MOBILE, Ala. — The South Alabama Louisiana-Monroe matchup on Saturday, Oct. 21, will serve as the Jaguars’ homecoming game, as South Alabama returns to Ladd-Peebles Stadium following its victory at Troy.
Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN3 and broadcast in the Mobile area on 99.5 The Jag FM and 96.1 FM, with an iHeartRadio stream available through 99.5 The Jag.
Second-Half Offense at Troy
South Alabama’s offense failed to convert any of its seven third-down attempts in the first half at Troy, then converted more than half of its third downs after halftime.
For the season, the Jaguars rank 120th nationally in total offense at 311.5 yards per game and 109th in yards per play at just under 5. Louisiana-Monroe’s defense ranks 125th of 129 FBS teams in total defense, allowing 495.5 yards per game and 6.6 yards per play.
Xavier Johnson left the Troy game in the first half with what was reported as a sprained ankle and was taken to the locker room on a cart. The extra time between games could allow him to play Saturday.
Quarterback Decision
Head coach Joey Jones and offensive coordinator Richard Owens face a choice at quarterback. Cole Garvin opened the season as the starter but was injured on the first series of the second game, against Oklahoma State. Dallas Davis then started until he was hurt against Idaho.
Garvin returned to start against Louisiana Tech and again at Troy, but Davis replaced him late in the first half against the Trojans.
Rematch of Overtime Loss
Louisiana-Monroe beat South Alabama 42-35 in overtime in Monroe last season and leads the all-time series 2-1. In that game, the Jaguars gained 516 yards but were penalized 12 times for 83 yards, and the Warhawks converted all four of their fourth-down attempts.
The Warhawks are coming off a 47-37 home loss to Georgia State, their first conference loss of the season. Since 2014, Louisiana-Monroe is 4-10 in Sun Belt Conference games away from home, though it is 2-0 in league road games this season.
Against Georgia State, Louisiana-Monroe’s Marcus Green returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter and caught an 80-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.
Special Teams Contributions
South Alabama’s special teams forced a fumble and recovered a muffed punt at Troy, and the kickoff coverage unit had its best performance of the season. Punter Corliss Waitman has helped the Jaguars win field position, and kicker Gavin Patterson made a career-long 47-yard field goal.
Players Look Ahead
“Every one is a big one. We want to win every single one for the rest of the year,” Zach Bedford said at Monday’s news conference. “The fact that it’s homecoming, hopefully we just get some more support from our fans and around the city. But it should be a fun environment with homecoming and hopefully we can get a W.”
A large contingent of South Alabama fans made the trip to Troy, and the team thanked them for their support.
