South Alabama rallied from a 16-point second-half deficit and pulled within four points in the final minutes, but Louisiana Tech held on for a 30-26 win over the Jaguars in the 2018 season opener for both teams.
South Alabama, playing its first game under first-year coach Steve Campbell, failed to recover an onside kick with 1:11 remaining, and the Bulldogs ran out the clock.
Slow Start for the Offense
Tra Minter gave South Alabama good field position on the opening kickoff, returning it 48 yards to just inside Louisiana Tech territory. The Jaguars could not capitalize, turning the ball over on downs near midfield after going for it on fourth down.
Louisiana Tech built a 13-0 lead before South Alabama scored with 7:54 left in the second quarter. Set up by a short Louisiana Tech punt, the Jaguars faced third-and-8 when quarterback Cole Garvin handed off to Kawaan Baker, who ran 28 yards for a touchdown to make it 13-7.
South Alabama recovered an onside kick at the Louisiana Tech 46 on the ensuing kickoff. Two plays later, Sam Harris gained 29 yards on a speed sweep to the Bulldogs’ 10-yard line but lost a fumble that Louisiana Tech recovered. The play was not reviewed. During the sequence, Campbell called a timeout as the South Alabama defense hurried onto the field.
Louisiana Tech took a 20-7 lead into halftime when J’Mar Smith threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Holly in the flat with 34 seconds left in the half. South Alabama had 98 yards of total offense and three first downs at the break.
Jaguars Answer in the Second Half
The Bulldogs opened the third quarter with a field goal for a 23-7 lead. South Alabama responded with a 15-play, 67-yard drive built largely on runs by Baker and Minter. Garvin finished it with a 3-yard slant pass to Baker with 6:59 left in the third quarter. The two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the Jaguars down 23-13.
A string of turnovers followed late in the third quarter and into the fourth. Garvin had the ball knocked loose, Jay Woods intercepted Smith, Garvin was intercepted on a flea-flicker, and Jalen Thompson picked off Smith at the South Alabama 34.
Evan Orth then entered at quarterback and led a 10-play, 66-yard drive capped by Maurice Mayo’s 5-yard touchdown run, cutting Louisiana Tech’s lead to 23-20 with 8:18 remaining.
Final Push Falls Short
Louisiana Tech answered with a 12-play, 74-yard touchdown drive that took nearly six minutes off the clock and restored a 10-point lead at 30-20.
Orth broke loose for a 59-yard run to the Louisiana Tech 4-yard line, and Baker followed with a touchdown, his third of the game. After a delay-of-game penalty on the extra point, Gavin Patterson’s kick was blocked, leaving South Alabama behind 30-26 with 1:11 left and one timeout remaining. The Jaguars had used two timeouts early in the third quarter.
South Alabama tried another onside kick. Jamarius Way got his hands on the ball but could not secure it, and Louisiana Tech knelt out the remaining time.
By the Numbers
South Alabama finished with 308 yards of total offense, including 91 passing yards. Orth led the Jaguars with 74 rushing yards, followed by Baker with 51, Harris with 40 and Minter with 23 on 16 carries.
The Jaguars used three quarterbacks. Garvin, the starter, completed 7 of 16 passes for 47 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Orth completed 4 of 6 for 44 yards. Cephus Johnson played one series in the first half and threw one incomplete pass.
Way led South Alabama receivers with 31 yards on two catches. Minter caught three passes for 28 yards.
For Louisiana Tech, Jaqwis Dancy led all rushers with 144 yards and two touchdowns, and Israel Tucker added 82 rushing yards. Smith completed 19 of 29 passes for 209 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Adrian Hardy caught three passes for 73 yards and a touchdown, and two other Bulldogs finished with 53 and 52 receiving yards.
Up Next
South Alabama travels to Oklahoma State on Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. on FSN.
