South Alabama came crashing to earth on Saturday after two weeks of good feeling.
The Jaguars lost 42-10 at LSU, falling behind almost immediately and never really recovering. Only LSU taking its foot off the gas in the second half kept the score from being even more decisive.
South Alabama jumps back into Sun Belt Conference play next Saturday, traveling to Arkansas State. Before that, here are three takeaways from the Jaguars’ blowout loss in Baton Rouge:
1. The talent gap between the SEC & the Sun Belt was obvious
LSU was able to do pretty much what it wanted to offensively on nearly every snap while the game was still in doubt. The Tigers had numerous explosive plays, and built a 35-3 lead without having to go past second down on most occasions. South Alabama’s previously high-powered offense also found the sledding tough, moving the ball fairly well at times, but being unable to win the battles at the line of scrimmage. The Jaguars’ power running game never really materialized and the line could not protect quarterback Gio Lopez well enough for big plays downfield. LSU could have probably scored 60 had it really wanted to prove a point.
2. South Alabama’s defense remains a work in progress
The Jaguars allowed a 71-yard touchdown on LSU’s first play. They surrendered an 87-yard run to the 1-yard line on the Tigers’ next snap. The game was more or less over at that point. Whether it was missed run fits, bad eyes or poor tackling, the South Alabama defense on Saturday more closely resembled the one we saw in the season-opener vs. North Texas than in the victory over Appalachian State last week. The competition certainly played a major role in the Jaguars’ defensive problems, but the hope was they would at least not get run off the field early and give South Alabama a chance to at least stay in the game. That didn’t happen.
3. The prelims are over — the real season starts now
Ultimately, a decisive loss at LSU was expected going into the season, and probably when the game was scheduled in the first place. The Jaguars now play the games that really count, with all seven of their remaining games part of the Sun Belt Conference schedule. Certainly South Alabama would have liked to come out of September at 4-1 or 3-2, but nothing that has happened thus far will keep the Jaguars from challenging for a conference title. Should South Alabama win next week at Arkansas State, it would take a 2-0 league record into a stretch of three home games — Troy, Louisiana-Monroe and Georgia Southern — in which it is likely to be favored each time.
Next up: South Alabama travels to Arkansas State next Saturday. That game kicks off at 6 p.m. and will be streamed live via ESPN+.
