MOBILE, Ala. — Georgia Southern forced a fumble on the first play of the second overtime and kicked the winning field goal moments later to beat South Alabama 20-17 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
South Alabama fell to 1-5 overall and 0-2 in the Sun Belt Conference. Georgia Southern improved to 2-3 and 1-1.
The Jaguars produced two long touchdown passes from quarterback Cephus Johnson but were held to four first downs and did not convert any of their 10 third-down attempts.
Big Plays Through the Air
The game was scoreless until Georgia Southern kicked a 46-yard field goal with 11:03 left in the second quarter. The lead lasted 11 seconds. On South Alabama’s first play of the ensuing possession, Johnson threw over the Eagles’ secondary to Kawaan Baker for a 75-yard touchdown and a 7-3 lead.
After a South Alabama three-and-out, a 25-yard punt by Jack Brooks gave Georgia Southern the ball at the Jaguars’ 42. Following an incomplete pass, the Eagles ran six straight times and scored to go ahead 10-7.
In the third quarter, Tra Minter’s 20-yard run moved the Jaguars to their own 40, and Johnson then connected deep with Jalen Tolbert for a 60-yard touchdown with 5:41 left in the period. It was the first career touchdown for Tolbert.
Johnson later found Baker for a 43-yard gain to the Georgia Southern 31. The drive stalled, and Frankie Onate’s 45-yard field goal with 4:24 remaining gave South Alabama a 17-10 lead.
Eagles Force Overtime
A kickoff out of bounds gave Georgia Southern good field position, and the Eagles moved downfield with consecutive runs of 14, 9, 16 and 22 yards to reach the South Alabama 4. They scored on third-and-goal from the 1 to tie the game at 17 with 20 seconds left in regulation.
Two Overtimes
South Alabama won the overtime coin toss and chose to play defense first. Georgia Southern reached the 5-yard line before penalties for illegal formation and an illegal forward pass pushed the Eagles back, and their 32-yard field goal attempt went wide left.
Needing only a field goal to win, the Jaguars lost a yard on a Minter run and were then called for a false start, moving the ball back to the 31. Onate’s 45-yard attempt was blocked.
South Alabama opened the second overtime on offense. On the first play, Georgia Southern’s Randy Wade came off the edge, stripped Johnson before he could throw, and the Eagles recovered. Georgia Southern then ran the ball to set up a field goal from the left hash mark, and the kick was good for the 20-17 final.
By the Numbers
- First downs: Georgia Southern 22, South Alabama 4
- Total yards: Georgia Southern 383, South Alabama 242
- Rushing yards: Georgia Southern 305, South Alabama 48
- Passing yards: South Alabama 194, Georgia Southern 78
- Third downs: Georgia Southern 5 of 18, South Alabama 0 of 10
- Offensive plays: Georgia Southern 83, South Alabama 39
- Time of possession: Georgia Southern 40:38, South Alabama 19:22
South Alabama did not reach 100 yards of total offense until midway through the third quarter. Baker caught four passes for 126 yards and a touchdown, and Tolbert’s lone catch went for the 60-yard score. Minter was held to 45 rushing yards and 8 receiving yards.
Georgia Southern quarterback Shai Werts completed 9 of 17 passes and led all rushers with 102 yards on 20 carries. JD King added 72 yards on 22 carries. The Eagles converted their only fourth-down attempt.
Campbell: ‘We Could Not Run the Football’
“We did some good things, but obviously not enough to win the game,” South Alabama head coach Steve Campbell said. “It’s very disappointing.”
“We couldn’t generate any kind of a running game, and that was the difference,” Campbell said. “We could not run the football. We had a hard time blocking their defensive front and linebackers.”
Up Next: Troy
South Alabama has an open date and 13 days to prepare for its trip to Troy for the 2019 Battle for the Belt. Troy plays Saturday and will have 10 days to prepare.
