Jaguar buzz: South Alabama faces Western Michigan in Salute to Veterans Bowl

WHAT: IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl — South Alabama (6-6) vs. Western Michigan (6-6)

WHEN: Saturday, 8 p.m.

WHERE: Cramton Bowl, Montgomery

SERIES: First meeting

TV: ESPN

LINE: South Alabama by 7.5

THIS GAME WILL DETERMINE: If the Jaguars or Broncos finish the season with a winning record.

Voisin twins playing together for final time at South Alabama

THREE THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. Old coaching colleagues clash

South Alabama’s Major Applewhite and Western Michigan’s Lance Taylor were both members of Nick Saban’s first Alabama staff in 2007, Applewhite as offensive coordinator and Taylor as a graduate assistant. Applewhite has previous head-coaching experience at Houston, where as Taylor is in his first job as the head man. It’s also a homecoming for Taylor, who grew up in Mobile County and played at Alabama.

2. Who will play, who will sit out?

It’s a bowl game, so you never really know until kickoff who’s going to play and who’s not. We do know South Alabama running back Fluff Bothwell is taking transfer portal visits, so he’s not playing in the game. Other Jaguar players who have entered the portal may or may not play on Saturday. Western Michigan tight end Bosma Blake is also in the portal. In addition, quarterback Gio Lopez continues to battle a season-long issue with turf toe.

3. Can Jaguars handle this MAC team?

South Alabama has had mixed results vs. teams from the Mid-American Conference over the years, pounding Eastern Michigan 59-10 in last year’s 68 Ventures Bowl, but also losing regular-season games vs. Ohio and Central Michigan in the last two years. Western Michigan is by all accounts a typical run-first Midwestern team, which should bode well for a Jaguars defense that has trouble against the pass.

KEY MATCHUP

South Alabama running backs vs. Western Michigan front 7

The Broncos allow 186 yards per game on the ground and have given up 26 touchdowns. The Jaguars’ running game isn’t what it has been without Bothwell and with Lopez likely not at 100%, but Kentrel Bullock will have a chance to shine. We might also see some younger backs take on a larger role for South Alabama.

BY THE NUMBERS

3-12 — The combined record of the two teams all-time in bowl games. South Alabama is 1-3, while Western Michigan is 2-9.