MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama piled up 481 yards of offense and did not commit a turnover in a 38-21 homecoming victory over Kent State on Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, ending a two-game losing streak and evening the Jaguars’ record at 3-3.
South Alabama gained 257 yards on the ground and 224 through the air, picked up 29 first downs and converted 6 of 11 third-down attempts. The Jaguars reached the red zone six times and scored touchdowns on five of those trips.
The offense ran 77 plays and averaged 6.2 yards per snap.
How the Scoring Unfolded
The Jaguars’ defense set the tone on Kent State’s opening possession when Montavious Williams blocked a 41-yard field goal attempt.
South Alabama built a 10-0 lead before Kent State’s Dri Archer broke free for a 74-yard touchdown with under 10 minutes to play in the first half. The Jaguars answered with a nine-play, 79-yard drive to take a 17-7 lead into halftime.
The touchdown drive was part of three consecutive South Alabama scores after Archer’s first touchdown, a run that stretched the lead to 31-7 in the second half.
Archer struck again with 14:01 remaining, taking a first-down pass from David Fisher 73 yards for a touchdown that cut the deficit to 31-14.
South Alabama responded immediately. T.J. Glover returned the ensuing kickoff 67 yards to the Kent State 30-yard line, and Kendall Houston carried the ball on four straight plays, finishing the drive with a 14-yard touchdown run that made it 38-14 with 11:28 left.
Kent State put together a drive in the final 1:38 and scored with six seconds remaining to set the final margin.
Second-Quarter Breakthrough
The Jaguars scored 10 points in the second quarter, their first points in that period since the second quarter against Western Kentucky. The second-quarter touchdown was South Alabama’s first in that quarter since its game against Tulane.
Metheny Directs the Offense
Quarterback Ross Metheny played most of the game, completing 16 of 23 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a score, giving him a rushing touchdown in five consecutive games.
Backup Brandon Bridge was 0-for-1. On one play, Bridge was pursued and tripped deep in South Alabama territory and attempted to throw the ball as he went down. The play was initially ruled a fumble, but after review it was changed to an incomplete pass, and Bridge was flagged for intentional grounding. South Alabama punted on the next play.
Aleem Sunanon made a 45-yard field goal after two weeks of open competition for the placekicking job.
Balanced Rushing Attack
Jay Jones led the South Alabama backfield with a season-high 99 yards on 13 carries. Cris Dinham added a career-best 67 yards on 12 carries.
Houston ran for 43 yards on seven carries and scored on runs of 3 and 14 yards. Terrance Timmons rushed for 21 yards, and Julien Valentin added 20 yards late in the game.
Eight Players Catch Passes
Eight different Jaguars caught passes. Shavarez Smith led the team with 63 receiving yards on three catches, and Wes Saxton had a team-high four receptions.
Danny Woodson caught three passes for 38 yards and South Alabama’s only receiving touchdown. Jereme Jones made two catches for 23 yards, extending his streak of consecutive games with a reception.
Defense Led by Harris
Maleki Harris recorded a career-high 10 tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss. Montell Garner added seven tackles, Enrique Williams had six and Romelle Jones had five. Alex Page made four tackles, two of them sacks.
Archer finished with 227 all-purpose yards, including 114 rushing yards on 10 carries.
Jones: Team Gaining Confidence
South Alabama head coach Joey Jones said the win reflected a team that is growing.
“We’re gaining confidence right now and maturing as a team,” Jones said. “We have played a lot of tough teams on our schedule, and we’re going to play even more. All we can control is what we do, and I think our kids are buying in to that.”
“As a whole today, guys were motivated, and we played with a great swagger,” Jones said. “Guys were celebrating after every play that was made.”
Kent State played without starting quarterback Colin Reardon and defensive tackle Roosevelt Nix. Jones noted the Golden Flashes’ injuries and travel schedule, with five of their six games played on the road.
“My hat’s off to Kent State,” Jones said. “They came down here banged up with a lot of injuries and two of their best players hurt. They have played five of six games on the road and that’s a tough thing to do.”
Jones said the Jaguars were challenged during the week to approach the game one quarter at a time.
“I thought we played well in all phases and played for four quarters,” he said. “We challenged our players all week to take it a quarter at a time and win each quarter, and I thought they did that.”
He added that the staff expects to find areas to improve. “I’m sure we’ll see some things on film that we need to correct, but overall I’m real pleased,” Jones said.
Up Next
South Alabama travels to San Marcos, Texas, to face Texas State in a Sun Belt Conference game on Saturday, Oct. 26. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.
