MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama closes the regular season Saturday night against Appalachian State at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, needing a win on Senior Day to become bowl eligible.
The Jaguars (5-6, 3-4 Sun Belt) have lost two straight games. Appalachian State (9-2) can reach 10 wins. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
Eighty bowl slots are available this season, and 75 teams have reached bowl eligibility, with three teams, including South Alabama, trying to earn a sixth win this weekend.
Two Straight Road Losses
South Alabama lost a 10-point lead at Georgia State on Nov. 21 and fell 24-10. Last Saturday at Georgia Southern, the Jaguars took a 7-0 lead before the Eagles took a 28-14 halftime lead. South Alabama managed only a field goal in the second half of a 55-17 loss to Georgia Southern’s triple-option offense.
Jones: ‘Their Last Chance’
Head coach Joey Jones said his players were taking the week personally.
“They want to win. They want to get into a bowl game, that’s one of our goals obviously,” Jones said at his Monday news conference. “We’re going to be all in this game, and the guys will be ready. You can tell a lot of those guys know it’s their last chance.”
Jones said Appalachian State’s defense is more varied than the one South Alabama faced last season in Boone, N.C., using a three-man front and frequent blitzes.
“They play zone coverage extremely well,” Jones said. “They drop to their spots, break on the ball and have fast guys back there who do a good job.”
Of the Mountaineers’ offense, Jones said, “They are really good running the football. They execute very well. … They have a lot of long drives and move the ball down the field consistently.”
Jones also thanked the senior class. “I want to thank all of our seniors for their commitment to our program and the work they have done to get this program on the map,” he said. “We have a ballgame to win. All of our guys know it’s huge for our program and huge for us.”
Appalachian State’s Season
Appalachian State’s only Sun Belt loss came against Arkansas State, the conference’s lone unbeaten team in league play. The Mountaineers’ other loss came against No. 1 Clemson in the second week of the season.
Appalachian State leads the Sun Belt in total offense and scoring defense. The Mountaineers allow 313.7 yards and 17.5 points per game and gain 470 yards per game, and their 37.5 points per game rank second in the conference.
Running back Marcus Cox is one of three Sun Belt players averaging more than 100 rushing yards per game, with 1,073 yards and eight touchdowns. Jalin Moore has added 551 rushing yards and Terrence Upshaw 436. Quarterback Taylor Lamb has run for 367 yards and four touchdowns and completed 142 of 235 passes (60.7 percent) for 2,100 yards and 27 touchdowns. Lamb leads the conference in passing efficiency and ranks fifth in total offense.
Simms McElfresh leads the Mountaineers with 27 catches for 352 yards and five touchdowns. Shaedon Meadors and Malachi Jones each have 21 catches and are averaging more than 20 yards per reception, with 439 and 424 yards, respectively.
South Alabama’s Numbers
South Alabama ranks fifth in the Sun Belt in total defense at 411.6 yards allowed per game and third in pass defense, allowing fewer than 200 passing yards per game.
Linebacker Blake Dees has 102 tackles, third in the conference, becoming the fourth player in the past four years to reach 100 tackles in a season. Jeremy Reaves is second on the team with 85 tackles and ranks among the conference’s top 20 in tackles, tackles for loss, passes defended and forced fumbles per game. Kalen Jackson leads the team with 7.5 tackles for loss.
The Jaguars average nearly 360 yards and 25 points per game, with just over 155 rushing yards per game. Xavier Johnson has 844 rushing yards, approaching the school’s single-season record, and has already set the school record for all-purpose yards in a season with 1,334. He averages more than 31 yards per kickoff return. Tyreis Thomas went over 500 rushing yards last weekend.
Quarterback Cody Clements has thrown for 2,177 yards and 13 touchdowns, both among the top three single-season totals in school history. Tight end Gerald Everett leads the receivers with 37 catches for 552 yards and eight touchdowns.
This season South Alabama has slowed Louisiana-Lafayette’s running game and beaten a high-scoring Idaho passing attack.
Seniors Look Ahead to Final Home Game
Seniors Chris May and E.J. May represented the team at Monday’s media day.
“We get to shut the door on playing at Ladd-Peebles Stadium – it’s going to be a cool experience,” Chris May said. “It will be an emotional experience, but at the same time after the Senior Day festivities are over it’s time to play football.”
Chris May said the offense has started strong in recent weeks before stalling. “That first drive the last three or four weeks has been really good,” he said. “If I was going to put my finger on anything, I would say execution as an offense in total. When we don’t execute, it puts our defense in bad situations.”
E.J. May said the defense must be ready for a balanced Appalachian State attack. “They throw the ball just as much as they run it, and they like to take shots down the field every now and then,” he said. “You just have to be ready; everybody has to be ready.”
Game Day Information
The Jaguar Prowl will pass through the tailgating area behind the south end zone at about 4 p.m. Round-trip shuttle service will begin at 2:30 p.m. from the Shoppes at Bel Air, behind J.C. Penney, and run continuously until 90 minutes after the game. The fare is $2.50 per person, and children 5 and under ride free.
