MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama football hosts Memphis at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, one week after setting a school record with 413 rushing yards against Jackson State. The South Alabama football team is 1-1, while the Tigers are 2-0.
The game will be televised on ESPNU. The radio broadcast is available locally on 99.5 FM The Jag and online through the iHeartRadio app. Memphis is a 19-point favorite.
Last Year’s Meeting
The teams met last season in Memphis, where the Jaguars trailed 31-27 late in the third quarter before the Tigers pulled away for a 52-35 win. Running back Darrell Henderson rushed for 188 yards and two touchdowns for Memphis in that game. Henderson has since left school early and was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL Draft.
Memphis Off to a Strong Start
Memphis opened the season with a 15-10 home win over Ole Miss and followed with a 55-24 victory over Southern.
Quarterback Brady White completed 17 of 21 passes for 337 yards and two touchdowns in three quarters against Southern. Against Ole Miss, he was 23-of-31 for 172 yards. He has completed 77 percent of his passes through two games.
The Tigers will play without starting running back Patrick Taylor. Freshman Kenneth Gainwell made his first career start last week and ran for 85 yards. Memphis has not allowed a 100-yard rusher this season.
Memphis has lost its first road game in each of the past three seasons: at Ole Miss in 2016, at UCF in 2017 and at Navy in 2018.
Minter Leads Jaguars’ Attack
South Alabama running back Tra Minter averages 216.5 all-purpose yards per game, third in the nation, and accounted for most of the Jaguars’ offense against Jackson State. Jared Wilson has emerged as the No. 2 running back.
Quarterback Cephus Johnson, who made his third career start last week, has committed six turnovers in two games, with four interceptions and two fumbles. Two of those turnovers were returned for defensive touchdowns, and two others came inside the opponent’s red zone.
On defense, South Alabama ranks 24th nationally in passing yards allowed.
Penalties a Focus
The Jaguars were penalized 11 times for 101 yards against Jackson State, and three South Alabama players were ejected for targeting, two of them on consecutive plays. South Alabama committed few penalties in its season-opening game at Nebraska.
Injury Report
- South Alabama: WR Jalen Wayne, LB Kade Koler and LB Patrick Rosette are out. RB Jalin Buie is out for the season with a knee injury. DL Tyree Turner is questionable.
- Memphis: RB Patrick Taylor and DB Chris Claybrooks are out. DL O’Bryan Goodson is questionable.
