The second Tuesday night Sun Belt game of the season features a matchup between the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and South Alabama Jaguars.
Southern Miss is 1-5 on the season and has lost five in a row. The Golden Eagles are still searching for their first conference win of the year.
South Alabama is 3-3 this season and is looking to keep their bowl game hopes alive. With just one loss in conference play, the Jaguars could theoretically contend for the Sun Belt Championship as well but will need to win out in order for that to come to fruition.
What Channel Airs the Southern Miss-South Alabama Game?
Southern Miss @ South Alabama
- Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Channel: ESPN2
- Odds: South Alabama -18
- Over/Under Total: 53.5
Southern Miss has struggled to do much offensively this season, but the bright spot of this team has been the skill position talents. Running backs Frank Gore Jr. and Rodrigues Clark both have over 350 yards rushing on the ground and have combined for six touchdowns this season.
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When Southern Miss passes, keep an eye on senior wide receiver Jakarius Caston. Caston leads the team in receiving yards and has been stellar downfield this season. Caston also has just one drop on the season as well.
The Golden Eagles offense has to face one of the best defenses in the Sun Belt. South Alabama allows just 3.3 yards per rush on the season. Led by linebacker Trey Kiser, South Alabama allows just 116.2 rushing yards per game.
While the Jaguars’ defense isn’t overly disruptive in terms of tackles for loss and creating negative plays, they play fundamentally sound and limit positives, something Southern Miss has struggled to create.
South Alabama’s offense has been inconsistent throughout the season, but they do boast talent of their own. Running back La’Damian Webb is an NFL-caliber back with his speed and one-cut ability, averaging nearly six yards a carry and already has eight touchdowns.
Wide receiver Caullin Lacy is lapping the rest of the Sun Belt right now, and it isn’t an exaggeration to say their passing game revolves around him. Lacy has over 100 yards receiving over the second-place receiver in the Sun Belt, and six of Carter Bradley’s 11 touchdowns have gone to Lacy.
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Lacy is one of the fastest wide receivers in the country and is a dynamic player. Lining up both inside and outside, Lacy can make plays downfield and after the catch with the very best of them, using his breakaway speed to make defenders miss in the open field. He has over 100 receiving yards in each of South Alabama’s last five games.
Southern Miss does have defensive talent of their own, though. Safety Jay Stanley has two interceptions on the season and has impressed in coverage and run defense this season. He finished Third-Team All-Sun Belt last year but was named First-Team in the preseason and has lived up to that billing so far this season.
Defensive tackle Jalen Williams has been a force up front for the Golden Eagles, ranking near the top of the Sun Belt in pressures and run stops this season. The senior nose tackle draws a ton of attention from other teams, freeing up his teammates to make plays.
The point spread indicates that this game probably won’t be terribly competitive, but there’s NFL talent to keep an eye on for both teams in this one.
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