Rapid Reaction: What we learned from the Marshall game

A thing of beauty, it was not. The Jaguars came out on the wrong end of a 20-13 score at Marshall, but even if they had managed to pull out a final score and come away with the win, it would still have been a frustrating, disjointed, aesthetically displeasing and, yes, even boring game.

But a loss it was and a damaging one, as USA fell to 4-3 and 2-1 in the Sun Belt, harming both their hopes of achieving bowl eligibility and winning the SBC's western division.

Even in a dispiriting loss, however, there are still things to learn.

Yes, (West) Virginia, there is a South Alabama defense

There were hopes and dreams that the extended break between games and the return of a few injured players might lead to an improved defensive performance. Hopes were realized and dreams came true as the Jags turned in their best performance of the season, albeit even though they were obviously worn down during Marshall's final scoring drive. South came into the game allowing 427.8 yards and 34.5 points per game, but only surrendered 328 (the fewest they've given up all year) and the aforementioned 20 in this one. The Herd's average of 4.5 yards per rush wasn't a defensive triumph by any means, but it marks a serious improvement over the 5.5 the Jaguars allowed in their other games. The progress here is undeniable, but now the hard part — can they continue it?

No, (West) Virginia, the South Alabama offense is not unstoppable

As surprising as the defense was, the offense managed to provide an even bigger shock by making a pedestrian Marshall defense look like a Ukrainian infantry division. The Jags were rolling along with 437.8 yards and 38.8 points in their previous six games, but only managed 326 and 13 in Huntington, both season lows. The Herd stifled the running game for most of the night until USA's only touchdown drive in the fourth quarter and the passing game was mostly ineffective. I'm sure Jared Hollins would be the first to say that he had a tough night in terms of delivering accurate footballs and if he's not the first, then his receivers probably are. It's not that there were drops on easy catches as much as there seemed to be an endless supply of tough, but possible, reception opportunities with none of them bearing fruit. The officials could probably have thrown a few more flags, but that was true both ways and all in all they called a fair game. This was just a poor showing by an offense that had been a very enjoyable watch up to this point.

Special teams got their kicks

Everyone knows what this one will be about — the fake punt in the fourth quarter. That South Alabama even had a chance at the end of this game was because of a bold call on fourth-and-nine at the USA 21 with just over 10 minutes to go. The defense had just given up a long drive that ended with a missed field goal and giving the ball right back had disaster written all over it. The fake caught the Herd completely by surprise and the entire punting unit executed it perfectly as Rod Gibbs rumbled for 26 yards, giving new life to what would eventually become the only touchdown possession of the game for the visitors. Additionally, the entire special teams had a pretty good night. Marshall had a couple of good returns early, but that tightened up as the game went on and the guys that actually put shoe to ball were solid. The oft-maligned Aleksi Pulkkinen averaged an ordinary 37.8 yards per punt, but none of his five attempts were poor ones, three being fair caught and two pinning Marshall inside their own 20. Davis Little missed a 45-yard attempt in the third quarter, but was good on attempts from 29 and 42, the latter the final play of the first half.

Kids these days

It wasn't the wholesale invasion of true freshmen to the field that some may have anticipated, but true freshmen made themselves known during the game. Linebacker Xavious Anderson started and produced five tackles, a sack and a quarterback hurry. Elliot Chaney came in for some snaps in relief of left guard Jamal Siler, Camen Upshaw provided a tackle of his own and Deon Callins, Perry Hand, Teryn Green and Julius Mathis all saw time on the field. As the rest of the season unfolds, I expect we will see more from these guys and others in the 2026 recruiting class.

What's next?

South Alabama has a little time to wash the taste of this one out of their mouths and they'll need to. They'll return home on Halloween to take on Louisiana Tech, who currently is the only undefeated team in the West with a 2-0 conference record. If the Jaguars hope to have any chance of making what may be the last Sun Belt Conference Championship Game, that game will be a must-win. Tech takes on Old Dominion this Saturday, so they will not have the additional time to prepare for the 10/31 matchup that USA will, so hopefully that will manifest itself on the field as well.