MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama’s football game against Troy in the annual Battle for the Belt rivalry has been postponed because of COVID-19 concerns, leaving the Jaguars with two weeks between games as their program pauses workouts.
Based on both teams’ current schedules, the first date available for the rivals to meet is Dec. 12, the date set for the Sun Belt Conference Championship Game.
The game would have been Troy’s first visit to Hancock Whitney Stadium, South Alabama’s new on-campus stadium, which opened this season.
Jaguars Stand at 1-2
South Alabama is 1-2 under coach Steve Campbell. The Jaguars opened the season with a road win over Southern Miss, then lost to Tulane in the first game at Hancock Whitney Stadium after building an 18-point lead. The Green Wave scored 21 unanswered points in the second half.
The Jaguars then fell 42-10 to UAB, closing a home-and-home series with the Blazers. UAB won 35-3 a year ago in Birmingham, giving the Blazers a 77-13 combined edge in the two meetings.
Struggles Against UAB
UAB set the tone with a 56-yard completion on its first offensive play. South Alabama managed 28 yards of offense and no passing yards in the first quarter. On their five first-down plays in that quarter, the Jaguars ran for 2 yards, threw an incompletion, lost 2 yards on a run, threw another incompletion and gained no yards on a run. Their shortest third-down attempt in the opening quarter was third-and-8.
South Alabama scored 10 points in the second quarter to pull within four, but UAB pulled away after that. The Jaguars converted 3 of 12 third-down attempts.
UAB redshirt quarterback Bryson Lucero and running back Spencer Brown led the Blazers’ offense. Chance Lovertich started at quarterback for South Alabama. Desmond Trotter, who saw snaps at quarterback earlier in the season, reinjured his shoulder. Carlos Davis provided several long runs for the Jaguars.
Preparation Disrupted
South Alabama had two weeks to prepare for UAB after the Tulane game, though a hurricane that struck the area led to class cancellations at the university and cost the football team practice time.
Troy had played at BYU before the scheduled meeting with the Jaguars.
Up Next
South Alabama’s next scheduled game is against Sun Belt rival Texas State in two weeks, pending the team’s return to workouts.
