App State kicked off conference play Thursday with a crushing defeat by the South Alabama Jaguars, losing 48-14.
The Jaguars came in 1-2 fresh off an 87-10 victory over Northwestern State. The Mountaineers came in 2-1 following a nail-biting 21-19 victory over Eastern Carolina.
South Alabama jumped out to an early 14-0 lead after back-to-back touchdowns on their initial two possessions of the game. The Mountaineer rush defense looked shaky early, conceding 101 yards on the ground just eight minutes into the contest.
Graduate student defensive end Shawn Collins forced a fumble at the 0:16 mark of the first quarter giving the Mountaineers possession on the Jaguars’ 42-yard line. App State was unable to capitalize on the promising field position and were forced to punt.
South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez rushed for a 31-yard touchdown putting the Mountaineers in a 21-0 hole at the 5:30 mark in the second quarter.
Senior quarterback Joey Aguilar threw an interception in the South Alabama end zone which the Jaguars returned for 96 yards, resulting in a rushing touchdown two plays later, putting the Jaguars ahead 28-0 with 2:30 remaining in the half.
Graduate student wide receiver Dalton Stroman found the end zone on a 47-yard bomb from Aguilar as time expired in the first half. This served as Stroman’s first touchdown of the season. The Mountaineers went into halftime trailing 28-7, but with momentum on their side.
Graduate student safety Jordan Favors returned in the third quarter after being suspended for the first half following a targeting penalty in the Black and Gold’s previous contest with Eastern Carolina.
South Alabama executed a balanced offensive attack in the third quarter en route to further dismantling App State’s defense. They found the end zone on their initial two possessions of the half, once through the air and once on the ground.
Senior running back Maquel Haywood picked up his first touchdown of the season on a two-yard rush with less than a minute remaining in the game.
App State was defeated 48-14 and is now 2-2 on the season. Their next game will be played against Liberty on Saturday, Sept. 28 from Kidd Brewer stadium. The game can be streamed on ESPN+.
