https://youtu.be/UBWpPtmCSf8
Talk about your bad starts…
Georgia Southern’s Khadry Jackson returned South Alabama’s Carter Bradley’s first pass of the day, on the second play of the game, 43 yards for a touchdown. And despite starting the game on defense, the Eagles took a 7-0 lead :29 seconds into the game.
The Jaguars got one 1st Down on their next possession, but it only took Georgia Southern 4 plays, capped by a 54 yard Jalen White touchdown run, to put the Eagles up 14-0.
South Alabama did get on the board on their next possession when Bradley hit a slanting Jalen Wayne for a 10 yd touchdown pass, but the Eagles came right back with another touchdown of their own.
This is where the game turned around.
Down 21-7 and appearing to punt following a 3 & out, the ‘Justice Jet’, walk-on Tight End Todd Justice took a direct snap and ran for 30 yards, give the Jaguars a much needed 1st Down on the Eagles 38.
From there, South Alabama’s running game dominated, with La’Damian Webb setting a new school record with 247 rushing yards, scoring four touchdowns, en route to a gut check 38-31 come-from-behind victory. The Jaguars rushed for 321 yards. Georgia Southern finished the game with 366 TOTAL yards.
While the offense eventually found success with the running game, the defense need to make their own adjustments.
Georgia Southern scored 17 points on their first 3 possessions. They scored 10 points in their final 9 possessions. Specifically, the Jaguars defensive line came alive after missing a few early game tackles, including White’s touchdown run, when they stopped Georgia Southern twice on 3rd & 1.
Similar to last Saturday’s win over Arkansas State, the Jaguars finished off the game on Webb’s legs. In the 4th quarter, excluding kneel downs, the Jaguars ran 20 plays. Fifteen of them were to Webb for 131 yards (Georgia Southern rushed for 88 yards in the entire game.) One big play that didn’t involve Webb, with 4:17 to go and 3rd & 8, Bradley hit Omari Wells on a swing pass for 17 yards, that basically sealed the game.
All of this coming after Head Coach Kane Wommack announced 31 players had the flu during the week, including 17 starters. Safety Yam Banks, who had another interception, his 5th of the year, flew in on the day of the game. Erdmann Airlines?
The win was the Jaguars seventh of the season which is also new school record. South Alabama is 7-2 and 4-1 in the Sun Belt. The Jaguars still trail the Troy Trojans for the Sun Belt West race as Troy overcomes a 17-0, mid 3rd quarter deficit to beat the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns 23-17.
Good thing for the Jaguars, it’s not how you start, but how you finish. Because they finished a whole lot better than they started.
