MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama will host No. 10 Oklahoma State on Friday night at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, the first time the Jaguars have hosted a top-10 opponent in Mobile. Kickoff for the non-conference game is set for 7 p.m., with national television coverage on ESPN2.
Last season, South Alabama hosted a ranked opponent at Ladd-Peebles Stadium for the first time and earned its first win over a ranked team. Oklahoma State enters Friday’s game as a 28-point favorite. South Alabama was also a 28-point underdog last season when it opened with a road win at Mississippi State.
Cowboys Roll in Opener
Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy is 105-50 since taking over the program in 2005. The Cowboys opened this season by building a 21-0 first-quarter lead over Tulsa on the way to a 59-24 victory. Oklahoma State’s defense allowed 4.4 yards per play in the win.
The Cowboys ran for 332 yards on 37 carries against Tulsa. Justice Hill rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, while J.D. King added 95 yards and La’Darren Brown 92, each with a touchdown. King and Brown each had a run of at least 71 yards.
Quarterback Mason Rudolph completed 20 of 24 passes for 303 yards. His top target, James Washington, caught six passes for 145 yards, including touchdowns of 40 and 77 yards. Rudolph also threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to Tyron Johnson, a transfer from LSU. Rudolph has not thrown an interception in his last 147 pass attempts.
Jaguars Coming Off Ole Miss Loss
South Alabama dropped its opener at Ole Miss 47-27. The Jaguars averaged 5.5 yards per play and outrushed the Rebels 170-102, but Ole Miss scored three times on big plays in the third quarter.
Quarterback Cole Garvin completed 19 of 31 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown. After Xavier Johnson fielded a kickoff and stepped out of bounds at the 2-yard line, Johnson, Deonta Moore and Tra Minter carried the ball on a 19-play, 95-yard drive that took 9:39 off the clock, though it did not produce a touchdown.
South Alabama converted only 1 of 10 third-down attempts against Ole Miss.
Secondary Faces Changes
South Alabama’s pass defense ranked in the top 10 nationally last season, allowing 174.6 yards per game. This year’s secondary is less experienced because of graduation losses, the ruling that Jalen Thompson is ineligible this season, and an injury to Neiko Robinson.
Senior safety Jeremy Reaves, an All-Sun Belt Conference selection last season, led the Jaguars against Ole Miss with eight tackles, six of them solo, along with two tackles for loss and a pass breakup.
The Jaguars’ defensive line, which was hit by numerous injuries last season, enters the game healthy. That group helped hold Ole Miss to 102 rushing yards, and South Alabama’s defense forced the game’s only turnover, which set up the Jaguars’ first touchdown.
How to Follow
Friday’s 7 p.m. game will be televised nationally on ESPN2. Radio coverage is available locally on 96.1 and 99.5 The Jag in the Mobile area, on other stations across Alabama, and worldwide on iHeartRadio.
