2018 South Alabama Jaguars football team

The 2018 South Alabama Jaguars football team represented the University of South Alabama in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Jaguars played their home games at Ladd–Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama, and competed in the West Division of the Sun Belt Conference. They were led by first-year head coach Steve Campbell. They finished the season 3–9, 2–6 in Sun Belt play to finish in fourth place in the West Division.

2018 South Alabama Jaguars football
Conference	Sun Belt Conference
	West Division
2018 record	3–9 (2–6 Sun Belt)
Head coach	Steve Campbell (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Kenny Edenfield (1st season)
Defensive coordinator	Greg Stewart (1st season)
Home stadium	Ladd–Peebles Stadium (Capacity: 33,471)

2018 Sun Belt Conference football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Appalachian State xy$		7	–	1					11	–	2
Troy x		7	–	1					10	–	3
Georgia Southern		6	–	2					10	–	3
Coastal Carolina		2	–	6					5	–	7
Georgia State		1	–	7					2	–	10
West Division
Louisiana xy		5	–	3					7	–	7
Arkansas State x		5	–	3					8	–	5
Louisiana–Monroe		4	–	4					6	–	6
South Alabama		2	–	6					3	–	9
Texas State		1	–	7					3	–	9
Championship: Appalachian State 30, Louisiana 19
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant

Previous season

The Jaguars finished the 2017 season 4–8, 3–5 in Sun Belt play to finish in a tie for eighth place.

On November 20 following a 52–0 loss to previously winless Georgia Southern, head coach Joey Jones, the only head coach in South Alabama football history, announced his resignation.[1][2] He stayed on to coach the final game of the season and finished at South Alabama with a nine-year record of 52–50. On December 7, the school hired Steve Campbell as head coach.[3]

Preseason

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Award	Player	Position	Year
Fred Biletnikoff Award[4]	Jamarius Way	WR	JR
Ray Guy Award[5]	Corliss Waitman	P	JR
Wuerffel Trophy[6]	T.J. Brunson	LB	JR

Sun Belt coaches poll

On July 19, 2018, the Sun Belt released their preseason coaches poll with the Jaguars predicted to finish in third place in the West Division.[7]

West Division
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Arkansas State	49 (9)
2	Louisiana–Monroe	37
3	South Alabama	26 (1)
4	Louisiana	25
5	Texas State	13

Preseason All-Sun Belt Teams

The Jaguars had five players selected to the preseason all-Sun Belt teams.[8]

Offense 1st team Jamarius Way – WR

Defense 2nd team Tyree Turner – DL Bull Barge – LB

Special teams 1st team Gavin Patterson – K Corliss Waitman – P

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	6:00 p.m.	Louisiana Tech*	Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL	ESPN+	L 26–30	13,457
September 8	7:00 p.m.	at Oklahoma State*	Boone Pickens Stadium Stillwater, OK	FSN	L 13–55	53,923
September 15	6:00 p.m.	Texas State	Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL	ESPN+	W 41–31	16,051
September 22	7:00 p.m.	at Memphis*	Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium Memphis, TN	ESPN3	L 35–52	27,765
September 29	2:30 p.m.	at Appalachian State	Kidd Brewer Stadium Boone, NC	ESPN+	L 7–52	25,862
October 6	2:30 p.m.	at Georgia Southern	Paulson Stadium Statesboro, GA	ESPN3	L 13–48	17,622
October 13	4:00 p.m.	Alabama State*	Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL	ESPN+	W 45–7	16,231
October 23	7:00 p.m.	Troy	Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL (Battle for the Belt)	ESPN2	L 17–38	25,878
November 3	2:00 p.m.	at Arkansas State	Centennial Bank Stadium Jonesboro, AR	ESPN+	L 14–38	20,671
November 10	4:00 p.m.	Louisiana–Monroe	Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL	ESPN+	L 10–38	14,096
November 17	4:00 p.m.	at Louisiana	Cajun Field Lafayette, LA	ESPN3	L 38–48	15,168
November 23	2:00 p.m.	Coastal Carolina	Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL	ESPN+	W 31–28	10,670
*Non-conference game Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Schedule Source:[9]

Game summaries

Louisiana Tech

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bulldogs	7	13	3	7	30
Jaguars	0	7	6	13	26

at Oklahoma State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Jaguars	7	6	0	0	13
Cowboys	14	17	10	14	55

Texas State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Bobcats	17	7	7	0	31
Jaguars	3	13	7	18	41

at Memphis

	1	2	3	4	Total
Jaguars	7	14	6	8	35
Tigers	7	14	10	21	52

at Appalachian State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Jaguars	7	0	0	0	7
Mountaineers	21	21	3	7	52

at Georgia Southern

	1	2	3	4	Total
Jaguars	0	6	0	7	13
Eagles	7	10	10	21	48

Alabama State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Hornets	0	7	0	0	7
Jaguars	7	21	10	7	45

Troy

	1	2	3	4	Total
Trojans	16	15	0	17	48
Jaguars	7	10	0	0	17

at Arkansas State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Jaguars	0	7	0	7	14
Red Wolves	0	14	14	10	38

Louisiana–Monroe

	1	2	3	4	Total
Warhawks	10	14	14	0	38
Jaguars	7	3	0	0	10

at Louisiana

	1	2	3	4	Total
Jaguars	0	17	7	14	38
Ragin' Cajuns	10	14	17	7	48

Coastal Carolina

	1	2	3	4	Total
Chanticleers	0	7	7	14	28
Jaguars	10	14	7	0	31

References

1. "South Alabama coach Joey Jones resigns after nine seasons with program". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
2. "South Alabama coach Joey Jones resigns". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
3. "South Alabama hires Steve Campbell as new football coach". AL.com. Retrieved 2018-01-25.
4. "2018 Biletnikoff Award Watch List". July 19, 2018. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
5. "Ray Guy Award preseason watch list unveiled". July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
6. "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
7. http://sunbeltsports.org/news/2018/7/18/mountaineers-red-wolves-selected-as-division-favorites-in-2018-sun-belt-football-coaches-preseason-poll.aspx
8. http://www.sunbeltsports.org/news/2018/7/20/sun-belt-announces-2018-preseason-all-conference-football-teams.aspx
9. "2018 South Alabama Jaguars Football Schedule". USAJaguars.com. Retrieved April 27, 2018.