South Alabama powers past Western Michigan, 30-23, in the Salute to Veterans Bowl

South Alabama was down its starting quarterback, leading receiver and top rusher for Saturday’s IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl, but still came away with a 30-23 victory over Western Michigan at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery.

Jaguars quarterback Bishop Davenport passed for two touchdowns and ran for another in place of injured starter Gio Lopez, who was sidelined with clubfoot. Jeremiah Webb caught six passes for a South Alabama bowl record 182 yards and two scores – earning game MVP honors – after All-Sun Belt Conference receiver Jamaal Pritchett opted out of the game.

Kentrel Bullock rushed for 130 yards, including the clinching 22-yard touchdown with 2:42 left. Bullock had shared carries all season with Fluff Bothwell, who entered the NCAA’s transfer portal last week.

South Alabama finished 7-6 with the win, its second straight in a bowl game, after crushing Eastern Michigan 59-10 in last year’s 68 Ventures Bowl. The Jaguars have now finished with a winning record three years in a row, 10-3 in 2022 and 7-6 the past two seasons.

“You’re always nervous as a coach because you’re not sure if they’re all going to step up to the plate,” first-year South Alabama coach Major Applewhite said. “I mean, it’s just human nature, but everybody believes in themselves.

“We talked about it in the hotel as a team and staff together. ‘We’ve got what we’ve got and it’s more than they can handle,’ and you’ve got to give them credit. … All those guys stepped in those kinds of roles, prepared and showed up. I mean, that’s the essence of it. I was proud of the way those guys focused and played.”

South Alabama led 16-13 at halftime after trailing 10-0 early in the second quarter, with both of its touchdowns coming on long passes from Davenport to Webb — who happen to be roommates. The first was a 52-yarder where Webb beat one-on-one coverage on a go route, while the second was a 45-yarder where he literally took the ball right out of the hands of Western Michigan defensive back DaShon Bussell inside. 5-yard line and bounded to the end zone.

Davenport — making his second start of the season — added a 50-yard touchdown run on an option play late in the third quarter to put the Jaguars up 10. The sophomore from Spring, Texas, finished the night 15-for-24 passing for 271 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, while also rushing for 85 yards on 11 carries as part of a 537-yard night for the USA offense.

“It felt great just to have the opportunity again to go out there and do me and be myself,” Davenport said. “It felt great for the team and the program to end (with) a positive record.”

Western Michigan got within 23-20 on Hayden Wolff’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Sambucci with 6:17 left, but South Alabama answered with a 75-yard drive that ended in Bullock’s 22-yard touchdown run and a 10-point lead. Broncos kicker Luka Zurak hit a 48-yard field goal to make it a seven-point game with 1:11 left before the Jaguars’ Devin Voisin recovered an onside kick to seal the victory.

Western Michigan (6-7) scored on Jaden Buckley’s 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and two Zurak field goals in the second, but missed a big opportunity just before halftime. South Alabama’s Jaden Voisin and Dallas Gamble both broke up passes in the end zone to keep the Jaguars up 16-13 at halftime.

“We get a turnover there at the end of the second quarter, which I thought was huge, but instead of making it seven points, we turned it into three,” Western Michigan coach Lance Taylor said. “And we didn’t do anything with the opening possession of the second half, so really some missed opportunities for us there.

“… Hats off to Major Applewhite and South, congratulations to them on the bowl win. They made more plays than we did in the game.”

Webb entered the game having caught 30 passes for 467 yards and three touchdowns this season, but had a career night on Saturday. All of his production came in the first half, as the Jaguars threw the ball just five times in the final two quarters.

The senior from Chicago transferred in from South Dakota three years ago and emerged as a reliable target this season. In addition to the 52- and 45-yard touchdowns, he also had receptions of 35, 26 and 19 yards Saturday.

“I just wanted it,” Smith said. “And you see the results of that.”

South Alabama also played without starting Husky (nickel) safety Jordan Scruggs and starting kicker Laith Marjan, who they appeared to miss. Substitute kickers Davis Little and Hamilton DiBoyan each missed a short kick, Little a 22-yard field goal in the first quarter and DiBoyan an extra point in the second.

South Alabama’s defense held Western Michigan to just 317 yards of offense, totaling seven tackles for loss. Jaden Voisin and Blayne Myrick both had a team-high nine tackles, while freshman Amarion Fortenberry added an interception.

“We just had to focus,” Voisin said. “We didn’t play our ball. It took them a little bit to kick us in the mouth first and then we kind of woke up. We just dominated the rest of the game and just played the way we had to.”

The win was also validation for Applewhite, who became the first first-year South Alabama coach to lead his team to a bowl game. He was promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach after Kane Wommack left in January to become defensive coordinator at Alabama, and led the Jaguars to an identical record to last year.

It was also a fine proposition for several South Alabama seniors who joined the program five — and in some cases six — years ago when it had never had a winning record as an FBS program. They finished their careers with three consecutive winning seasons and the first two bowl victories in program history.

“It’s a great feeling,” senior defensive lineman Wy’Kevious Thomas said. “To take the pads off as a winner, that was the most important thing.”

South Alabama is now 2-3 all-time in bowl games and 1-1 in games played in Montgomery. The Jaguars lost to Bowling Green in what was then known as the Camellia Bowl in 2014.

Western Michigan falls to 2-10 all-time in bowl games, with the most recent win over Nevada in the 2021 Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit.