South Alabama held off a second-half rally by Texas State to win 38-21 on Saturday at Hancock Whitney Stadium, and set a program record for Sun Belt Conference victories in a season.
Carter Bradley threw for 274 yards and four touchdown passes as the Jaguars improved to 8-2 overall, 5-1 in the Sun Belt. Bradley now has 19 TD passes this season, a single-season school record.
South Alabama led 17-0 at halftime before Texas State (3-7, 1-5) scored three times in the second half to make a game of it. The Jaguars also aided the Bobcats with 11 penalties for 121 yards, many of them on defense.
The Jaguars converted on 5-of-5 fourth-down attempts in the first half, including two on a first-quarter field goal drive and two more on a second-quarter touchdown march.
South Alabama’s second touchdown actually came on fourth-and-goal, when Bradley hit DJ Thomas-Jones on a 2-yard scoring pass. The Jaguars also kept their final possession of the half alive when Bradley hit La’Damian Webb for 22 yards on fourth-and-3, but USA ended up missing a field goal.
South Alabama also converted a fourth down in the fourth quarter as Bradley hit Caullin Lacy for 11 yards on fourth-and-3 to set up a 28-yard touchdown pass to Voisin that made it 31-14.
The Bobcats came into Saturday’s game without their top running back and two of their top three receivers, which put them behind the eight ball against one of the best defenses in the Sun Belt Conference.
Texas State managed 230 yards overall, but only 27 yards and two first downs in the first half. South Alabama, who rank in the top 5 nationally in rushing defense, held the Bobcats to just 87 yards on the ground.
South Alabama also put the game away with a defensive touchdown, as linebacker Ke’Shun Brown snagged a deflected pass and returned it 15 yards to the end zone with 2:48 left to give the Jaguars a 17-point lead.
South Alabama kicker Diego Guajardo made a field goal and all four extra points on Saturday, but missed for the first time all season when he pushed a 37-yarder wide left on the final play of the first half. Guajardo had made his first 13 field goal attempts of the season, including a 35-yarder in the first quarter.
The junior from Spanish Fort had missed only one previous kick all season, an extra point that clanked off both uprights back on Sept. 10 vs. Central Michigan. He was named Wednesday as one of 20 semifinalists for the Lou Groza Award, given annually to the top kicker in college football.
Next up: South Alabama travels to Southern Miss next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Miss., with television coverage by NFL Network.
South Alabama linebacker Trey Kiser (22) and South Alabama defensive lineman Brock Higdon (95) react to a play against Texas State in the first half of a NCAA football game Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022, at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile, Ala.
