WHAT: Arkansas State (7-4, 5-2 Sun Belt) at South Alabama (1-10, 0-7)
WHEN: 4 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama
TV: None (Streamed on ESPN+)
LINE: Arkansas State by 12.5
THIS GAME WILL DETERMINE: If South Alabama can go out a winner at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, its home since the program’s inception in 2009. The Jaguars move into Hancock Whitney Stadium on campus next season.
THREE THINGS TO LOOK FOR
1. Will South Alabama send seniors out a winner?
Friday marks the final career game for 15 Jaguars seniors, who played in a bowl game as freshmen in 2016 but have suffered through three straight sub-.500 finishes since. South Alabama has just eight wins the last three seasons, but one of those was against Arkansas State the last time the Red Wolves visited Mobile. Current senior Tra Minter scored one of the Jags’ three touchdowns in a 24-19 win over Arkansas State on Nov. 11, 2017.
2. Can Tra Minter become Jags’ first 1,000-yard rusher?
Minter has 951 yards rushing this season, five behind Xavier Johnson’s 2015 school record. The senior from Ellaville, Ga., needs just 49 yards on Friday to become the Jaguars’ first 1,000-yard rusher. He is already USA’s all-time leader in career all-purpose yards (4,210) as well as single-season all-purpose yards (1,803 in 2018). If he gains 73 all-purpose yards on Friday, he’d break that program record as well.
3. Steve Campbell, Blake Anderson match wits again
Campbell and Anderson were co-offensive coordinators at Middle Tennessee in 2002 and are now opposing coaches in the Sun Belt Conference, Campbell at South Alabama and Anderson at Arkansas State. They are 1-1 against each other, with Campbell scoring a 28-23 victory over the Red Wolves in 2016 when he was at Central Arkansas. Anderson’s ASU team beat Campbell’s Jaguars 38-14 last season in Jonesboro, Ark.
KEY MATCHUP
Arkansas State WR Omar Bayless vs. South Alabama CB Travis Reed: Bayless leads the country in receiving yards (1,375) and is tied for first in touchdowns (15). Reed is arguably the Jaguars’ best defensive player, and leads the team with three interceptions and seven pass breakups.
BY THE NUMBERS
9 — Consecutive losses for South Alabama, the third-longest current streak in FBS football behind Akron (17) and Old Dominion (10).
INJURY REPORT
South Alabama DL Tyree Turner (ankle) and TE Khameron Taylor (knee) are out, OL Joshua McCulloch (leg) is questionable. Arkansas State CB Nathan Page (suspension) and RB Isaiah Azubuike (leg) are out.
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