South Alabama did some good things in 2019; they hung with Nebraska in Lincoln, beat Arkansas State for the second time in three years, and developed young talent at a few positions, including linebacker, where several upperclassmen return for the team's strongest unit. Unfortunately, South Alabama also did a ton of bad things in crawling to only two wins, their fewest since their first FBS season in 2012.
“We need to block better, we need to throw better, we need to catch better,” head coach Steve Campbell said in the middle of last year's nine-game losing streak. “There are some plays there to be made and we need to make them. We need to play better, we need to coach better."
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The Jaguars, ranked 122nd in the HERO Sports Preseason College Football Rankings, undoubtedly hoped for a better entrance into a season with a new stadium. Instead, as Campbell noted last November, they enter 2020 with an offense that ranked among the nation's worst in most areas, including 123rd in points per play, 119th in yards per play, 102nd in yards per rush, and 116th in sack rate. Campbell deserves time to build his own system but those are inexcusable numbers for an offensive-minded head coach who built his career on offensive consistency.
The offense failed to score more than 17 points in six straight game last year, all losses, including three games with six or fewer points. They miss one of the Sun Belt teams who handed them a blowout loss, App State, but still have a divisional trip to Louisiana, and replace Memphis and Nebraska in non-conference with Southern Miss and Florida.
Even with strengths at linebacker and defensive back and marginally better offensive production, it's tough to see South Alabama winning more than a few games.
Date | Opponent | Prediction |
---|---|---|
Sept. 5 | at Southern Miss | Loss (0-1) |
Sept. 12 | vs. Grambling | Win (1-1) |
Sept. 19 | at Florida | Loss (1-2) |
Sept. 26 | at South Alabama | Loss (1-3) |
Oct. 3 | vs. Troy | Loss (1-4) |
Oct. 17 | vs. Texas State | Win (2-4) |
Oct. 22 | vs. UL Monroe | Loss (2-5) |
Oct. 31 | at Georgia Southern | Loss (2-6) |
Nov. 7 | at Coastal Carolina | Loss (2-7) |
Nov. 14 | at Lousiana | Loss (2-8) |
Nov. 21 | vs. Georgia State | Loss (2-9) |
Nov. 28 | at Arkansas State | Loss (2-10) |