College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the South Alabama Jaguars season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– South Alabama Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 2-10 overall, 1-7 in Sun Belt
Head Coach: Steve Campbell, 3rd year, 5-19
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 121
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 119
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 112
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: South Alabama Jaguars Offense 3 Things To Know
– The South Alabama offense needs to finally find a punch. It need a positive identity with its spread attack, and offensive coordinator Kenny Edenfield has to start coming up with ways to move the chains.
The O averaged just 330 yards and 18.4 scores per game after scoring 17 points or fewer 13 times over the two seasons under head man Steve Campbell. Everything is fine when the team scores 31 or more, but it’s been only able to do that seven times in the last two seasons, going 5-2.
CFN in 60 Video: Florida Preview
South Alabama at Florida, Sept. 19
– The passing game that was woefully inefficient and finished with just 1,906 yards and 14 scores with 11 picks gets back Desmond Trotter after he got his feet wet in his freshman season. With eight touchdown passes and two picks, he moved the O and pushed the ball down the field.
Backup Cephus Johnson is leaving, but Tanner McGee and JUCO transfer Chance Lovertich will get their shots.
The receiving corps should get back six of the top seven wideouts, starting with 6-1, 210-pound Kawaan Baker, who led the team with 35 catches for 574 yards and three scores. 6-3, 195-pound junior Jalen Tolbert was the most explosive receiver, averaging over 19 yards per catch with a team-high six scores on 27 catches.
– Tra Minter was one of the team’s offensive bright spots with 1,057 rushing yards and five scores, but he’s gone. Backup Carlos Davis is a 205-pound sophomore who ran for 261 yards and two scores, and 220-pound Jared Wilson can pound away a bit. They’ll work behind a line that gets back four starters. This group will be strong for the ground game around 325-pound potential all-star Jacob Shoemaker.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: South Alabama Jaguars Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: South Alabama Jaguars Defense 3 Things To Know
– The defense that finished fifth in the Sun Belt in yards and points allowed returns loaded with experience. Seven of the top eight tacklers are expected to return, but the defensive line got gutted.
The front three was one of the team’s biggest strengths with great size among the then-seniors, and now it’s all starting over. It’s going to be a smaller line, but it should be able to move around 6-0, 300-pound former JUCO transfer Gi’Narius Johnson on the nose. The 3-4 ends have size, though, around 270-pound senior Jeremiah Littles and 285-pound sophomore Maurice Strong.
– Riley Cole is the hybrid pass rusher on the outside of a solid linebacking corps, but he has to generate more sacks after coming up with 3.5 along with nine tackles for loss. He’s one outside veteran, but it all works around 215-pound juniors Nick Mobley – who led the team with 91 tackles – and AJ DeShazor. 225-pound Kevin Johnson is one of the bulkier inside linebackers – he made 59 stops.
– The pass defense wasn’t bad, allowing 217 yards per game. Two key parts are gone – S DJ Daniels and CB Travis Reed – but Keith Gallmon was fourth on the team with 59 tackles and Devin Rockette isn’t a bad veteran corner. However, the depth was hammered with four corners in the transfer portal.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top South Alabama Jaguars Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top South Alabama Jaguars Players
Best South Alabama Jaguars Offensive Player
WR Jalen Tolbert, Jr.
Now the offense has to get him the ball more. The 6-3, 195-pounder on the outside has the size, can stretch the field, and he can be a possible game-breaker.
Granted, he didn’t do a whole lot for most of the year – he finished with just 27 catches – but he hit Arkansas State for five catches for 144 yards and four scores in the season finale. Fellow target Kawaan Baker is steadier, but Tolbert makes more big plays.
2. WR Kawaan Baker, Sr.
3. QB Desmond Trotter, Soph.
4. OG Jacob Shoemaker, Soph.
5. OT Haden Burton, Jr.
Best South Alabama Jaguars Defensive Player
LB Nick Mobley, Jr.
The 5-11, 215-pounder isn’t all that big, but he’s made a whole lot of things happen in his first two seasons. He came in as a freshman and finished third on the team with 56 tackles, and last year he cleaned things up on the inside with 91 tackles with a sack and two tackles for loss. There might not be a whole lot of flash, but he cleans everything up.
2. LB Riley Cole, Sr.
3. S Keith Gallmon, Jr.
4. LB Kelvin Johnson, Jr.
5. CB Devin Rockette, Sr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: South Alabama Jaguars Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: South Alabama Jaguars Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The South Alabama Jaguars Offense
Get the chains moving. And to do that, complete more than 53% of the passes.
The Jaguars were in several games and had several chances to come up with wins, but they simply couldn’t keep the offense working.
The time of possession battle was a problem, and that was partly because the offense was miserable on third downs, finishing 124th in the nation converting just 31% of the time.
The Jaguars lost to Georgia Southern by three – they failed to convert on any of their ten third down chances. They failed to hit 32% in eight of the last nine games, and failed to get past 25% in five of those.
But that’s nothing new.
South Alabama hasn’t averaged 40% or better on third downs since 2013.
Biggest Key To The South Alabama Jaguars Defense
Toughen up against the run. Most Sun Belt teams had problems against good ground games – USA allowed 192 yards per game and still managed to finish sixth in the league in run D.
There were bright spots.
The defense stuffed Nebraska in the opener and held two other teams to under 100 yards, but Memphis, Georgia Southern and Appalachian State are still running. All three pounded out over 300 yards without too much of a problem.
The program has lost 14 in a row when it has allowed 200 rushing yards or more after being ULM in the middle of 2017. It all ties together.
Stop the run, control the tempo, stay in more games. Easy peasy.
Key South Alabama Jaguars Player To A Successful Season
DT Gi’Narious Johnson, Jr.
The ends will work themselves out, but the nose has to be a rock. The 6-0, 300-pound former JUCO transfer was a good get for the program, and he turned into a decent backup on the nose with 13 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He’s not the 325-pound space-eater that Sean Brown was, but he has to play big as the new anchor on the inside.
Key Game To The South Alabama Jaguars Season
Troy, Oct. 3
The two Sun Belt schools only about 170 miles apart is the conference opener for each of them. It’s also a must win for both programs coming off of rough years.
Troy came up with a 37-13 whacking of the Jaguars last year, and this time around it’ll be coming off a two-week break. 3-5 in the series, South Alabama has to take down every early home game with a brutal finishing kick to deal with.
– South Alabama Jaguars Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 South Alabama Fun Stats
– 2nd Quarter Scoring: Opponents 114 – South Alabama 34
– Field Goals: Opponents 20-of-28 – South Alabama 8-for-13
– Punt Return Average: Opponents 12.7 – South Alabama 3.4
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: South Alabama Jaguars Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: South Alabama Jaguars Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
Head coach Steve Campbell came in from Central Arkansas after winning 20 games in two seasons thanks to one of the best defenses in the FCS and an offense that kept on coming.
That offense hasn’t shown up yet at South Alabama.
It has been a rough run with just three wins over FBS programs in two seasons, and two of those in the regular season finales after most of the cake was already baked.
But more of the pieces are in place now after building things back up.
There’s a massive question mark on the defensive front, but the back eight should be okay. The offense that can’t seem to get going over the last few years at least has a decent line and enough veteran skill parts to be stronger.
However …
Set The South Alabama Jaguars Regular Season Win Total At … 3.5
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 4
Assume a win against Grambling State. That’s about it.
The schedule has a funky quirk with four straight midseason home games – three in the Sun Belt – and then the Jaguars are almost never home again with four of the last five games on the road.
UAB, Texas State, ULM, Georgia State and Troy. USA has to win at least three of those and come up with an upset or two somewhere else to make this a breakthrough season.
But it’ll likely be the underdog in at least eight games.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
