Late Interception Sinks South Alabama 28-26 at Louisiana as Jaguars Drop Third Straight Before Battle for the Belt

South Alabama’s road trip to Lafayette turned into another close loss and a third straight defeat. The Jaguars tied the game twice, pulled within two points early in the fourth quarter and drove into position for a possible game-winning field goal in the final minutes, but an interception with 1:29 to play sealed a 28-26 Sun Belt Conference loss at Louisiana on Saturday, Nov. 7.

The loss drops South Alabama to 4-5 overall and 2-3 in Sun Belt play. With three regular-season games remaining, the Jaguars must win two of them to become bowl eligible, starting with next Saturday’s “Battle for the Belt” rivalry game against Troy at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile.

A game of big plays from the opening kickoff

Louisiana struck first, and fast. JJ Garner returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown, setting the tone for a game that would swing on explosive plays. The Ragin’ Cajuns also made the last big play of the day, an interception by Micah Johnson that ended South Alabama’s final drive. After the turnover, Louisiana’s offense ran out the remaining time to secure the win.

South Alabama never led, but it answered repeatedly. After Garner’s kickoff return, quarterback Bishop Davenport, back in the starting role after a six-game absence, scored on a 2-yard run to tie the game at 7-7.

Garner struck again with a 65-yard touchdown run that put Louisiana back in front 14-7. South Alabama’s defense delivered the equalizer, as Jaylen Moson returned an interception 72 yards for a pick-six to tie it 14-14.

Cajuns take a halftime lead

Louisiana quarterback Lunch Winfield scored on a 14-yard run with 4:16 left in the first half to put the Cajuns up 21-14. South Alabama responded with a 44-yard field goal by Dylan Freebury with 1:13 remaining before halftime, sending the teams to the locker room with Louisiana holding a slim 21-17 advantage.

Jaguars claw within two

Winfield threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to Shelton Sampson Jr. with 3:52 left in the third quarter, but Davenport answered quickly with a 45-yard touchdown run. South Alabama’s two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the Jaguars behind 28-23.

Early in the fourth quarter, Freebury connected on a 50-yard field goal, his second of the game, to cut Louisiana’s lead to 28-26.

Missed chances down the stretch

From there, South Alabama had several opportunities to take its first lead but could not convert. The Jaguars’ best chance came after Louisiana’s Tony Sterner missed a 48-yard field goal with 4:02 remaining, giving South Alabama the ball with a two-point deficit and enough time to work into field goal range.

The Jaguars moved to the 50-yard line and converted a fourth-and-5 when Davenport found tight end Rod Gibbs for a 23-yard gain. But on the next play Davenport was sacked, and his following throw was intercepted by Johnson with 1:29 left. Louisiana then ran out the clock.

By the numbers

• Bishop Davenport, South Alabama QB: 16 of 22 passing for 210 yards; 10 carries for 61 yards and two rushing touchdowns.
• Brendan Jenkins, South Alabama WR: six catches for 101 yards.
• Anthony Eager, South Alabama: three catches for 38 yards.
• Dylan Freebury, South Alabama K: field goals of 44 and 50 yards.
• Jaylen Moson, South Alabama DB: 72-yard interception return for a touchdown.
• Lunch Winfield, Louisiana QB: 10 of 14 passing for 147 yards, one touchdown and one interception; one rushing touchdown.
• JJ Garner, Louisiana: 10 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown, plus a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown.
• Louisiana team rushing: 312 yards.

The rushing numbers tell much of the story. Louisiana gained 312 yards on the ground, and Garner averaged more than 13 yards per carry, giving the Cajuns the big-play edge they needed despite a modest passing output. South Alabama, meanwhile, got efficient quarterback play from Davenport in his return as the starter and a defensive touchdown, but came up short on its late possessions.

Sun Belt West standings tighten

Louisiana improved to 6-3 overall, making the Cajuns bowl eligible, and 3-2 in conference play, good for second place in the Sun Belt West Division. Louisiana Tech leads the division with a 5-0 league record.

Behind the Cajuns, the rest of the division is bunched together. South Alabama, Troy, Arkansas State, Southern Miss and Louisiana-Monroe are all 2-3 in Sun Belt play.

Battle for the Belt looms large

South Alabama’s next game could not carry much more weight. The Jaguars host Troy at 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, at Hancock Whitney Stadium in the annual Battle for the Belt rivalry game. Both teams sit at 2-3 in the Sun Belt, and the game will be key for both programs’ postseason hopes.

Troy owns a 10-4 lead in the all-time series, including an 8-2 record over the past 10 meetings. The Trojans won last year’s matchup 31-24.

The road to bowl eligibility

To reach bowl eligibility, South Alabama must win two of its last three regular-season games:

• Saturday, Nov. 14: vs. Troy, 6 p.m., Hancock Whitney Stadium (Battle for the Belt)
• Saturday, Nov. 21: at Southern Miss, kickoff time to be announced Monday
• Friday, Nov. 27: vs. App State, 2 p.m., Hancock Whitney Stadium (the day after Thanksgiving)

The three-game losing streak has put the Jaguars in a must-win position, and the stretch run begins at home against their biggest rival.

South Alabama News will have full coverage of the Battle for the Belt this week.