STATESBORO, Ga. — South Alabama puts the first 2-0 Sun Belt Conference start in school history on the line Thursday night at Georgia Southern, a program the Jaguars have yet to beat in six tries.
Kickoff at Allen E. Paulson Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, on ESPN. The game will air on Sports Talk 99.5 FM, 96.1 The Rocket and iHeartRadio. Both teams played Saturday and are working on a short week.
Jaguars Above .500
South Alabama (3-2, 2-0 Sun Belt) has won two straight and has a winning record for the first time since 2016. The Jaguars’ wins have come against Southern Miss, Texas State and Louisiana-Monroe, teams with a combined 2-16 record. The Jaguars’ losses include a lopsided home defeat against UAB of Conference USA.
Quarterback Desmond Trotter, back to full health, completed 8 of 12 passes for 184 yards and three touchdowns against Louisiana-Monroe, all three to Kawaan Baker. Chance Lovertich has played in every game. In the fourth quarter against ULM, South Alabama put together a 16-play drive that took more than 10 minutes off the clock.
Offensive lineman Jacob Shoemaker left the ULM game with a knee injury and will not play Thursday.
This is South Alabama’s first road game since the Sept. 3 season opener at Southern Miss, a win that ended the Jaguars’ road losing streak. South Alabama then played four consecutive home games, a stretch that included a two-week break after its game against Troy was rescheduled because of positive COVID-19 tests among South Alabama athletes.
Georgia Southern’s Ground Game
Georgia Southern (3-2, 1-2 Sun Belt) ranks second in the Sun Belt and 13th nationally in both rushing offense (248.8 yards per game) and yards per carry (5.5). The Eagles average nearly 250 rushing yards in their three wins. Their two losses came against teams ranked in the AP Top 25 at the time, including a 28-14 loss at unbeaten Coastal Carolina (5-0, 3-0 Sun Belt) in which Georgia Southern was outrushed for the first time since November 2019.
Quarterback Shai Werts has rushed for 333 yards and two touchdowns on 60 carries, an average of 5.6 yards per attempt. Against Coastal Carolina he was held to 36 yards on 16 carries and missed time with an injury before returning, and he completed 7 of a season-high 20 passes for 94 yards with two interceptions. For the season, Werts has completed 40 of 76 passes for 558 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.
J.D. King leads the Eagles with 490 yards and four touchdowns on 87 carries, averaging 98 rushing yards per game. Wesley Kennedy III has 206 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries, an average of 6.7 yards per carry.
Eagles Defense
Georgia Southern ranks third in the Sun Belt and 32nd nationally in total defense, allowing 361.2 yards per game. Those figures include a shutout of UMass in which the Eagles allowed 191 yards. The Georgia Southern defense has been stronger against the run than the pass.
Jaguar Run Defense
South Alabama has allowed 134 rushing yards per game and 3.9 yards per carry this season, but has given up nearly 200 rushing yards per game in its two losses. The Jaguars have allowed 6.4 yards per play on first down.
Series and Line
Georgia Southern is 6-0 against South Alabama. The Jaguars’ closest call came last season in a 20-17 double-overtime loss. The Eagles are 5.5-point favorites.
