MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama will look for its first win under head coach Major Applewhite when it hosts FCS member Northwestern State on Thursday night at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Both teams are 0-2. The Jaguars have two fewer days than usual to prepare after Saturday’s 27-20 loss at Ohio, and they are listed as 37.5-point favorites. Heavy rain and wind from Hurricane Francine are forecast to move through the area ahead of the game.
After Thursday, South Alabama plays three straight road games, at Appalachian State, the Sun Belt Conference’s preseason favorite, at LSU and at Arkansas State.
A Difficult Start
South Alabama led North Texas at halftime of the season opener before a third quarter that swung the game to the Mean Green. The Jaguars still had a chance to pull within one score late in the fourth quarter, but a turnover was overturned on review and North Texas added a field goal.
At Ohio, quarterback Gio Lopez sat out with turf toe. Jamaal Pritchett fumbled a punt that led to an Ohio score, and the Bobcats ran out the clock with long drives in the second half.
South Alabama has allowed two touchdowns as a result of special teams miscues in its first two games, and opponents have converted nearly 52 percent of third downs. The Jaguars have converted just under 38 percent of their own third downs, including 67 percent against North Texas and 33 percent at Ohio.
Northwestern State Demons
Blaine McCorkle is in his first season as Northwestern State’s head coach after six seasons at Division III Belhaven University. Belhaven went 24-7 over his final three seasons there, finishing 9-2 in 2023 with a conference title and the program’s first Division III playoff berth. Belhaven had not won more than three games in a season since 2013 before his tenure.
Northwestern State canceled the remainder of its 2023 season following the death of a player, and its head coach resigned.
Quarterback JT Fayard has completed 17 of 45 passes for 232 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Quaterius Hawkins is 4 of 5 for 57 yards and a touchdown in one game. Myles Kitt-Denton leads the receivers with four catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
Kennieth Lacy leads the Demons in rushing with 142 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, and Zay Davis has 74 yards. Chance Newman, a tight end and quarterback from Daphne High School, has 31 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Linebacker Blake Gotcher leads Northwestern State with 34 tackles, both of the team’s sacks and a forced fumble. Linebacker Cadillac Rhone and Emanuel Brown have the Demons’ two interceptions. Reed Honshtein handles punting and placekicking, averaging 39.2 yards per punt, and has made his only field goal attempt, from 38 yards.
South Alabama Offense
Lopez completed 26 of 49 passes for 432 yards and three touchdowns in the opener and rushed for 62 yards and a touchdown. Bishop Davenport started at Ohio and completed 23 of 37 passes for 226 yards and a touchdown.
Applewhite said his “hope is” to have Lopez available Thursday. He also said running back Braylon McReynolds, who had 27 yards on eight carries against North Texas and was held out at Ohio, should be ready.
Pritchett leads the team with 18 catches for 264 yards and two touchdowns, and Devin Voisin has 10 catches for 137 yards. Shamar Sandgren and Anthony Eager each have a touchdown catch. True freshman Fluff Bothwell leads the rushing attack with 100 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, and Kentrel Bullock has 51 yards.
South Alabama Defense and Special Teams
Redshirt sophomore linebacker Blayne Myrick leads the defense with 22 tackles and a forced fumble, and Jordan Scruggs has 16 tackles. Jordan Norman and Tyler Thomas have the team’s two sacks; Thomas’ was a strip sack, and Carlos Johnson Jr. has the only fumble recovery. The linebacker group includes six freshmen.
Ricky Fletcher and Reggie Neely missed the Ohio game with injuries and are questionable.
Kicker Laith Marjan has made all four of his field goal attempts, with a long of 39. Aleksi Pulkkinen handled punting at Ohio, averaging 38.3 yards on seven punts, after Jack Martin punted twice for a 44-yard average in the opener.
