MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama returns home Tuesday night to face Southern Miss in a nationally televised Sun Belt Conference game, looking to build on its most lopsided road win of the season.
The Jaguars (3-3, 1-1 Sun Belt) host the Golden Eagles (1-5, 0-3 Sun Belt) at Hancock Whitney Stadium in a mid-week game picked up by ESPN. Both teams last played on Oct. 7, giving each a few extra days of preparation, though not a full two weeks between games.
South Alabama is coming off a 55-7 win at Louisiana-Monroe, the program’s first victory in Monroe. The Jaguars had lost two straight games before that result.
South Alabama has won all three previous meetings with Southern Miss, two in Hattiesburg and one in Mobile. Tuesday’s game is the fourth meeting between the programs. The Jaguars are 15.5-point favorites.
Southern Miss Seeks to End Five-Game Skid
Southern Miss, in its third season under head coach Will Hall, has lost five straight games. The Golden Eagles opened the season with a 40-14 win over Alcorn State, then lost to No. 4 Florida State, Tulane, Arkansas State, Texas State and Old Dominion. They are looking for their first conference win of the season.
The Golden Eagles average 23.7 points, 356 total yards, 213.8 passing yards and 142.2 rushing yards per game. They have converted 36 of 94 third-down attempts (38.3 percent) and 7 of 16 fourth-down tries (43.8 percent), and they hold an average time-of-possession edge of 33:16 to 26:44. Southern Miss has scored on 22 of 25 red zone trips, with 11 of those scores coming on field goals.
Running back Frank Gore Jr. has 3,288 career rushing yards, 58 career receptions and seven career touchdown passes. This season he leads the team with 397 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 103 carries and has topped 100 yards in two of the last three games. He also has 10 catches for 50 yards and a touchdown and has thrown one incomplete pass. Rodrigues Clark has added 356 yards and two touchdowns on 50 carries.
Sophomore quarterback Billy Wiles has completed 107 of 200 passes (53.5 percent) for 1,254 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. He has gained 122 rushing yards but has a net of 14 yards after sacks, with one rushing touchdown. Southern Miss quarterbacks have been sacked 14 times.
Jakarius Caston leads the Golden Eagles with 334 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 21 catches. Latreal Jones has a team-high 23 receptions for 324 yards and a touchdown, Tiaquelin Mims has 18 catches for 209 yards and a score, and Chandler Pittman has 13 catches for 111 yards.
Golden Eagles Defense and Special Teams
Southern Miss is allowing 35.3 points, 395.3 total yards, 207.2 passing yards and 188.2 rushing yards per game. Opponents have converted 26 of 71 third downs (36.6 percent) and 4 of 7 fourth downs. The Golden Eagles have 17 sacks for 105 yards in losses and 32 tackles for loss.
Safety Dylan Lawrence leads the team with 36 tackles, including 13 solo, and a sack. Fellow safety Jay Stanley has 34 tackles, 18 solo, a half sack, a team-high two interceptions, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. Linebacker Hayes Maples has 24 tackles and 1.5 sacks, and linebacker Jalil Clemons leads the team with three sacks.
Placekicker Andrew Stein has made 13 of 15 field goals (86.7 percent) with a long of 52 yards; both misses came from the 40s. Punter Bryce Lofton averages 38.5 yards per punt with a long of 50, 10 fair catches and seven punts downed inside the 20.
Jaguars’ Offense Led by Lacy, Webb
South Alabama averages 32.2 points, 414.8 total yards, 257.1 passing yards and 157.7 rushing yards per game. The Jaguars have converted 39 of 83 third downs (47 percent) and 7 of 12 fourth downs (58.3 percent), and they average 30:36 of possession per game.
The Jaguars have scored on all 20 of their red zone trips this season, with 16 touchdowns.
Quarterback Carter Bradley has completed 117 of 178 passes (65.7 percent) for 1,456 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. Gio Lopez is 8 of 11 for 87 yards and a touchdown, with most of that work coming against Louisiana-Monroe.
Wide receiver Caullin Lacy leads the team with 39 catches for 723 yards and six touchdowns, an average of just over 18.5 yards per reception. He ranks third nationally in receiving yards and has posted five straight games with at least 100 receiving yards.
Jamaal Pritchett has 19 catches for 251 yards and a touchdown. Tight end DJ Thomas-Jones has nine catches for 103 yards, and tight end Lincoln Sefcik has 12 catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. Running back Kentrel Bullock has 10 catches for 84 yards and a touchdown, and La’Damian Webb has 12 catches for 66 yards.
Webb leads the ground game with 476 yards and eight touchdowns on 83 carries. His eight rushing touchdowns are tied for third nationally, and his yardage ranks 33rd. Bullock has 285 yards and two touchdowns on 59 carries, and Marco Lee Jr. has 160 yards and two scores on 33 carries.
South Alabama Defense
The Jaguars are allowing 22.2 points, 339.7 total yards, 223.5 passing yards and 116.2 rushing yards per game. Opponents have converted 31 of 79 third downs (39.2 percent) and 2 of 6 fourth downs. Opponents have scored on 14 of 19 trips inside the South Alabama 20, with nine touchdowns.
Linebacker Trey Kiser leads the team with 39 tackles, 18 solo, and six tackles for loss. James Miller has 37 tackles and 1.5 sacks, and Jaden Voisin has 34 tackles and a team-high two interceptions. Brock Higdon leads the Jaguars with 2.5 sacks. Yam Banks, Wesley Miller and Marquise Robinson each have one interception.
Kicker Diego Guajardo has made 7 of 9 field goals with a long of 46 yards. He missed from 52 yards in the season opener against Tulane and from 43 yards against Louisiana-Monroe. Punter Jack Martin averages 40.7 yards per punt with a long of 53, two punts of 50 or more yards, 10 fair catches and seven downed inside the 20.
Injury Report
Head coach Kane Wommack said he expects players who are banged up to potentially be available against Southern Miss. Josh McCulloch has missed the last four games with a knee injury, and safety Mike Harris did not play against Louisiana-Monroe because of an undisclosed injury.
Braylon McReynolds, Devin Voisin, Keith Gallmon Jr. and Ed Smith are considered out for the season, though McReynolds has an outside chance to return late in the regular season or for postseason play.
Preparing for a Mid-Week Game
South Alabama’s two most complete performances this season came in a 33-7 win over Oklahoma State and the 55-7 win at Louisiana-Monroe.
Wommack said he and his staff spent time before the season planning how the team would handle its two mid-week games, which move the Jaguars off their usual Saturday schedule and alter the team’s weekly routine.
For Southern Miss, a loss would leave the Golden Eagles needing to win the remainder of their schedule, which includes games against Mississippi State and Troy, to reach bowl eligibility.
