MONROE, La. — South Alabama scored on its opening drive and ran for 263 yards, but Louisiana-Monroe pulled away in the second half for a 30-17 win over the Jaguars on Saturday in the Jaguars’ Sun Belt Conference opener.
The loss dropped South Alabama to 1-4 overall and 0-1 in the Sun Belt. It was the Jaguars’ 12th consecutive road loss.
Fast Start Fades
After a defensive stop on the game’s first possession, South Alabama drove 90 yards in 12 plays for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.
Louisiana-Monroe answered quickly, tying the game on a touchdown drive that took 1:29.
The Jaguars moved back into scoring position, but quarterback Cephus Johnson overthrew a receiver and was intercepted in the end zone on the first play of the second quarter. South Alabama’s defense kept the Warhawks out of the end zone after the turnover, but they kicked a field goal for a 10-7 lead.
After a South Alabama punt, Louisiana-Monroe needed only four plays to cover 72 yards and went ahead 17-7. The Jaguars responded with a drive to the 4-yard line but settled for a field goal.
Warhawks Pull Away
South Alabama’s defense forced punts on Louisiana-Monroe’s first three possessions of the second half, but the Warhawks then scored touchdowns on their next two drives to take control. The Jaguars added a late touchdown, but Louisiana-Monroe recovered the onside kick, and South Alabama’s final possession came too late to threaten.
Running Game Shows Improvement
Tra Minter ran for 150 yards on 19 carries as South Alabama finished with 263 rushing yards. Johnson was pressured and sacked several times, and the Jaguars were hurt by penalties at key moments, though they were not flagged often.
“I thought we did some things better,” head coach Steve Campbell said. “We ran the ball better, but we didn’t have any success through the air until late in the game when we had to spread it out and had to start throwing it. Disappointing loss, very disappointing.”
“We let too many opportunities slip away,” Campbell said. “We’re not there yet. We’ve got to keep grinding, keep pushing.”
Up Next
South Alabama has a short turnaround, hosting Georgia Southern on Thursday night at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
