BEAUMONT, Texas — South Alabama’s defense held Lamar to 161 yards of total offense and forced four fumbles, and Kendall Houston ran for a school single-game record 166 yards as the Jaguars won 26-0 on Saturday to open a three-game stretch against FCS opponents.
Lamar entered the game averaging just over 341 yards per game. The Cardinals finished with 105 passing yards on 15-of-36 attempts and 56 rushing yards on 27 carries, and managed 12 first downs, only one of them on the ground.
Houston, starting in place of Brandon Ross, who was lost for the season with a torn ACL the previous week, carried 21 times. The offensive line did not allow a sack.
Defense Scores First
South Alabama’s opening drive stalled at the Lamar 43, and Scott Garber’s punt pinned the Cardinals at their own 6-yard line. On Lamar’s second play, Charlie Higgenbotham forced a fumble by Octavious Logan, and Josh Chestang recovered and returned it 11 yards for a touchdown. Lawson McGlon’s extra point made it 7-0 with 10:33 left in the first quarter.
On the Jaguars’ third possession, quarterback C.J. Bennett completed his first pass to Courtney Smith for 15 yards, and Houston ripped off runs of 11 and 29 yards to reach the Lamar 12. The drive stalled at the 5, and McGlon kicked a 22-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead with 2:43 left in the first quarter.
Scoreless Second Quarter
Neither team scored in the second quarter. A high snap on a South Alabama punt attempt led to a blocked kick that gave Lamar the ball at the Jaguar 36. A pass interference penalty kept the Cardinals’ drive alive, and they reached the South Alabama 7, but a tackle for loss, an incomplete pass and a holding penalty pushed them back, and their field goal attempt went wide left.
The Jaguars moved into Lamar territory on their next drive behind a 28-yard run by T.J. Glover, but Houston lost a fumble at the Lamar 19. In the final seconds of the half, a personal foul on a Lamar punt return set South Alabama up at the 14. McGlon’s 31-yard field goal was wiped out by an illegal procedure penalty, and his second attempt missed, leaving the score 10-0 at halftime.
Second-Half Control
After a Lamar three-and-out to open the third quarter, Jereme Jones returned a punt 14 yards to the South Alabama 43. Houston ran for 22 and 15 yards on the first two plays, and McGlon converted a 32-yard field goal for a 13-0 lead with 10:06 left in the third.
Lamar drove to the South Alabama 25 on its next possession, but quarterback Andre Bevil fumbled and Romelle Jones recovered at the Jaguar 29. Quarterback Brennan Sim later found Corey Walden for 25 yards to the Lamar 13, Santuan McGee ran 12 yards to just outside the goal line, and Sim threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Ellis Hill. McGlon’s kick made it 20-0 with 4:19 left in the third quarter.
Late in the third quarter, Jake Johnson sacked Bevil and forced a fumble that Randon Carnathan recovered at the Jaguar 20. South Alabama drove into position for McGlon’s 30-yard field goal, making it 23-0 with 13:32 remaining.
On Lamar’s next series, Ken Barefield forced a fumble by Kwabena Asante that Justin Dunn recovered at the Lamar 36. South Alabama’s final drive began at its own 44 with 9:29 left. Bennett picked up a fourth-and-5 with a 14-yard run, and McGlon capped the drive with a 29-yard field goal for the final margin.
Statistical Leaders
- Rushing: Houston had 166 yards on 21 carries. Glover added 32 yards on eight carries.
- Passing: Bennett completed 13 of 16 passes for 109 yards. Sim was 6 of 10 for 35 yards and the touchdown.
- Receiving: Smith caught seven passes for 59 yards, and Walden had two catches for 40 yards.
- Kicking: McGlon was officially 4 of 5 on field goals, with another make nullified by penalty. Garber averaged 41.2 yards on five punts, three of them downed inside the 20.
- Defense: Higgenbotham led the Jaguars with six tackles and a forced fumble. Barefield had four solo tackles and a forced fumble. Lamar’s Asante was held to 29 yards on 11 carries, and Bevil completed 15 of 35 passes for 105 yards.
Jones: “Big Win for Our Program”
“We sputtered somewhat on offense when we got the ball into the red zone, but we moved the ball well between the 30s,” South Alabama head coach Joey Jones said. “We had to settle for four field goals, but when you’re on the road sometimes that happens. I’m really proud of Kendall and the way he came in for Brandon after we lost him last week. He really stepped up and ran like a Division I running back tonight.”
“You have to play great defense on the road, and we did that tonight,” Jones said. “I’m real proud of the staff and players. They played lights out tonight. They knew this was their first big challenge, and answered that call.”
Jones noted the team rode a bus six hours to Beaumont. “The kids did a great job being focused, and we played a great ballgame,” he said. “It’s a big win for our program.”
Injuries and UC Davis Next
Offensive lineman Chris Brunson broke his ankle in the first half and will miss the rest of the season. Brunson was also the backup to center Trey Clark, who sprained an ankle but is expected to be fine. Jones said Brian Krauskopf will likely work at center in practice while Clark recovers.
South Alabama next travels to Davis, Calif., to face UC Davis at 4 p.m. Central time (2 p.m. Pacific), its second straight road game and the second of three consecutive games against FCS teams.
“We know that UC Davis is a very good team. They’ve beaten San Jose State and won their conference last year,” Jones said. “We’re trying to take this thing with baby steps, and we’ve taken some big steps already. It’s a great win, but where we stand I don’t know.”
