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Jaguar buzz: South Alabama hosts first-place Georgia Southern

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Jaguar buzz: South Alabama hosts first-place Georgia Southern


WHAT: Georgia Southern (5-3, 3-1 Sun Belt) at South Alabama (4-4, 3-1)

WHEN: 6:30 p.m., Saturday

WHERE: Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile

SERIES: Georgia Southern leads 7-2

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TV: ESPNU

LINE: South Alabama by 6

THIS GAME WILL DETERMINE IF: South Alabama can get over the .500 mark for the first time all season and stay in the Sun Belt West championship race

South Alabama running game back on track behind Kentrel Bullock

THREE THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. Will South Alabama end its bizarre up-and-down streak?

Dating to the end of the 2022 regular season, South Alabama has not won or lost more than two consecutive games at any stretch. The Jaguars began this season with two losses, followed by two wins, two more losses and then two wins. A victory over the Eagles would give South Alabama its first three-game winning streak in more than two years. The Jaguars would also stay in the hunt in the Sun Belt West, where they are one of three teams (along with ULM and Arkansas State) a game back of first-place Louisiana.

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2. Can the Jaguars’ running game shine once again?

South Alabama ran all over Louisiana-Monroe to the tune of 355 yards, the most in program history against an FBS opponent. Georgia Southern is better against the run than the past, but it’s still likely the Jaguars will keep it on the ground at least in the beginning in order to keep the Eagles’ explosive passing game on the sideline. Look for a steady dose of Kentrel Bullock, Fluff Bothwell and maybe even Braylon McReynolds in the first half on Saturday.

3. Which Georgia Southern team will show up this week?

The Eagles have been even more Jekyll-and-Hyde than the Jaguars this season, looking dominant against the likes of Georgia State and James Madison, but needing a second-half miracle to beat Marshall before getting throttled by Old Dominion last time out. Georgia Southern doesn’t air it out quite as much under new offensive coordinator Ryan Aplin as it did in previous years, the Eagles have a tendency to turn the ball over (13 times in 8 games).

KEY MATCHUP

South Alabama QB Gio Lopez vs. Georgia Southern secondary

The Eagles have allowed a Sun Belt-worst 2,180 yards and 15 touchdowns through the air, but do have seven interceptions this season. Lopez has thrown just one pick all year, and could test the Georgia Southern secondary early and often with both his arms and legs.

BY THE NUMBERS

+10 — South Alabama’s turnover margin this season, second-best in the Sun Belt and tied for ninth among 133 FBS teams nationally.



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Alabama

2024 Alabama High School Back and Lineman of the Year Finalists

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2024 Alabama High School Back and Lineman of the Year Finalists


Winners, Super All-State and Mr. Football to be revealed Jan. 28 at a luncheon banquet at the Montgomery Renaissance.

Class 7A

Back of the year
Anquon Fegans, Thompson
Trent Seaborn, Thompson
Daylyn Upshaw, Central-Phenix City

Lineman of the year
Malik Autry, Opelika
Zion Grady, Enterprise
Jared Smith, Thompson

Class 6A

Back of the year
Corey Barber, Spain Park
KJ Lacey, Saraland
Na’eem Offord, Parker

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Lineman of the year
Keenan Britt, Oxford
Jourdin Crawford, Parker
Anthony Jones, St. Paul’s

Class 5A

Back of the year
Conner Nelson, Leeds
Cam Phinizee, Russellville
Jotavion Pierce, Catholic-Montgomery

Lineman of the year
Jabarrius Garrar, Vigor
Kentonio Kelly Jr., Vigor
Ellis McGaskin, Williamson

Class 4A

Back of the year
EJ Crowell, Jackson
Landon Duckworth, Jackson
Gunner Rivers, St. Michael

Lineman of the year
Tristan Brown, Cherokee Co.
Tae Diamond, Cherokee Co.
AJ Rice, Madison Academy

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Class 3A

Back of the year
Caden Chandler, Mars Hill Bible
Kadyn Mitchell, Houston Academy
Rollie Pinto, Piedmont

Lineman of the year
Myles Johnson, T.R. Miller
Billy Neill, Bayside Academy
Tucker Wilks, Fyffe

Class 2A

Back of the year
Chris Clemons, Winston Co.
Luke Gilbert, Pisgah
Preston Lancaster, Tuscaloosa Aca.

Lineman of the year
JJ Faulk, Highland Home
Clete O’Bryant, Coosa Christian
Grayson Gulde, Vincent

Class 1A

Back of the year
Alvin Henderson, Elba
Ziquayvion Jackson, McKenzie
Jaquez Wilkes, Wadley

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Lineman of the year
Fred Curry, Georgiana
Hayes Farrell, Donoho
Tim Parnell, Leroy

AISA

Back of the year
Julian Curry, Wilcox Academy
Gerrell Perry, Banks Academy
Luke Tarver, Chambers Academy

Lineman of the year
Jackson Boykin, South Choctaw Academy
Ashton Yelder, Lowndes Academy
Asher Young, Fort Dale Academy

The Alabama Sports Writers Association is a professional organization for sports writers and editors throughout the state, or any person involved in disseminating sports information or publicity in Alabama including but not limited to sports information personnel, publicists of professional organizations or facilities, or publicists of non-profit organizations sponsoring or governing sporting events. The ASWA is a non-profit organization.

The ASWA prep committee’s primary responsibilities include conducting regular top-10 rankings of a variety of high school sports, and select all-state teams in those sports as well. The committee will determine the winner of a variety of annual awards including the annual Mr. Football winner, and the Jimmy Smothers Courage Award. For more information, check out: ASWA

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See Also 2024 Alabama High School All-State Football Selections



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3 former Alabama high school stars return to NFL rosters

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3 former Alabama high school stars return to NFL rosters


Three Alabama high school alumni will wake up on Christmas morning on NFL rosters after starting Christmas eve out of the league.

On Tuesday, the Buffalo Bills signed linebacker Nicholas Morrow (Huntsville High School) to their active roster, the Atlanta Falcons signed linebacker Rashaan Evans (Auburn High School, Alabama) to their practice squad and the Miami Dolphins signed defensive tackle Neil Farrell Jr. (Murphy High School) to their practice squad.

Each of the players rejoined a team they had played for this season.

An eight-year veteran with 105 NFL regular-season games and 58 starts in his career, Morrow played in 11 games for Buffalo before the Bills released him on Dec. 7.

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A seven-year veteran with 87 NFL regular-season games and 68 starts in his career, Evans played in two games for Atlanta before being waived on Saturday. This is the third time the Falcons have signed Evans for their practice squad this season. He joined the team on Oct. 1, was released on Oct. 12, re-signed on Oct. 21 and moved up to the active roster on Nov. 1.

A three-year veteran with 19 NFL regular-season games in his career, Farrell played in seven games for Miami before being waived on Saturday. Farrell joined the Dolphins’ practice squad on Sept. 26 and moved up to the active roster on Nov. 11.

FOR MORE OF AL.COM’S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.





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How to Watch the ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 11 Alabama vs. Michigan

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How to Watch the ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 11 Alabama vs. Michigan


Alabama and Michigan played in a bowl game on the first day of 2024 and will play in another on the final day of 2024, there’s just not as much as statke this time. The Crimson Tide and Wolverines are becoming familiar postseason foes, meeting in a bowl game for the third time in the last six seasons with this year’s matchup in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa, Florida.

Both teams will be without several players because of injuries and the transfer portal, but it will be another game between two of the most storied programs in college football history. Alabama and Michigan both had disappointing seasons relative to their standards but are coming off wins over bitter rivals in the final game of the regular season.

Here’s what you need to know about the seaon finale in Year 1 for Kalen DeBoer at Alabama:

Who: Alabama (9-3, 5-3 SEC) vs. Michigan (7-5, 5-4 Big Ten)

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What: ReliaQuest Bowl

When: Tuesday, Dec. 31, 11 a.m. CT

Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

TV: ESPN

Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-By-Play: Chris Stewart, Color: Tyler Watts).

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Sirius XM: Away 191, Home 372

Series: Tied, 3-3

Last meeting: The two teams met last postseason in the Rose Bowl as the semifinal for the College Football Playoff. Michigan won 27-20 in overtime and went on to win the national championship. Alabama led for almost the whole fourth quarter, but let Michigan go on a 75-yard drive in the final few minutes of regulation to tie the game up. The Wolverines got the ball first in overtime and were in the end zone two plays later. Jalen Milroe was stopped on fourth-and-goal from the 3 to give Michigan the win.

Last time out, Alabama: Alabama handled business in the Iron Bowl against Auburn with a 28-14 victory despite turning the ball over four times. Milroe had 256 yards through the air and another 104 on the ground with three more rushing touchdowns.

Last time out, Michigan: The Wolverines had one of the biggest upsets of the college football season, knocking off bitter rival No. 2 Ohio State on the road. Michigan stifled the Buckeye offense on the way to the 13-10 win. Dominic Zvada hit the game-winning field goal with 45 seconds left for the Wolverines.

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