MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama shook off a sluggish first half and scored four unanswered touchdowns after halftime to beat Southeastern Louisiana 35-17 in its home opener at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
The win evened the Jaguars’ record at 1-1. Southeastern Louisiana fell to 0-2.
Slow Start
Neither team scored in the first quarter. South Alabama moved the ball late in the period, but early in the second quarter an offensive pass interference penalty, bracketed by two holding calls, pushed the Jaguars from the Southeastern Louisiana 25 back to their own 48.
The Lions scored first on their next possession. Helped by a roughing-the-passer penalty on Quentin Wilfawn, they mixed runs and passes down the field and finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown pass.
South Alabama answered with a four-play, 75-yard drive. Quarterback Carter Bradley opened it with completions of 6 yards to Caullin Lacy and 29 yards to Devin Voisin. La’Damian Webb then took his first two carries of the game, running 33 yards and then scoring from 3 yards out to tie it at 7.
Head coach Kane Wommack said his team looked flat early.
“I thought our team seemed like we were playing with a bit of a hangover, in terms of some of the things execution-wise, particularly in the passing game on defense, and not executing enough offensively to sustain drives,” Wommack said.
Running Game Takes Over
Bradley was intercepted on the third play of the second half, but the defense forced a three-and-out. Webb then started and finished a seven-play, 74-yard drive, carrying four times for 38 yards and giving South Alabama its first lead of the season at 14-7.
After another defensive stop, Marco Lee carried on four of the first five plays of the next drive, and Kentrel Bullock closed it with three straight runs, the last an 8-yard touchdown that made it 21-7.
Lacy’s 84-Yard Score
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Bradley hit Lacy on a drag route short of the first-down marker. Lacy worked down the far sideline, picked up a downfield block from a fellow receiver and went 84 yards for a touchdown and a 28-7 lead.
Southeastern Louisiana opened its next drive with a 76-yard completion, but the South Alabama defense held and forced a 29-yard field goal.
The Jaguars then put together a 14-play, 75-yard drive that took nearly nine minutes off the clock. Lee scored on a 13-yard run on fourth-and-1 to make it 35-10 with 3:18 remaining. The Lions scored a late touchdown against South Alabama’s reserves for the final margin.
By the Numbers
South Alabama outgained Southeastern Louisiana 509-412. The Jaguars had 261 passing yards and 248 rushing yards, while the Lions threw for 350 yards and ran for 62.
Bradley completed 19 of 26 passes for 258 yards with a touchdown and an interception. True freshman Gio Lopez took one snap and completed a 3-yard pass.
Lacy caught eight passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. Voisin had four catches for 70 yards before leaving as a precaution after an injury, and Jamaal Pritchett caught three passes for 36 yards.
Bullock led the rushing attack with 82 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Webb gained 81 yards and scored twice on seven carries, and Lee ran 11 times for 66 yards and a touchdown. True freshman PJ Martin added 19 yards on three carries.
Yam Banks led the defense with seven tackles, four solo, and an interception. Trey Kiser, Ricky Fletcher, Wilfawn and LaMondre Brooks each made a tackle for loss, and Jamall Hickbottom and Wy’Kevious Thomas shared a sack.
For Southeastern Louisiana, Zachary Clement completed 18 of 24 passes for 267 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and Eli Sawyer was 7 of 12 for 83 yards. Darius Lewis caught seven passes for 81 yards, Da’Shun Hughley had a 76-yard reception, and Harlan Dixon caught five passes for 62 yards. Rodeo Graham led the Lions with 33 rushing yards on eight carries.
“There are certainly some things that we’ve got to get cleaned up, if we want to reach our potential as a football team,” Wommack said.
Injuries and Ejection
Keith Gallmon Jr. left the game early and did not return. Voisin injured a knee and was later seen on the sideline with his pads off and ice on the knee. Jalen Jordan did not dress and watched from the sideline in street clothes, and Braylon McReynolds, who injured a shoulder last week, was not seen on the sideline.
Khalil Jacobs was ejected for targeting on a late hit in the third quarter and will miss the first half of next week’s game.
Up Next
South Alabama travels to Stillwater, Okla., to face Oklahoma State next Saturday at 6 p.m. The Jaguars are 0-2 all-time against the Cowboys. The game will stream on ESPN+.
