STILLWATER, Okla. — South Alabama faces a familiar Power Five opponent Saturday when the Jaguars visit Oklahoma State at Boone Pickens Stadium, a week after pulling away from Southeastern Louisiana in the second half.
The Jaguars (1-1) and the Cowboys (2-0) have met twice. Oklahoma State won 44-7 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile and 55-13 in Stillwater in 2018.
Jaguars Pull Away From SLU
South Alabama struggled to sustain drives early against Southeastern Louisiana (0-2). A late first-quarter drive that started at the Lions’ 25-yard line stalled after penalties and negative plays pushed the Jaguars back 27 yards. SLU scored first before South Alabama answered with a touchdown.
Quarterback Carter Bradley was intercepted on the fourth offensive play of the second half. After the defense forced a three-and-out, La’Damian Webb sparked a run of 21 straight South Alabama points before SLU kicked a field goal. Webb, limited in fall camp after offseason surgery, carried seven times for 81 yards and two touchdowns. The Jaguars rushed for 248 yards and four touchdowns, with Kentrel Bullock and Marco Lee carrying much of the load and true freshman PJ Martin also getting carries.
Oklahoma State
In 18 seasons under head coach Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State has posted seven seasons of 10 or more wins, including two 12-win seasons. In 2021 Oklahoma State went 12-2, was ranked fifth nationally and beat Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, but a 21-16 loss to No. 9 Baylor in the Big 12 Championship Game kept the Cowboys out of the College Football Playoff. Last season Oklahoma State started 5-0 before losing six of its final eight games to finish 7-6.
This season the Cowboys have beaten Central Arkansas 27-13 and Arizona State 27-15.
Cowboys Rotating Quarterbacks
Gundy and offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn are rotating three quarterbacks: redshirt freshman Garret Rangel, senior Alan Bowman and sophomore Gunnar Gundy. All three have played in both games. Rangel has completed 16 of 24 passes for 164 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Bowman is 24-of-40 for 193 yards, and Gunnar Gundy is 12-of-16 for 138 yards and a touchdown. The offense has committed one turnover.
De’Zhaun Stribling leads the receivers with 11 catches for 138 yards and a touchdown. Jaden Bray has nine catches for 118 yards, and Brennan Presley has 10 catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns. Eight other players have caught passes. Ollie Gordon II leads the ground game with 97 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries, Elijah Collins has 71 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries, and Jaden Nixon has 70 yards on 13 carries.
The Oklahoma State offensive line averages 306.6 pounds per starter, with no starter lighter than 296 pounds or shorter than 6-foot-4.
Cowboys Defense and Special Teams
Oklahoma State plays a 3-3-5 base defense with three down linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks and three safeties. The Cowboys allow 334 yards per game, 116.5 rushing and 217.5 passing, and have forced two turnovers. Seven of the nine defensive linemen on their two-deep chart are redshirt seniors.
Safety Kendal Daniels leads the team with 15 tackles and a fumble recovery. Linebacker Nickolas Martin has 13 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks. The defense has eight sacks and 17 tackles for loss.
Punter Wes Pahl is averaging 47 yards on six punts, and Hudson Kaak is averaging 36.5 yards on four. Kicker Alex Hale is 4-of-5 on field goals with a long of 52 yards.
South Alabama by the Numbers
The Jaguars average 26 points, 387 total yards, 225.5 passing yards and 161.5 rushing yards per game. Bradley has completed 42 of 56 passes (75 percent) for 448 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.
Caullin Lacy leads the team with 15 catches for 199 yards and a touchdown, an 84-yard catch-and-run against SLU. Jamaal Pritchett has eight catches for 99 yards, Devin Voisin has five for 77 yards and a touchdown, Bullock has five for 22 yards and tight end Lincoln Sefcik has four for 25. Webb has 121 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries (7.6 per attempt), Bullock has 119 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, and Lee has 66 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. South Alabama’s starting offensive linemen average 322 pounds, with left tackle Josh McCulloch the lightest at 312.
The Jaguar defense allows 27 points, 424 total yards, 322 passing yards and 102 rushing yards per game. Tulane scored on touchdown plays of 47, 47 and 48 yards in the opener. James Miller leads with 12 tackles and a fumble recovery, and Yam Banks, Trey Kiser and Jaden Voisin have 10 tackles each. Banks also has a forced fumble and an interception. Quentin Wilfawn has two tackles for loss, and Khalil Jacobs and Maurice Strong Jr. each have a sack.
Jack Martin averages 42.7 yards on three punts. Diego Guajardo is 1-of-2 on field goals, with a long of 36 yards and a miss from 52 against Tulane.
Running back Braylon McReynolds is out for an extended period with a broken collarbone, and Voisin, last season’s leading receiver with 64 catches for 871 yards and five touchdowns, is doubtful with a knee injury. McReynolds averaged 23.1 yards per kickoff return last season. Defensive backs Jalen Jordan, who sat out against SLU with a foot injury suffered at Tulane, and Keith Gallmon Jr., who left the SLU game with an injury, are expected to return.
Linebacker Trey Kiser, an Oklahoma native, will wear the honorary No. 5 Anthony Mostella jersey this week.
Oklahoma State is favored by 7.5 points at most sportsbooks, with at least one listing the Cowboys by nine.
