MOBILE, Ala. — Chance Lovertich will make his first start at quarterback for South Alabama when the Jaguars host UAB on Thursday night at Hancock Whitney Stadium, head coach Steve Campbell announced Monday.
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CDT Thursday, Sept. 24. The game will be televised on ESPN2 and carried on radio by 99.5 FM The Jag, 96.1 FM The Rocket and the iHeartRadio app. UAB is a 7-point favorite.
South Alabama (1-1) opened the season with an upset win at Southern Miss as a double-digit underdog, then lost to Tulane in the first game at Hancock Whitney Stadium after the Green Wave scored the final 21 points over the last quarter and a half. The Jaguars have been underdogs in 12 consecutive games and are 8-2 against the spread in their last 10.
Lovertich Gets the Start
Desmond Trotter started the first two games but injured his shoulder against Southern Miss, giving Lovertich his first opportunity. Lovertich entered again against Tulane when the offense needed a spark and helped South Alabama build a 24-6 lead before the offense stalled in the second half. Trotter returned early in the fourth quarter but left after aggravating the shoulder injury.
Campbell said during last week’s open date that both quarterbacks would continue to play.
“I thought both of them did some good things. Desmond did some good things early and Chance came in and gave us a lift,” Campbell said. “We’ve got two good quarterbacks and I think it’s going to take both of them playing well and staying healthy.”
Trotter has completed 20 of 35 passes for 373 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, both against Southern Miss. Lovertich has completed 20 of 32 passes for 311 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions, but he was sacked five times by Tulane. It is not known whether Trotter will be available Thursday or whether Tanner McGee would be next in line.
UAB Quarterback Situation
UAB head coach Bill Clark, a former South Alabama defensive coordinator, announced last week that quarterback Tyler Johnston III will be out indefinitely with an injury to his non-throwing shoulder. Johnston, a redshirt junior, is from nearby Spanish Fort.
Bryson Lucero is expected to start. He is the only other Blazers quarterback to play this season, completing 11 of 21 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown in two games. Dylan Hopkins, who started five games in 2018 and led UAB to a 3-2 record in those starts on the way to a division title, is listed third on the depth chart.
Lessons From the Tulane Loss
South Alabama’s offensive line, a focus for Campbell, had a strong game against Southern Miss but struggled in the second half against Tulane, allowing five sacks and frequent pressure. The Green Wave held the Jaguars to 13 rushing yards. The potential returns of linemen Hadon Merchant and Josh McCulloch could help against UAB.
South Alabama committed one turnover against Tulane, when Trotter fumbled on a quarterback keeper at the Tulane 2-yard line early in the game. Neither team scored in the first quarter. The Jaguar defense forced three fumbles but recovered only one.
Penalties also proved costly. Tulane defensive end Cameron Sample drew two holding penalties on center Brian Ankerson that stalled a potential scoring drive before halftime. A pass interference penalty helped set up a Tulane touchdown in the third quarter, and a roughing-the-passer call in the fourth quarter gave the Green Wave a second chance at a two-point conversion that put them ahead by three. With just over 1:30 left, after the South Alabama defense forced a punt, D.J. Exilhomme was flagged for leaping.
Place-kicking improved from the opener, with no problems on snaps or holds. Diego Guajardo made a career-long 49-yard field goal in the third quarter. Punter Jack Brooks had a 57-yard punt that rolled to the 1-yard line and another downed inside the 15, but he also had punts of 22 and 33 yards, and Tulane had a 19-yard return.
Scouting UAB
UAB allowed 35 points in its opener against FCS Central Arkansas. The Blazers held Central Arkansas to 293 yards while forcing three turnovers and recording two sacks and five tackles for loss, but the Bears converted three first-half UAB turnovers into points on short fields. Two of them were an interception returned to the UAB 4-yard line and a mishandled fair catch recovered at the 15.
Against Miami, UAB took a 7-0 lead and forced a fourth-and-1 at the Miami 34, but the Hurricanes scored on a 66-yard touchdown run and finished with 337 rushing yards.
Running back Spencer Brown ran for 127 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries against Central Arkansas and had 74 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries against Miami, when a 20-yard gain was wiped out by an illegal motion penalty. UAB has two other running backs who have shown they can contribute.
Both teams are coming off an open week, though UAB has had a couple of extra days after last playing on a Thursday.
Matchups to Watch
South Alabama wide receivers Jalen Tolbert and Kawaan Baker both rank in the top five nationally. The Jaguars’ running game has yet to find consistency, and their defense has allowed 150.5 rushing yards per game at 4.1 yards per carry.
Rain is forecast up to kickoff, with thunderstorms possible during the game, conditions that could favor UAB’s running game and put a premium on ball security and special teams.
