MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama scored the final 25 points of the game Saturday night to rally past Texas State 41-31 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, giving Steve Campbell his first victory as the Jaguars’ head coach.
Quarterback Evan Orth threw for 266 yards and two touchdowns, Jamarius Way caught a school-record 11 passes for 173 yards, and Jalen Thompson returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown to spark the comeback. The win came despite South Alabama being penalized 15 times for 143 yards.
Thompson’s Pick-Six Starts the Rally
Trailing 31-16 in the third quarter, South Alabama cut into the deficit when Thompson intercepted a pass and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown, making it 31-23 with about six minutes left in the period.
Gavin Patterson pulled the Jaguars within five early in the fourth quarter with a 47-yard field goal, matching his career long.
Go-Ahead Score and Two-Point Conversion
With 2:02 remaining, Orth found Jordan McCray for a 23-yard touchdown. On the two-point try, Deonta Moore slipped out of the backfield to the right and caught Orth’s pass uncovered, giving South Alabama a 34-31 lead, its first of the game.
Texas State quarterback Willie Jones III, who had been sacked several times and missed some time with injuries, threw two incompletions on the ensuing possession. On the next play, Thompson jumped a pass to the left side and nearly scored a second defensive touchdown before being ruled down at the Texas State 4.
Way Seals It on Fourth Down
The Jaguars were unable to run the ball into the end zone. A fourth-and-goal touchdown pass from the 3 to Collier Smith was wiped out by offensive pass interference. Facing fourth-and-18 with 39 seconds left, Orth lofted a pass to the left sideline, and Way came down with it for a touchdown to make it 41-31.
Orth Starts in Place of Garvin
Orth made the start after Cole Garvin was suspended indefinitely by the program following his arrest on a public intoxication charge. Garvin has not been convicted of the charge.
Orth completed 24 of 33 passes for 266 yards and two touchdowns and added 21 rushing yards on three carries.
Statistical Leaders
- South Alabama rushed for 116 yards. Tra Minter carried nine times for 61 yards and two touchdowns.
- Way had 11 catches for 173 yards and a touchdown. McCray caught four passes for 31 yards and a touchdown.
- For Texas State, Jones III completed 16 of 30 passes for 205 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Tyler Vitt was 1-of-2 for 9 yards and an interception.
- Jones III also ran 17 times for 58 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown run up the middle, while losing 37 yards, mostly on sacks. Anthony Taylor ran 14 times for 44 yards.
- Javen Banks caught two passes for 82 yards and a touchdown, and Hutch White had two catches for 46 yards and a touchdown. Six other Texas State receivers caught two passes each.
Campbell’s Halftime Message
“There were a lot of things that went against us tonight, a lot of them were from our own doing,” Campbell said.
Campbell gathered the team on the field before heading to the locker room at halftime. “We talked about that we had muffed punts, their coach had gone for it on fourth and one with us backed up and didn’t get it, we’d fumbled, given up deep balls, had an extra-point blocked; done just about anything bad that could have happened to us and it was still just an eight-point ball game,” he said. “We needed to get focused and go win the game.”
By the Numbers
- South Alabama’s 143 penalty yards set a school record, and its 15 penalties were one short of the school record.
- The Jaguars fumbled four times and lost three.
- Way’s 11 receptions set a school single-game record, and his 173 receiving yards rank second in program history for a single game.
- Thompson became the first player in South Alabama history with multiple interceptions returned for touchdowns in his career.
- South Alabama evened the all-time series with Texas State at 2-2. The home team has won every meeting.
Up Next
South Alabama travels to face Memphis, which is 3-0 after beating Georgia State 59-22 on Friday night. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be streamed on ESPN3.
