MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama closes its season Friday against Coastal Carolina at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, where 19 Jaguars seniors will play their final game. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
South Alabama is 2-9 overall and 1-6 in the Sun Belt Conference. Coastal Carolina is 5-6 and 2-5 in the league and needs a win to become bowl eligible, making the Chanticleers the third consecutive South Alabama opponent seeking its sixth victory. The teams have never met.
Quarterback Situation
First-year head coach Steve Campbell is weighing playing time for younger players against the goal of winning the finale and giving the seniors their final snaps on Senior Day.
Senior Evan Orth, who has started eight of 11 games this season, injured his shoulder a couple of weeks ago and has missed the last two games. Fellow senior Cole Garvin started the season opener, missed most of the season because of a violation of team rules and played the entire game last week against Louisiana-Lafayette. Redshirt freshman Cephus Johnson started against Louisiana-Monroe two weeks ago and split time with Garvin.
Scouting the Chanticleers
Coastal Carolina, in its second season of Sun Belt football, enters on a three-game losing streak after games against Appalachian State, Arkansas State and Georgia Southern. The Chanticleers were not penalized in last week’s game against Georgia Southern.
Coastal Carolina averages 208.4 rushing yards and 170.5 passing yards per game. South Alabama averages 135.7 rushing yards and 203.4 passing yards. The Jaguars’ defense has allowed a number of long scoring plays this season.
Senior Class
The 19 seniors include some of the most accomplished players in program history:
- Receiver Jamarious Way ranks in the top 10 in nearly every South Alabama career and single-season receiving category.
- Punter Corliss Waitman owns the best punting average in program history.
- Gavin Patterson is the second-leading scorer in program history.
Four previous South Alabama Senior Day games were decided by one score.
Records Within Reach
Kawaan Baker needs one touchdown to tie Brandon Ross’ single-season school record of 13. Tra Minter moved up a spot on the program’s career all-purpose yardage list after gaining 223 all-purpose yards last week.
