MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama returns to Hancock Whitney Stadium on Saturday to host the Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns in a Sun Belt Conference Western Division game with significant standings implications. The Jaguars are playing for only the second time in 21 days after an 11-day break.
South Alabama (4-3, 2-1 Sun Belt) has won its last two games by a combined 110-10, beating Louisiana-Monroe 55-7 in Monroe and Southern Miss 55-3 in a nationally televised Tuesday night game. Louisiana-Lafayette is also 4-3 overall and 1-2 in league play. Oddsmakers list the Jaguars as 10.5-point favorites.
Crowded Western Division Race
South Alabama, Texas State and Troy share the top of the Western Division standings at 2-1 in conference play, with Louisiana-Lafayette and Arkansas State one game back at 1-2. The Jaguars still face each of those teams.
After hosting the Ragin’ Cajuns, South Alabama has a short turnaround before traveling to Troy for a Thursday night Battle for the Belt game.
Joey Jones Headlines Hall of Fame Class
Saturday is also Hall of Fame weekend at South Alabama. Joey Jones, the program’s first head football coach, will be inducted into the University of South Alabama Hall of Fame along with Charde Hannah of women’s soccer, Kevin Hill of baseball and Daniel Leitner of men’s tennis. The induction ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Moulton Bell Tower and Alumni Plaza, and the class will be recognized at halftime of the football game.
Jones built the football program beginning in 2008 and fielded its first team in 2009. The Jaguars opened with 19 consecutive wins, joined the Sun Belt in 2012 and reached their first bowl game in 2014. Jones was named Sun Belt Coach of the Year in 2013 and compiled a 52-50 record with two bowl appearances at South Alabama. He currently serves as director of player personnel at Mississippi State.
Hannah was a two-time All-Sun Belt selection and was named Most Valuable Player of the 2014 and 2015 Sun Belt tournaments. South Alabama won the conference tournament championship in each of her four seasons.
Hill was a first-team All-American in 2016 and a two-time Sun Belt Pitcher of the Year. As a junior, he won the conference pitching Triple Crown with a 10-0 record, a 1.73 ERA and 107 strikeouts. In three seasons at South Alabama after transferring from junior college, Hill recorded 326 strikeouts and 298.2 innings pitched, both sixth in program history, and his 22 wins rank ninth.
Leitner was the Sun Belt Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015. He earned all-conference honors three straight years and was named Sun Belt Player of the Week eight times, including five times as a senior.
South Alabama by the Numbers
The Jaguars are plus-3 in turnover margin. They have nine giveaways, six interceptions and three lost fumbles out of five total fumbles, and 12 takeaways, with nine forced fumbles, six recoveries and six interceptions. South Alabama has been penalized 49 times for 430 yards, an average of 61.43 yards per game.
Offense
South Alabama averages 35.4 points and 448 total yards per game, including 271.86 passing yards and 176.1 rushing yards, with an average time of possession of 30:42. The Jaguars have converted 46 of 94 third-down attempts (48.9 percent) and 7 of 12 fourth-down attempts (58.3 percent). They have scored on all 27 red zone trips this season, with only five of those scores being field goals.
Quarterback Carter Bradley has completed 138 of 205 passes for 1,775 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. Gio Lopez saw additional playing time against Southern Miss and is 10 of 15 for 128 yards with a passing touchdown, a rushing touchdown and one interception.
Caullin Lacy has 48 receptions for 826 yards and six touchdowns. He ranks third nationally in receiving yards and is tied for 17th in receiving touchdowns, and his 118 receiving yards per game rank second in the country behind LSU’s Malik Nabers at 122.6. Lacy has topped 100 receiving yards in every game except the season opener at Tulane, where he had 60. He moved into the top receiver role after Devin Voisin suffered a season-ending injury.
Jamaal Pritchett, who had a breakout game against Southern Miss, has 24 catches for 373 yards and a touchdown. Lincoln Sefcik has 16 catches for 152 yards and a touchdown, and DJ Thomas-Jones has 11 receptions for 136 yards.
Running back La’Damian Webb carried 20 times against Southern Miss and has 578 yards and 12 touchdowns on 103 carries. He ranks second nationally in rushing touchdowns, one behind Michigan’s Blake Corum, and his rushing total ranks among the top 50 in the country. Kentrel Bullock has 343 yards and three touchdowns on 68 carries, and Marco Lee Jr. has 186 yards and two touchdowns on 39 attempts.
Against Southern Miss, the Jaguars failed to score on several attempts from at or inside the 1-yard line late in the first half, and a false start on a fourth-down play led them to settle for a field goal. Kicker Diego Guajardo also missed a field goal attempt wide right on another drive.
Defense
South Alabama is allowing 19.4 points, 312.4 total yards, 198.14 passing yards and 114.3 rushing yards per game. Opponents average 29:17 in time of possession and have converted 32 of 92 third downs (34.78 percent) and 3 of 8 fourth downs (37.5 percent).
Trey Kiser leads the team with 44 tackles, 19 solo, along with two pass breakups, a quarterback hurry and a team-high six tackles for loss. James Miller has 43 tackles, 14 solo, with a quarterback hurry and a forced fumble. Khalil Jacobs has five tackles for loss, and Quentin Wilfawn has 4.5.
Brock Higdon leads the Jaguars with three sacks, while Jamie Sheriff and Maurice Strong Jr. have two each. Sheriff leads the team with five quarterback hurries, and Higdon has three. Jaden Voisin has a team-high two interceptions, and Strong, Yam Banks, Wesley Miller and Marquise Robinson have one apiece.
Special Teams
Guajardo has made 9 of 12 field goal attempts with a long of 46 yards. He missed a 52-yard try in the season opener, and his other two misses came from 40 yards or longer.
Punter Jack Martin has not punted since the Sept. 30 game against James Madison. He is averaging 40.68 yards on 19 punts, with 10 fair catches, seven downed inside the 20 and two kicks of 50 yards or more.
Injury Update
Josh McCulloch is listed as a starter on the Jaguars’ two-deep depth chart for Saturday. He has been slowed by a knee injury since mid-September, before the Oklahoma State game. His status will not be confirmed until game time.
Louisiana-Lafayette by the Numbers
The Ragin’ Cajuns, in their second season under head coach Michael Desormeaux, are minus-5 in turnover margin. They have committed 15 turnovers, seven interceptions and eight lost fumbles out of 17 fumbles, and have 10 takeaways, recovering four of seven opponent fumbles and intercepting six passes. Louisiana has been flagged 41 times for 345 yards, or 49.3 yards per game.
Last week, Louisiana lost its homecoming game to Georgia State when an end zone interception with 30 seconds remaining ended a potential game-winning drive.
Offense
Louisiana averages 32.9 points and 425 total yards per game, with 209.4 passing yards and 215.6 rushing yards, and holds the ball an average of 29:04. The Cajuns have converted 39 of 90 third downs (43 percent) and 7 of 12 fourth downs (58 percent). They have scored on 23 of 31 red zone trips (74 percent), with 17 touchdowns (55 percent).
Quarterback Zeon Chriss has completed 77 of 119 passes (64.7 percent) for 906 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He rushed for a game-high 119 yards against Georgia State, including a 34-yard run on third-and-6 during the final drive. Ben Wooldridge, who has appeared in three games, is 39 of 69 (56.5 percent) for 508 yards, five touchdowns and one interception.
The Louisiana rushing attack ranks eighth nationally. Jacob Kibodi leads the team with 466 yards and five touchdowns on 64 carries, and Chriss is second with 446 yards and five touchdowns on 57 attempts. Dre’lyn Washington has 272 yards and a touchdown on 41 carries, and Zylan Perry has 113 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries.
Robert Williams leads the receivers with 22 catches for 289 yards and three touchdowns. Jacob Bernard has 19 receptions for 241 yards, Peter LeBlanc has 15 for 209 yards and three touchdowns, and Neal Johnson has 15 for 163 yards.
South Alabama’s two losses this season, to Central Michigan and James Madison, came against teams with dual-threat quarterbacks. Against Central Michigan, the Jaguars led 14-0 before Jase Bauer entered and led the Chippewas’ comeback.
Defense
K.C. Ossai leads the Louisiana defense with 49 tackles, 25 solo, with two tackles for loss, a sack, two quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and a blocked kick. Jasper Williams has 44 tackles, 23 solo, two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss. Tyrone Lewis has 41 tackles, 17 solo, a half sack, an interception and two pass breakups.
Kendre’ Grant leads the team with five sacks and has added a pass breakup, a quarterback hurry, two fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. Jordan Lawson has four sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss and three hurries, and Tyler Guidry has three sacks, 5.5 tackles for loss, an interception, a pass breakup and a forced fumble. Tyree Skipper leads Louisiana with two interceptions.
Special Teams
Kenneth Almendares has made 7 of 8 field goal attempts with a long of 46 yards; his only miss came from beyond 40 yards. Punter Leo Thomas averages 42.4 yards on 25 punts, with a long of 52, 12 fair catches, eight downed inside the 20, three punts of 50 yards or more and two touchbacks.
