2 weeks Ago By TOMMY HICKS
Maybe last week’s game wasn’t merely a big win over a Football Championship Subdivision (FBS) opponent for South Alabama, but instead a preview of what is possible. For sure, no one expected the Jaguars to score 87 points again as it did in dispatching Northwestern State at home last Thursday night. What they accomplished may have been more impressive.
South Alabama grabbed control of the momentum and the game early in steamrolling its way past Appalachian State on the Mountaineers’ home field for a 48-14 Sun Belt Conference victory. It was the first league game for both teams, with App State a preseason pick to chase the league title. The Jags scored the game’s first four touchdowns to take a 28-0 lead, gave up a Hail Mary touchdown on the final play of the first half, then picked up where they left off once the second half began, scoring four more touchdowns before the Mountaineers scored a throw-away touchdown in the final seconds.
It was South Alabama’s first win over App State since 2014, the first time the teams met. The Mountaineers won four straight, a streak stopped Thursday night. “The kids are so excited.
There’s a lot of confidence,” head coach Major Applewhite said when asked about the atmosphere in the locker room after the game. “I think everybody knew they were capable of this. Just to be able to do it on the road, against a quality opponent, a tradition really good program, a standard-bearer for our conference along with a couple of other schools, there’s a lot of excitement in there, a lot of smiles.
“You don’t want to throw a wet blanket on it, but there’s a lot left to the season. But it is great that we all came together tonight and had this type of win. We can build on this.
” Applewhite said the offensive and defensive lines were a big key to the victory. “It starts up front,” he said. “We talked to the guys Monday after practice and Tuesday after practice and said basically, this thing is going to be on y’all’s shoulders.
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Both of them, they weren’t perfect, but they played really well tonight. They played physical. We talked to our team about that, There’s going to be some ebbs and flows in games and there’s going to be some times when things don’t go our way and we’ve got to be physical in those moments and try and pull ourselves out of it.
Overall, great team win, great job by the staff, great job by the players and the leadership this week and coming on the road and getting it done.” The scoring began with the Jags’ opening drive when quarterback Gio Lopez tossed a 10-yard scoring pass to tight end D.J.
Thomas-Jones in the end zone. Five minutes later true freshman running back Fluff Bothwell clicked off a 22-yard touchdown run and the Jags were on their way. The second quarter brought a 31-yard scoring run by Lopez and a 2-yard run by Kentrel Bullock for a score and a 28-0 lead.
The jags’ defense, which was stellar in stopping an offense that had posted big yardage and points heading into the game, gave up a Hail Mary throw for a touchdown with Joey Aguilar finding Dalton Stroman on a 47-yard play. Instead of being a spark for the Mountaineers in the second half South Alabama simply continued its domination. Jamaal Pritchett hauled in an 18-yard pass from Lopez and slipped into the front right corner of the end zone for a score.
Bothwell returned with a 14-yard scoring run in which he maintained his balance and push his way into the end zone. Iverson Celestine ended the Jags’ scoring with a 6-yard run in the fourth quarter. The confidence gained from Thursday’s game should be a positive factor for the Jags going forward, Applewhite said.
“That’s probably the hardest thing you have to do as a coach is develop confidence in someone before they go and do something,” Applewhite said. “After they do something, heck it’s easy. It’s just building that confidence level up prior to that event and our staff did an outstanding job on both sides of the ball.
We haven’t always played great on both sides of the ball this year. That’s a chore. And they’ve done a great job of getting those guys focused, believing in themselves, and believing that they were going to come and do something special.
” Lopez directed the offense well, connecting on 16 of 24 passes for 154 yards and two touchdowns. He also became the first South Alabama quarterback to rush for 100 yards in a game in 10 seasons with 105 yards and a touchdown. Bothwell continues to impress.
He had 14 carries for 116 yards and two scores, with Kentrel Bullock carrying the ball 11 times for a score and 46 yards. Pritchett caught six passes for 68 yards and a score. On defense, linebacker Blayne Myrick was the team’s leading tackler again for the fourth straight game with nine total tackles, two of those being solo stops.
Jaden Voisin had three solo tackles and five total stops. Carlos Johnson and Chrystyile Caldwell had two quarterback hurries each and Courtney McBride produced a sack. Jordan Scruggs had an interception.
South Alabama’s offense produced 474 total yards, with 320 coming via the running game. App State managed 385 yards, with 266 through the air. Both teams are now 2-2 overall, with South Alabama 1-0 in the Sun Belt and App State at 0-1.
The Jags head to Baton Rouge to play No. 16-ranked LSU at 6:45 p.m.
on Saturday, Sept. 28..
