DOTHAN, Ala. — South Alabama football intercepted four first-half passes, returning one for a touchdown, and built a 43-0 halftime lead over Edward Waters on Saturday in the second annual Wiregrass Classic at Rip Hewes Stadium.
Brennan Sim, starting at quarterback in place of Myles Gibbon, threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter, and the Jaguars added three second-half touchdowns as coach Joey Jones gave extended playing time to his reserves.
South Alabama outgained the Tigers 503 yards to 144 and held a 30-5 advantage in first downs.
Fast Start
South Alabama needed less than two minutes to score. The defense forced a three-and-out on the opening possession, and the Jaguars returned the punt to the Edward Waters 35-yard line. After a 16-yard run, Sim threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to Courtney Smith. Taylor Noon picked up a mishandled extra-point attempt and ran to the corner of the end zone for a two-point conversion and an 8-0 lead with 13:03 left in the first quarter.
After a South Alabama punt, the Jaguars intercepted a pass on Edward Waters’ first offensive play. Brandon Ross scored on a 4-yard run to finish a four-play, 41-yard drive that took 1:12, and Jordan Means’ extra point made it 15-0 with 7:53 left in the opening quarter.
Another Edward Waters three-and-out and a punt return to the Tigers’ 35 set up a six-play, 35-yard drive. Sim found Lemontis Gardner for a 3-yard touchdown, and Means’ kick made it 22-0 with 3:03 remaining in the quarter.
Defense Adds a Score
On the second play of the next Edward Waters possession, senior Justin Dunn intercepted a pass and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown. Means converted to make it 29-0 with 2:09 left in the first quarter.
The Jaguars intercepted the Tigers again on their following drive. South Alabama went 62 yards in six plays and 1:52, capped by Sim’s third touchdown pass, a 10-yarder to Bryant Lavender. Means’ extra point made it 36-0 with 14:11 left in the second quarter.
After the teams exchanged three-and-outs, Edward Waters moved the ball before throwing its fourth interception. With Ray Cotton at quarterback, South Alabama drove 58 yards in six plays and 3:31, and Cotton finished the drive with a 20-yard touchdown run. Lawson McGlon’s extra point sent the Jaguars to halftime ahead 43-0.
Reserves Finish the Game
South Alabama scored three more touchdowns after halftime. Ryan Scott ran for a 15-yard score, and Michael Nevels added touchdown runs of 12 and 11 yards. McGlon made all three extra points.
By the Numbers
South Alabama finished with 391 rushing yards and 112 passing yards. Edward Waters managed 97 rushing yards and 47 passing yards, and its quarterbacks combined to complete 2 of 15 passes with four interceptions.
Nine Jaguars carried the ball. Cotton led the team with 78 yards on seven carries. Kendall Houston had 48 yards on four carries, Santuan McGee 46 yards on three touches, Ellis Hill 46 yards on eight carries, Scott 44 yards on seven carries, T.J. Glover 41 yards on four carries, Nevels 35 yards on six carries, Johnny Lockett 33 yards on six carries and Ross 16 yards on three carries.
Sim completed 6 of 11 passes for 85 yards and three touchdowns. Cotton was 1-for-3 for 16 yards, and Gabe Graham was 1-for-2 for 11 yards. Eight different Jaguars caught a pass, none more than once, and Jereme Jones led the receivers with 21 yards.
Umcambre Williams led the defense with five tackles, and Jake Johnson recorded the Jaguars’ only solo sack.
Kickoffs remained an issue. Means kicked off four times, with two going out of bounds. Michel Chapuseaux also kicked off four times, with one going out of bounds, and McGlon’s two kickoffs both stayed in play.
Sim was named the game’s offensive player of the game. The defensive player of the game honor went to an Edward Waters player.
Jones Credits Depth
“I think they performed very well. The bottom line is we had better players than they did. They really had a class bunch. I thought it was a well-played game,” Jones said.
Jones said his staff had a plan for playing reserves once South Alabama built a lead.
“We got a lot of guys in the game. Our coaches had a plan of who they were going to play if we got up so we could get some good out of this game, and I think we did,” Jones said. “Our ones went out there and played well. The two lines stayed in there a good amount of time. They haven’t had a lot of reps, so it was good to get them in the game. We have to have some depth for the end of the year, and we keep trying to develop that.”
He added that the game allowed the staff to reward players “who have been working their tails off all summer long.”
About Edward Waters
Edward Waters is a private, historically black NAIA college in Jacksonville, Fla., with an enrollment of 839 students. South Alabama, a public university, enrolls more than 15,000.
The school was founded in 1866 as Brown Theological Institute to educate freed slaves. It later closed for nearly a decade because of financial difficulties, reopened in 1883 as East Florida Conference High School and was later renamed East Florida Scientific and Divinity School before taking the name Edward Waters College. A fire destroyed the school in 1901, and in 1904 it acquired its current site. It was accredited as a junior college in 1955, restored its four-year curriculum by 1960 and received four-year accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1979.
Edward Waters returned to football in 2001 after a 34-year absence. It joined the South East Atlantic Conference in 2004, winning that league’s title in 2004 and sharing it in 2007 and 2008 before the conference dissolved after the 2008 season. The Tigers now compete in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference.
Up Next
South Alabama returns home to face Kentucky Wesleyan on Saturday, Oct. 2, at 4 p.m. at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
