The calendar helps South Alabama. Because that Marshall game was on a Tuesday, the Jaguars get 11 days before this one. Louisiana Tech played Old Dominion on October 24, so it gets a normal 7-day week and then a road trip to Mobile. Neither team has another game before this one, so what you see now is what shows up at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
Louisiana Tech's streak looks less dominant up close. Before the 2 shutouts it beat Army 31-29 and Louisiana 32-31, so 2 of the 4 wins came by a combined 3 points. The defense has been the story the last 2 weeks. Earlier in the run, the Bulldogs needed close finishes. Their only loss in the last 5 was 36-19 at Baylor in September.
South Alabama's numbers swing just as hard. It beat Ohio 41-36, UL Monroe 52-35 and Arkansas State 56-49 on the road, and it lost 45-21 at Kentucky. When this offense gets going the Jaguars outscore people. When it stalls, as it did at Marshall, the defense hasn't been able to carry it. The offense also has fewer targets now than it did in September.
South Alabama lists receivers K. Marion and B. Barnes and tight end M. Lynch as out for the rest of the season. Losing 3 pass catchers explains part of why Martin and the run game handled the big drive at Marshall. Louisiana Tech has its own hole at receiver, with D. Benedix shut down for the year. Running back D. Brooks missed the Old Dominion game with an undisclosed injury, and his status for Mobile is the main thing to watch on the Bulldogs' report this week.
The forecast calls for 81 degrees, clear skies and 6 mph wind, so weather shouldn't slow either offense. The question is simple. Is Louisiana Tech's 8-quarter shutout run real, or did it come against 2 offenses that couldn't punish it? South Alabama is the first opponent in a month that can answer that, and it has an extra 4 days to get ready.