MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama can push its program record for wins to 10 on Saturday when the Jaguars host Old Dominion on Senior Day in the regular-season finale at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
South Alabama (9-2, 6-1 Sun Belt Conference) set a new FBS-era record for wins with last week’s 27-20 victory at Southern Miss (5-6, 3-4), overcoming turnovers and a failed fake punt. The previous record had been set one week earlier. The Jaguars are bowl eligible and will learn their postseason destination later, with a chance at the program’s first bowl victory.
Title Game Still Possible
South Alabama retains an outside chance to reach the Sun Belt Championship Game. The Jaguars must beat Old Dominion and need Arkansas State to upset Troy in Jonesboro, Ark.
Many of the seniors were part of the program’s 2-10 season in 2019. Two seniors, Jalen Wayne and A.J. DeShazor, are the last players on the roster to have played under Joey Jones, South Alabama’s first football coach. DeShazor will wear the honorary No. 5 jersey this week.
Old Dominion
Old Dominion (3-8, 2-5 Sun Belt), in its first season in the conference, opened with a 20-17 win over Virginia Tech, then lost to East Carolina (39-21) and Virginia (16-14), beat Arkansas State 29-26 and lost to Liberty 38-24. The Monarchs then won 49-21 at Coastal Carolina, handing the Chanticleers their only loss. Old Dominion has lost five straight since.
The Monarchs average 19.5 points, 335.9 total yards, 243.7 passing yards and 92.2 rushing yards per game, with 24:17 of possession. They have converted 27.8 percent of third downs and 35 percent of fourth downs, scored on 19 of 24 red zone trips with 13 touchdowns, and have thrown seven interceptions and lost 11 fumbles. The offensive line has been hit by injuries.
Quarterback Hayden Wolff has completed 213 of 376 passes (56.7 percent) for 2,623 yards, 16 touchdowns and six interceptions. Ali Jennings III leads the receivers with 54 catches for 959 yards and nine touchdowns in nine games before a season-ending injury, and tight end Zach Kuntz had 12 catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns in five games before his season ended. Javon Harvey has 28 catches for 523 yards and three touchdowns, and Blake Watson has 31 catches for 226 yards and leads the team with 806 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 140 carries.
In their three wins, the Monarchs limited opponents’ rushing attacks. Virginia Tech ran for 136 yards, Arkansas State for 112 and Coastal Carolina for 90, while Old Dominion rushed for 323 against Coastal Carolina.
Henderson Chasing Record
Old Dominion’s defense came out of last week’s game against Appalachian State banged up. Linebacker Jason Henderson entered that game 28 tackles shy of the FBS single-season record; if he plays Saturday, he needs 26 more to break it. Henderson leads the team with 168 tackles and 10 tackles for loss. R’Tarrium Johnson has 80 tackles, and Ryan Henry and Denzel Lowry have four sacks each. Tre Hawkins III leads with two of the team’s 11 interceptions.
The Monarchs allow 26.6 points, 446.6 total yards, 249.2 passing yards and 197.5 rushing yards per game. Kicker Ethan Sanchez is 8-of-11 with a long of 44 yards, and punter Ethan Duane averages 43.1 yards with 26 punts downed inside the 20.
South Alabama by the Numbers
The Jaguars average 32.4 points, 426.1 total yards, 265.5 passing yards and 160.6 rushing yards per game, have converted 42 percent of third downs and 60.9 percent of fourth downs, and have scored on 38 of 46 red zone trips with 28 touchdowns. They have lost four fumbles and thrown nine interceptions.
Carter Bradley has completed 223 of 345 passes for 2,793 yards, 22 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Desmond Trotter is 14-of-18 for 127 yards in three appearances. Wayne leads the receivers with 53 catches for 730 yards and eight touchdowns, Caullin Lacy has 52 for 706 yards and five touchdowns, and Devin Voisin has 50 for 682 yards and four touchdowns.
La’Damian Webb missed his second game of the season last week but leads the team with 941 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns, 59 yards shy of 1,000. Head coach Kane Wommack said on his weekly radio show that the staff believes Webb will play Saturday. Braylon McReynolds ran for his first 100-yard game in his first start at Southern Miss and has 255 yards on 45 carries. Marco Lee has 239 yards and four touchdowns, and Omni Wells has 194 yards. Lee and Wells each ran for nearly 100 yards earlier this season when Webb and McReynolds were unavailable.
The defense allows 19.4 points, 295.5 total yards, 208.6 passing yards and 86.8 rushing yards per game. Opponents have converted 28.2 percent of third downs and scored 16 touchdowns on 32 red zone trips. Jaden Voisin, the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week, had 17 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and an interception at Southern Miss and now leads the team with 68 tackles. Trey Kiser has 65 and James Miller 61. Kiser and CJ Rias lead with 10 tackles for loss each, Jamie Sheriff leads with five sacks and Yam Banks leads with five interceptions.
Diego Guajardo is 15-of-16 on field goals and made a season-long 49-yarder before halftime at Southern Miss. Jack Brooks averages 42.4 yards per punt. Kickoff specialist Jacob Meeks has 25 touchbacks.
South Alabama entered last week ranked first nationally in total penalties and penalty yards after being flagged 13 and 11 times in consecutive games, but was penalized five times at Southern Miss. Rickey Hyatt Jr. was flagged for targeting in that game, and Jalen Jordan missed the Southern Miss game after a targeting call in the second half against Texas State.
South Alabama is favored by 15.5 to 16.5 points.
