South Alabama Buries UL Monroe Early and Holds on to Win
South Alabama was up 21-7 before the first quarter ended, and that is about all you need to know about how this one went. The Jaguars won 52-35, and UL Monroe spent the afternoon making it look better than it was.
The first two touchdowns took less than two minutes. Jared Hollins hit Brendan Jenkins for 72 yards on the opening drive, and Masey Lewis returned a fumble 21 yards for another at 13:13. Zach Palmer-Smith got the Warhawks on the board with a 31-yard run, but Keenan Phillips and PJ Martin each scored from a yard out and it was 28-7 early in the second. A 37-yard field goal with six seconds left in the half made it 31-14. UL Monroe never got closer than 14 after that.
The third quarter was a shootout. Hollins found Anthony Eager for 35 yards at 11:42 and again for 69 at 6:54, and Aidan Armenta answered with a 2-yard touchdown pass and a 1-yard sneak of his own to keep the Warhawks in range at 45-28. Trae'von Dunbar's 32-yard run with 2:31 left made it 52-28, and Armenta's 9-yard pass to Darrion Gilliam with 53 seconds to go set the final.
South Alabama finished with 570 yards to 442, and 249 of those on the ground (46 carries). It also did not turn the ball over, while Monroe threw one interception and lost a fumble, and that fumble return was a seven-point swing before anyone had settled in. Hollins needed only 19 pass attempts for 321 yards and three scores.
The Jaguars are 3-2. UL Monroe is 0-5. For fantasy, Armenta and Hollins both finished with 33.2 points, which is a tie I will take, and both set season highs. Eager, with two touchdowns on four catches for 168 yards, was right behind them.