Week 4 Preview: Coastal Carolina at South Alabama

After suffering a brutal 38-0 blowout against East Carolina, Coastal Carolina faces South Alabama, still searching for stability under center following Tad Hudson’s five turnovers.

South Alabama enters the matchup riding high after a solid showing, losing by just 16 points to a ranked Auburn team, a game many expected to be dominated by the Tigers.

Coastal Carolina

Turnovers were the troubling theme of the game, (and so far, the season) as redshirt sophomore Hudson threw two interceptions and lost three fumbles in Saturday’s shutout loss.

The offense had just 239 total yards, ranking 10th in the Sun Belt for total yards per game at 292 yards. Quarterback remains a lingering concern for the Chanticleers, with San Jose State transfer Emmett Brown sidelined for the year after suffering an injury in training camp.

There were also a few bright spots for the Chanticleers, including a 39-yard strike from Hudson to leading receiver Robby Washington, along with standout efforts from senior captain Shane Bruce and defensive back Ja’Marion Wayne.

Through three games, Coastal Carolina sits at the bottom of the Sun Belt in scoring, managing just two touchdowns and two field goals over that span.

Defensively, Coastal found positives despite the lopsided score. Veteran linebacker Bruce recorded his second interception in as many weeks and was among the tackling leaders with six total. Wayne contributed four tackles, three pass breakups and a blocked field goal, while senior Xamarion Gordon led the unit in tackles with seven total.

Third-year head coach Tim Beck stressed how they must be more consistent and go back to the drawing board offensively.

“We have to take a good look at what we are doing because it’s not working,” Beck said.

He also mentioned how he tells his guys to keep fighting and believing. A Sun Belt championship is still the goal and is still intact.

Holding onto the football remains the No. 1 priority. The offense must stop putting the defense in tough spots with short fields.

Something to keep in mind: Where is Jameson Tucker? The former captain and 2025 preseason All-Conference selection has only three catches for 15 yards through three games. Tucker recorded 579 yards and six touchdowns on 34 catches in 2024.

South Alabama

Jaguars quarterback Bishop Davenport threw for 170 yards and two touchdowns, along with 27 rushing yards but also had an interception.

Their offense produced 310 yards, 20 first downs, and converted three-of-four fourth down attempts against an Auburn defense ranked seventh in the SEC in scoring (14 points per game allowed).

Leading the way for South Alabama was sophomore Anthony Eager, who caught eight passes for 55 yards; senior Devin Voisin contributed 45 yards on four catches and a touchdown on the first drive of the second half and freshman Jeremy Scott reeled in a 20-yard catch and run for a score. Senior running back Kentrell Bullock also tacked on 57 yards on 16 carries.

Defensively, South Alabama limited high-profile quarterback Jackson Arnold to 142 passing yards on 24 attempts, though he added 50 rushing yards and two scores on the ground. The Jaguars also struggled to contain junior running back Jeremiah Cobb, who piled up 119 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

Senior defensive back Christopher Wallace Jr. led the game with eight tackles and linebacker Tirrell Johnson Jr. also contributed a tackle for loss.

In a game where the Jaguars had multiple opportunities to make it close, it was still an impressive effort from them, taking on a ranked SEC opponent in a hostile atmosphere.

Head coach Major Applewhite stated how it’s important not to give anything free and make them earn it.

“I thought we did a good job staying on top of things, keeping things in front of us… There was a few times we didn’t fit the gap well. Twenty-three shot out of there like a cannon, but for the most part, he [Cobb] had to find his holes and that’s what you got to do against a team that’s got tempo and can be explosive, you got to match their tempo and just make them earn it,” he said.

Both Coastal and South Alabama are seeking a win in their first conference play matchup of the season, making Saturday’s game an early tone-setter in the Sun Belt race.