MOBILE, Ala. – After dropping its Sun Belt Conference opener last week, the University of South Alabama football program would like nothing better than to bounce back with a victory and even its league record early in the season. While winning on the road in college football is always a challenge, the Jaguars' task on Saturday is a little more daunting as they visit a venue they have yet to have success in.
The Jags will face Louisiana-Lafayette at Cajun Field, with this weekend's kickoff set for 6 p.m. (CDT). The match-up will broadcast live on ESPN3 nationally, and air locally on radio on WRKH 96.1 FM as well as 99.5 The Jag; the game can also be heard worldwide for free as part of the iHeartRadio app.
The first time the schools met on ULL's home field, in the Jaguars' league finale in 2012, the home team came away with a 52-30 win that saw the two squads combine for 952 yards of total offense. Two years ago, the Ragin' Cajuns won again, but this time by a 19-9 margin.
Last fall, South evened the series with a 32-25 win in Mobile highlighted by Xavier Johnson's 23-carry, 118-yard performance that included a pair of scores; his 16-yard touchdown run with three-and-a-half minutes left in regulation provided the Jags with the winning points.
"This has been a big game for us the last four years," stated USA head coach Joey Jones. "They've beaten us twice over there and we've beaten them twice over here; the home team seems to win pretty much every time. They are well-coached by coach [Mark] Hudspeth, he does a great job. I thought last year's game was a really good game and it came down to the wire. Our kids were able to fight through and win it, so we're looking forward to the game this Saturday."
Johnson wasn't the only returning Jaguar to play a key role in that contest. Gerald Everett caught four passes for 59 yards and a score, and he also threw a touchdown pass, while Jeremy Reaves paced the South defense with nine tackles, a forced fumble, two passes defensed and a blocked kick, and Kalen Jackson was credited with seven stops including one for loss.
Everett is second on the squad with 11 receptions for 159 yards and a touchdown as USA has opened the year with a 1-1 record following last weekend's 24-9 loss at home to Georgia Southern. Josh Magee leads the squad in both categories with 13 catches for 163 yards, Kevin Kutchera (6-125) and Jordan McCray (2-45) are both averaging over 20 yards per reception and Tyrone Williams has chipped in with five catches in the first two games of his Jaguar career. Dallas Davis is averaging better than 300 yards of total offense per outing after his first two career starts, including throwing for 564 yards and a pair of scores, while Tyreis Thomas has gained a team-best 103 yards on 16 carries to pace the ground game.
"There's no doubt that we've got to run the ball better," said Jones. "Some of [the struggles] have to do with going against an SEC defensive line in the first week. Georgia Southern also has a very good defensive front and linebackers, they are as good as it gets. They have a lot of size and are also quick up front. I thought we did a good job of moving the ball down the field, but we need to run the ball better in order to win and keep our defense off the field. We've got to a better job of that."
The Jags are allowing only 140 yards per game passing, but have given up 411.5 on average overall after two outings. Roman Buchanan ranks fourth in the conference with 12.5 tackles per contest, and has been credited with three stops behind the line. Reaves has made 16 tackles — including 1½ for loss last week against the Eagles — and broken up a pass in each of the first two games, with Jackson supplying 14 stops highlighted by a team-leading 3½ behind the line of scrimmage. Randy Allen has been in on both of the unit's sacks this fall while posting a total of 10 stops to lead South up front.
After opening the campaign with a 45-10 loss to Boise State, the Cajuns recovered to defeat McNeese State by a 30-22 margin last weekend and improve to 1-1. This will be their third straight home game to begin the season.
Elijah McGuire once again highlights the ULL offensive attack, having gained 185 yards rushing — averaging better than five-and-a-half yards per attempt in the process — while adding another 40 on seven catches out of the backfield. Ja'Marcus Bradley leads the team with nine receptions for 147 yards, including a 17-yard touchdown catch for the Ragin' Cajuns' first points last weekend, as Anthony Jennings has completed 36-of-54 attempts for 356 yards and accounted for four scores in his first two games with the program after transferring from Louisiana State over the summer.
"He's a good one," Jones said of Jennings. "He's a big guy with a good arm and he can run it. You can tell he's more comfortable in their offense and has really come along now after their second game. He was pretty good in their first game against Boise State and he looked much more comfortable Saturday in their second game against McNeese State."
The Cajun defense has been stout against the run, allowing an average of 128.5 yards per game while posting 16 tackles for loss, but have surrendered over 345 per contest through the air. Travis Crawford has recorded 21 stops from the free safety position — eight more than anyone else on the team — and Trevara Miller has sacked the opposing quarterback on three of his six tackles. Tre'Maine Lightfoot and Otha Peters also have multiple tackles for loss after ULL's first two games, with Troy McCollum breaking up a pair of passes as well.
The Jaguars are on the road looking for their first league win this weekend, but will be searching for it in a place where those have been hard to come by.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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