was struck by how Kentucky controlled the line of scrimmage against the Aggies, running the ball and creating explosive plays. “They pushed them around,” Orlando said. “They ran the football when they wanted to run the football, hit their shots when they could hit their shots.”
Solving Jay Bateman’s Defense
On the other side of the ball, Applewhite singled out Kentucky’s defense under coordinator Jay Bateman as one of the week’s biggest challenges. The Wildcats mix fronts and coverages, disguise their looks and can load the box with extra defenders, which can make life difficult for an offense that wants to establish the run.
“They just do a great job with their schematics in terms of fronts, coverages, mixing looks, tying those together with disguise,” Applewhite said. “The levers they play with on routes, the way they can add numbers to the box, pressure path — trying to get a hold of those things and being able to run the ball efficiently.”
For a team that leans on its ground game, that is a significant puzzle. Disguised coverages can bait a quarterback into bad reads, while late pressure and extra box defenders can take away running lanes before they develop. How well the Jaguars identify those looks before the snap will go a long way toward determining whether they can stay on schedule offensively.
A Rebuilt Offensive Line Faces Its Biggest Test
The matchup also puts a spotlight on a South Alabama offensive line that has changed dramatically. Applewhite noted that several key linemen from recent seasons have moved on to other programs: last year’s left tackle is now at UCLA, the right tackle from two years ago is at Georgia Tech, the left guard is at Baylor and the center is at Tulsa.
The new-look group has held up so far, according to Applewhite. “So far they’ve done well,” he said. “They’ve done really well. This would be their biggest test thus far this weekend in Lexington.”
That kind of roster movement has become common across college football in the transfer portal era, especially for Group of Five programs whose productive players draw interest from power-conference schools. Rebuilding chemistry up front, where five players must work in unison on every snap, is one of the harder tasks a staff faces.
Two Quarterbacks in the Mix
South Alabama could have both of its quarterbacks available in Lexington. Jared Hollins made his first career start against Ohio, throwing for 192 yards and a touchdown and making plays with his legs as the Jaguars held on.
Applewhite said Hollins’ performance did not surprise him. “I had all the belief in the world with Jared,” he said. “I just felt like he’d been working for that for a long time.”
Bishop Davenport, the fifth-year senior who started the first two games, missed the Ohio game with a minor injury. Applewhite said Davenport could have played in some capacity if needed and was set to return to practice Tuesday, though the staff plans to be cautious with his workload.
“Nothing as of now,” Applewhite said when asked for an update on Davenport. “He was able to go Saturday in some capacity, but we want to just be smart about what capacity he plays in and be fair to him so he can perform at a high level.”
Applewhite added that he feels fortunate to have two quarterbacks he trusts.
Chasing Another Power-Conference Win
South Alabama last beat a power-conference opponent in 2023, when it won 33-7 at Oklahoma State. Applewhite acknowledged that facing a Power Four program brings extra attention but said the game ultimately comes down to execution.
“You have to go make plays, they have to make plays, we have to make plays,” Applewhite said. “Then you go out there, and you go compete.”
Before worrying about what Kentucky’s name represents, Orlando said, the Jaguars must worry about themselves. The goal for the week is to eliminate the lapses that have let opponents build momentum and to play a complete game from start to finish.
Game Details
- Matchup: South Alabama (2-1) at Kentucky
- When: Saturday, Sept. 26, 11:45 a.m. Central
- Where: Kroger Field, Lexington, Kentucky
- Last week: South Alabama beat Ohio 41-36; Kentucky won 31-21 at Texas A&M