BOONE, N.C. — South Alabama ran for 320 yards and beat Appalachian State 48-14 on Thursday night at a sold-out Kidd Brewer Stadium, opening Sun Belt Conference play with a road win over the league’s preseason favorite.
The victory was South Alabama’s first over Appalachian State since 2014 and ended a four-game losing streak in the series. The Jaguars improved to 2-2 overall and 1-0 in the Sun Belt.
The 320 rushing yards are the fourth-most in program history against Division I opponents.
Fast Start
South Alabama scored on the opening possession. Quarterback Gio Lopez ran for 50 yards on the second snap of the game, and a few plays later he hit DJ Thomas-Jones over the middle for a 10-yard touchdown.
The Jaguars’ defense allowed one first down before forcing a punt, and Jamaal Pritchett’s 21-yard return set up the offense near midfield. Fluff Bothwell then ran for 20 yards, 7 yards and a 22-yard touchdown on consecutive carries for a 14-0 first-quarter lead.
Long Drive, Long Return
Early in the second quarter, Appalachian State pinned South Alabama at its own 5, and a holding penalty moved the ball back to the 3. The Jaguars responded with a 13-play drive that used more than half of the quarter. Lopez and Bothwell moved the ball down the field, Kentrel Bullock contributed runs, and Lopez covered the final 31 yards himself for a 21-0 lead.
When Appalachian State threatened to score, Jordan Scruggs intercepted a pass in the end zone and returned it 96 yards before he was caught from behind at the 5 on a horse-collar tackle. The penalty moved the ball closer, and Bullock scored on a 2-yard run for a 28-0 lead.
“We were in a zone, where I have to play in between the Number 1 and Number 2 receiver,” Scruggs said. “I just read the quarterback’s eyes and made a play. I tried to score, but I got too tired and he caught me.”
Appalachian State ended the shutout on the final play of the half, when Joey Aguilar threw a Hail Mary touchdown to Dalton Stroman to make it 28-7 at halftime.
Second Half
South Alabama’s defense stopped Appalachian State on downs near midfield to start the second half, and the offense needed three plays to score. Lopez completed two passes to Pritchett around a Bullock run, with Pritchett scoring. Laith Marjan’s extra point hit the left upright, leaving the Jaguars ahead 34-7.
Bothwell added a third-quarter touchdown run, staying on his feet through contact, for a 41-7 lead.
Bishop Davenport took over at quarterback in the fourth quarter and led a nine-play, 55-yard touchdown drive that stayed on the ground and used six minutes, with Davenport and Iverson Celestine carrying the ball. Appalachian State scored against South Alabama’s reserves with 52 seconds remaining.
Applewhite, Lopez React
“I think everybody on our team knew they were capable of this, but to be able to come do it on the road against a quality opponent – a traditionally really good program, kind of the standard bearer for our conference along with a couple of other schools – there’s a lot of excitement in our locker room,” head coach Major Applewhite said. “There is a lot of time left in the season, but it’s great that we all came tonight and had this type of win.”
“It means a lot, going into somebody else’s house and not just winning, but executing all game,” Lopez said. “It was a good team win for our first road win of the season.”
South Alabama Statistics
Lopez completed 16 of 24 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 105 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.
Bothwell led all rushers with 116 yards and two touchdowns on 14 carries. Bullock added 46 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries.
Pritchett caught six passes for 68 yards and a touchdown. Jeremiah Webb had four catches for 38 yards, Devin Voisin caught three for 22, and Thomas-Jones had his one catch for the 10-yard score.
Blayne Myrick led the defense with nine tackles, two solo, along with half a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Courtney McBride Jr. had South Alabama’s only sack, and six Jaguars combined for nine quarterback hurries.
Appalachian State Statistics
Aguilar completed 21 of 40 passes for 266 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Maquel Haywood ran for 47 yards and a touchdown on seven carries, and Kanye Roberts had 38 yards on eight carries.
Kaedin Robinson caught six passes for 85 yards, Christian Horn had four for 47, and Stroman had two catches for 60 yards, including the Hail Mary.
Next: At LSU
South Alabama plays at nationally ranked LSU in Baton Rouge, La., on Saturday, Sept. 28, with a 6:45 p.m. kickoff on SEC Network. The game is the second of three consecutive road games for the Jaguars.
