BOONE, N.C. — Desmond Trotter will start at quarterback for South Alabama on Saturday at Appalachian State, where the Jaguars play their final Sun Belt Conference road game of the season still needing one win for bowl eligibility.
Starter Jake Bentley suffered a partially torn MCL in last week’s loss at Troy and will miss at least Saturday’s game. His status for the rest of the season is unknown, and team doctors will weigh in on whether he can return; there is also concern about looseness in his ACL.
The Jaguars (5-4, 2-4 Sun Belt) have three games left to secure a sixth win. Appalachian State (7-2, 4-1 Sun Belt) is a 21.5-point favorite. The forecast in Boone calls for a high of 41 degrees and winds of 10 to 20 mph.
Bentley Injured Early at Troy
Bentley was hit below the knee on a play-action pass on his second attempt of the game at Troy. He jogged off the field after being attended to by trainers but was favoring his left knee.
Trotter finished the opening drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. On South Alabama’s next possession, a botched handoff at the Jaguars’ 24-yard line resulted in a fumble that Troy recovered and turned into a field goal. With South Alabama trailing 24-7, Trotter was pressured and threw a pass that Troy intercepted and returned 32 yards for a touchdown, the Trojans’ final points of the game.
In the second half, South Alabama put together a 19-play, 76-yard touchdown drive that took 9:52 off the clock, and the Jaguars had a chance at a tying drive late. With Troy taking away deep throws to Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Wayne, Trotter found success on shorter passes, including several to tight end Lincoln Sefcik.
Trotter has 14 career starts at South Alabama. Last season he completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 1,917 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Appalachian State Under Shawn Clark
Appalachian State beat Arkansas State 48-14 last week, scoring the final 34 points after the Red Wolves tied the game 14-14 in the second quarter. The Mountaineers returned two interceptions for touchdowns during that run.
The Mountaineers’ losses came against No. 22 Miami, 24-23 on Sept. 11, and at Louisiana-Lafayette, 41-13 on Tuesday, Oct. 12. They rebounded to beat No. 14 Coastal Carolina in a nationally televised Wednesday night game on Oct. 20.
Shawn Clark is in his second full season as head coach. He was promoted after Eli Drinkwitz left for Missouri following the 2019 regular season, and eight days later he led the Mountaineers to a 31-17 win over UAB in the New Orleans Bowl. In 2020, Appalachian State went 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the Sun Belt, finishing second in the East Division and beating North Texas 56-28 in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
Mountaineers Offense
Appalachian State averages 36.9 points, 464.1 total yards, 200.8 rushing yards and 263.3 passing yards per game. The Mountaineers have converted 44 of 116 third downs (38 percent) and 11 of 20 fourth downs and have scored on 31 of 34 red zone trips, with 21 touchdowns. Their offensive line has allowed nine sacks. They have 14 turnovers.
Quarterback Chase Brice has completed 172 of 264 passes for 2,261 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. Corey Sutton has 47 catches for 711 yards and five touchdowns, Malik Williams has 45 catches for 678 yards and five touchdowns and Thomas Hennigan has 34 catches for 472 yards and two touchdowns.
Nate Noel leads the rushers with 889 yards and three touchdowns on 153 carries, and Camerun Peoples has 609 yards and 13 touchdowns on 105 carries in seven games. Both average 5.8 yards per carry. Anderson Castle has 120 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries.
Mountaineers Defense and Special Teams
Appalachian State allows 23.3 points, 359.9 total yards, 133.9 rushing yards and 226 passing yards per game. Opponents have converted 46 of 129 third downs (36 percent) and have scored on 25 of 31 red zone trips, with 16 touchdowns. The Mountaineers have 66 tackles for loss, 24 sacks and 17 takeaways, including 13 interceptions.
Linebacker D’Marco Jackson leads the team with 84 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, five sacks and seven quarterback hurries. Nick Hampton has 48 tackles, a team-high 12.5 tackles for loss and six sacks. Steven Jones leads the team with six interceptions.
Kicker Chandler Staton has made all 38 extra points and all 14 field goal attempts, with a long of 48 against Georgia State. Punter Xavier Subotsch averages 39.6 yards on 29 punts, with 17 downed inside the 20.
South Alabama Offense
South Alabama averages 28.6 points, 387.9 total yards, 135 rushing yards and 252.9 passing yards per game. The Jaguars have converted 47 of 131 third downs (36 percent) and 19 of 28 fourth downs (68 percent) and have scored on 33 of 39 red zone trips, with 28 touchdowns. Jaguars quarterbacks have been sacked 19 times, and the offense has 15 turnovers.
Bentley has completed 184 of 262 passes (70.2 percent) for 2,122 yards with 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. Trotter is 21 of 34 for 154 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Tolbert has 58 catches for 1,032 yards and six touchdowns, giving him back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Wayne has 37 catches for 414 yards and two touchdowns, Caullin Lacy has 34 catches for 269 yards and Sefcik has 26 catches for 201 yards and three touchdowns.
Terrion Avery has 474 rushing yards and a touchdown on 118 carries and 17 catches for 92 yards and three touchdowns. Bryan Hill has 297 yards and three touchdowns on 67 carries, and Kareem Walker, who did not play at Troy, has 237 yards and four touchdowns on 63 carries.
South Alabama Defense and Special Teams
South Alabama allows 22.1 points, 319.3 total yards, 117.2 rushing yards and 202.1 passing yards per game. Opponents have converted 39 of 125 third downs (31 percent) and have scored on 20 of 30 red zone trips, with 14 touchdowns. The Jaguars have 18 takeaways, 12 of them interceptions, and 24 sacks.
Quentin Wilfawn leads the team with 45 tackles. Tre Young has 41 tackles and shares the team lead with three interceptions with Darrell Luter. Charles Coleman III and CJ Rias lead with three sacks each, and Jamal Brooks leads with 5.5 tackles for loss.
Kicker Diego Guajardo has made 29 of 31 extra points and 10 of 14 field goals with a long of 48. Punter Jack Brooks averages 42.5 yards on 38 punts.
Injury Returns
Center James Jackson appears ready to return, though it is not certain he will start or play. Wilfawn and Rias may also be available.
