MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama’s bowl hopes come down to one game Friday afternoon, when the Jaguars host Coastal Carolina in the regular-season finale and Senior Day at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
The Jaguars (5-6, 2-5 Sun Belt Conference) need a sixth win to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2016, the program’s last bowl appearance. South Alabama won nine games combined over the previous three seasons.
A Strong Start, Then a Slide
South Alabama opened 3-0 under first-year head coach Kane Wommack, but the schedule grew tougher and injuries mounted. The Jaguars have lost three straight road games, most recently a 60-14 defeat at Tennessee in which the Volunteers earned bowl eligibility.
Since quarterback Jake Bentley was injured against Troy, the offense has struggled. Desmond Trotter came on in that game and led a comeback attempt that fell one score short, and South Alabama has scored 21 points in his two starts. Wommack has not ruled out Bentley, who warmed up with the quarterbacks at Tennessee.
Against Appalachian State, the already thin offensive line lost Anterrious Gray, who was disqualified after swinging at an opposing player.
Jaguars by the Numbers
South Alabama averages 25.3 points, 369.1 total yards, 247.1 passing yards and 122 rushing yards per game. The Jaguars have converted 31 percent of third downs and 63 percent of fourth downs, have scored on 34 of 45 red zone trips with 29 touchdowns, and have allowed 25 sacks, thrown eight interceptions and lost nine fumbles.
Trotter has completed 61 of 104 passes (58.7 percent) for 596 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. Before his injury, Bentley completed 184 of 262 passes for 2,122 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Jalen Tolbert, who recently accepted an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, leads the team with 72 catches for 1,283 yards and seven touchdowns, including a 68-yard touchdown at Tennessee. Jalen Wayne has 44 catches for 519 yards and two touchdowns, Caullin Lacy has 38 for 273 yards, and Lincoln Sefcik has 29 for 205 yards and four touchdowns. Terrion Avery leads the backfield with 497 yards and a touchdown on 132 carries, Bryan Hill has 335 yards and three touchdowns, and Kareem Walker has 286 yards and four touchdowns.
The defense allows 26.4 points, 342.3 total yards, 211.4 passing yards and 130.9 rushing yards per game. Opponents have converted 35 percent of third downs and scored on 29 of 39 red zone trips. The Jaguars have 27 sacks, 62 tackles for loss, 14 interceptions and eight fumble recoveries. Keith Gallmon leads the team with 51 tackles and has converted two fake punts on runs. AJ DeShazor has 50 tackles. Wy’Kevious Thomas and Jamal Brooks lead with 5.5 tackles for loss each, Charles Coleman and CJ Rias have three sacks each, and Darrell Luter leads with four interceptions.
Diego Guajardo is 32-of-34 on extra points and 10-of-15 on field goals. Jack Brooks averages 42.5 yards on 51 punts.
Coastal Carolina
Coastal Carolina (9-2, 5-2 Sun Belt) finished the 2020 regular season unbeaten and ranked ninth, but its Sun Belt championship game against No. 17 Louisiana-Lafayette was canceled because of COVID-19 cases and contact tracing. The Chanticleers lost 37-34 in overtime to No. 23 Liberty in the Cure Bowl.
This season Coastal Carolina lost 30-27 at Appalachian State and, without its starting quarterback, 42-40 to Georgia State, ending its chances of repeating as East Division champion. Quarterback Grayson McCall, the 2020 Sun Belt Player of the Year, returned last week and threw for 319 yards and five touchdowns in a 35-21 win over Texas State.
The Chanticleers run a spread option offense that also uses triple-option plays. They average 41.6 points, 493.3 total yards, 269.6 passing yards and 223.6 rushing yards per game, have converted 56 percent of third downs and 78 percent of fourth downs, and have scored 36 touchdowns on 44 red zone trips. Their quarterbacks have been sacked 16 times.
McCall has completed 138 of 186 passes (74.2 percent) for 2,382 yards, 22 touchdowns and two interceptions in nine games. Bryce Carpenter, who started two games, is 41-of-69 for 483 yards. Jaivon Heiligh has 53 catches for 947 yards and six touchdowns, Isaiah Likely has 49 catches for 795 yards and 10 touchdowns, and Kameron Brown has 30 catches for 533 yards and five touchdowns. Shermari Jones leads the rushing attack with 777 yards and 12 touchdowns, Reese White has 516 yards and seven touchdowns, and Braydon Bennett has 485 yards and five touchdowns.
The Coastal defense allows 19.9 points, 322.6 total yards, 176.3 passing yards and 146.4 rushing yards per game, with 26 sacks and 69 tackles for loss. Silas Kelly leads with 88 tackles, Teddy Gallagher has 67, and Josaiah Stewart leads with 12 tackles for loss and 10 sacks. Massimo Biscardi is 5-of-6 on field goals with a long of 50 yards and 40-of-40 on extra points.
Bowl Experience
Only two members of the program have been part of a South Alabama bowl game: Wommack, the Jaguars’ defensive coordinator in 2016, and sixth-year senior linebacker Chris Henderson, a freshman that season. Defensive coordinator Corey Batoon faced Coastal Carolina last season while at Liberty.
South Alabama beat Coastal Carolina in Mobile in 2018 and lost in Conway last season. A win would give the Jaguars a chance at the first winning record of their FBS era and, with a bowl invitation, the program’s first bowl victory. Coastal Carolina is a 14.5-point favorite.
