by Jeff Clark, Staff Writer

MOBILE (GG) — They say that defense wins ballgames. And while that adage is certainly true, offenses that can continually make big plays and score points can also win games. Neither Arkansas State nor South Alabama could get it going at a high level offensively Tuesday night, but ASU did squeak out a one-point win on a last-second field goal 15-14 at Hancock Whitney Stadium in Mobile.

Maybe it was the “white-out” from the fans in the half-empty Hancock Whitney Stadium, or the spotlight of the ESPN Thursday night game was too much for the Jags, but if you’re Head Coach Major Applewhite, there has got to be a sense of panic after dropping six straight games.

The Jags have not added to the “W” column since winning over Morgan State in early September. As October hits mid-stride, the Jags are 1-6 after blowing an 11-point lead over Butch Jones and Arkansas State.

“We didn’t capitalize,” Applewhite said. “We had a couple of stops, but did not capitalize and separate to a two-possession game. We had an opportunity to go up two to go down there, but there was a penalty with the official. I was out of the box and asked him what we were looking at. That was a flag, so I earned that one. We had a chance to make it at least a touchdown game, but we failed to execute and left it a two-point game, just like the kids did last week. They were good enough and talented enough to go score.”

Jags quarterback Bishop Davenport wasn’t awful as he finished the night 18-23 with 118 yards passing. However, Davenport had zero passing touchdowns, and the Jags put up less than 300 yards total offense (293 to be exact) compared to the 368 on offense for ASU.

South Alabama got out to a 7-0 lead after a short touchdown run from Columbia native and Ole Miss transfer Kentrell Bullock and a good point-after kick.

Coming out of halftime with a 7-3 lead over ASU, PJ Martin scored on a 27-yard touchdown run to put South ahead 14-3, capping off a five-play, 58-yard drive. But the Jags would go scoreless the rest of the night, and ASU kept plugging, hitting a last-second field goal to seal their win, the team’s first in six games, and send the Jags back to the locker room with another “L.” The loss comes after an overtime loss at Troy last week.

NOTABLE

  • Bullock’s rushing touchdown in the first quarter was his sixth of the season and the 17th of his career.
  • Smith’s field goal block was the first time the Jags blocked a field goal since 2022 against Georgia Southern.
  • The blocked field goal was also the first stop South Alabama’s defense recorded in the red zone this season.
  • Chandler’s interception was his second in as many weeks after picking off a pass against Troy.
  • Blayne Myrick recorded the seventh, double-digit tackle game of his career with 13 total takedowns.

South Alabama will play another nationally-televised game when the Jags travel to Atlanta to take on Georgia State on Thursday, Oct. 23. The Jaguars and Panthers will kick at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

(Photos by Hunter Dawkins/The Gazebo Gazette via Associated Press)