MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. — South Alabama scored 25 consecutive points in the first half and held on for a 38-24 win over Central Michigan on Saturday, improving to 2-0.
Quarterback Carter Bradley completed 26 of 42 passes for 354 yards and three touchdowns, and running back La’Damian Webb carried 20 times for 91 yards and two touchdowns as the Jaguars ran for 148 yards.
Fast First Quarter
A 40-yard completion from Bradley to Caullin Lacy set up the game’s first score, a 16-yard touchdown pass from Bradley to DJ Thomas-Jones, his first as a Jaguar. Diego Guajardo’s extra point hit the right upright, bounced off the left upright and fell back into the field of play, leaving South Alabama ahead 6-0 at the 8:51 mark.
Central Michigan took its only lead when Lew Nichols ran 5 yards for a touchdown with 5:08 left in the first quarter. Webb answered with a 3-yard touchdown run, and Guajardo’s kick made it 13-7 with 1:29 remaining.
On the ensuing kickoff, Ke’Shun Brown forced a fumble by returner Irone Jackson, and Trey Kiser recovered at the Central Michigan 22. On third-and-10, Bradley threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Devin Voisin, the first of Voisin’s career, for a 20-7 lead with 1:05 left in the quarter.
Two-Point Try Extends Lead
Central Michigan failed on a fourth-down attempt at the end of the first quarter, giving South Alabama the ball at midfield. Webb gained 26 yards on a touch pass, and Bradley found Jalen Wayne for a 10-yard touchdown. Head coach Kane Wommack elected to go for two, and Bradley hit Voisin for the conversion and a 28-7 lead with 12:14 left in the second quarter.
Guajardo kicked a 38-yard field goal with 5:47 left in the half. Central Michigan ended South Alabama’s 25-0 run with a 48-yard field goal with 1:21 remaining, and the Jaguars led 31-10 at halftime.
Webb Breaks Away
Neither team scored in the third quarter, during which Bradley threw his first interception of the season.
On South Alabama’s first possession of the fourth quarter, Webb broke a 30-yard touchdown run off right tackle for a 38-10 lead with 10:53 to play.
Central Michigan answered with a touchdown drive capped by Marion Lukes’ 12-yard run. After a delay-of-game penalty, the Chippewas went for two from the 8 and failed, leaving it 38-16 with 8:43 left. South Alabama recovered the onside kick but went three-and-out.
The Chippewas got the ball back with 6:39 left. Myles Bailey converted a fourth-and-1 at the South Alabama 47 with a 10-yard run, and Daniel Richardson threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Joel Wilson. The two-point conversion made it 38-24 with 4:30 to play.
Central Michigan’s second onside kick went out of bounds at the South Alabama 49. Lacy then picked up first downs on touch passes of 18 and 19 yards, allowing the Jaguars to run out the clock.
Team Statistics
- Total yards: South Alabama 502, Central Michigan 338
- Passing yards: South Alabama 354, Central Michigan 257
- Rushing yards: South Alabama 148, Central Michigan 81
- Third down: South Alabama 8 of 17, Central Michigan 5 of 15
- Time of possession: South Alabama 38:00, Central Michigan 22:00
- Penalties: South Alabama 9 for 100 yards, Central Michigan 8 for 85 yards
- Turnovers: one each
Individual Statistics
Bradley had 35 rushing yards before sacks and finished with 8 net yards on the ground. Wayne caught 10 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown, Lacy had five catches for 97 yards, Voisin had four for 56 and a touchdown, and Thomas-Jones had three for 38 and a touchdown. Seven Jaguars caught passes.
Behind Webb, Terrion Avery ran for 30 yards on 11 carries and Marcos Lee had 16 yards on five carries.
For Central Michigan, Richardson completed 23 of 47 passes for 257 yards and a touchdown. Wilson caught seven passes for 73 yards and a touchdown. Lukes ran for 36 yards and a touchdown on three carries, Bailey added 24 yards on four carries, and Nichols, the Chippewas’ 2021 rushing leader, was held to 20 yards on 15 carries with a touchdown.
Wayne Climbs Record Book
Wayne now has 107 career receptions, passing Shavarez Smith for sixth on South Alabama’s all-time list. His receiving yardage also moved him into sixth on the program’s career receiving yards list, ahead of Gerald Everett, Bryant Lavender and Josh Magee.
South Alabama next travels to play UCLA at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on Saturday, Sept. 17. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Central on the Pac-12 Network.
