MOBILE, Ala. — A South Alabama-record crowd of 38,129 filled Ladd-Peebles Stadium for the Jaguars’ home opener, and Mississippi State spoiled the occasion with a 35-3 victory.
Bulldogs quarterback Dak Prescott rushed for 139 yards on 14 carries and accounted for nearly 350 yards of total offense and two touchdowns. Mississippi State outgained South Alabama 514-345, including a 288-57 advantage on the ground.
Missed Chances Early
South Alabama was unable to capitalize on early opportunities, and several dropped passes kept the Jaguars from scoring a touchdown in the red zone.
Mississippi State’s defense forced four turnovers, two fumbles and two interceptions, and recorded five sacks and six passes defended.
Starting quarterback Brandon Bridge left the game late, and Matt Floyd moved the offense before throwing an interception that ended another South Alabama threat.
Jones Thanks Fans
“What a great atmosphere,” South Alabama head coach Joey Jones said. “I want to thank our fans for coming out and supporting us. It’s so exciting for our players and everyone involved with the university, and we are excited they came out. It was an atmosphere our kids will never forget, and I appreciate our fans coming out and supporting them. I wish we would have played a little better, but you have to play great to beat those guys and we didn’t play great.”
“We knew how good they were on defense,” Jones said. “You have to make big plays on them. We had a couple of chances early, and we didn’t take advantage of them. They kind of wore on us in the second quarter. They are a much-improved team. My hat’s off to them. They have a lot of good athletes out there, a lot of size and speed.”
“We finished the game last week against Kent State and took a step forward, but this week we had some early opportunities we didn’t take advantage of and we just have to get it done,” Jones said. “We have to make those plays.”
Harris Posts Career-Best 14 Tackles
Maleki Harris led the South Alabama defense with a career-high 14 tackles and forced two fumbles. Terrell Brigham and Davin Hawkings each made nine tackles, and Montell Garner and Jerome McClain added six apiece.
Offensive Statistics
- Brandon Bridge: 21-of-39, 203 yards
- Jereme Jones: career-high 7 catches, 76 yards
- Wes Saxton: 6 catches, 30 yards
- Shavarez Smith: 4 catches, 52 yards
- Danny Woodson Jr.: 4 catches, 38 yards
Sun Belt Opener Next
South Alabama opens Sun Belt Conference play Saturday, Sept. 20, when it hosts Georgia Southern at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m.
