This was South Alabama's first real test of the fall after a full offseason of buildup, and it went about as smoothly as a Sun Belt program could hope against Southland competition. Davenport's dual-threat game plan put stress on the Lions from the opening series, and receiver Brendan Jenkins gave him a reliable target, hauling in 5 catches for 78 yards and a score.
SE Louisiana had its moments through the air. Kyle Lowe threw for 186 yards and found L. Shinn twice for touchdowns, showing the Lions can still move the ball on a broken play or two. But 2 interceptions and a defense that got no rest turned a competitive scoreboard into a lopsided one by the fourth quarter.
The line score tells the story of a game South Alabama controlled from the opening kickoff. The Jaguars scored in every quarter but the second, while SE Louisiana's offense went cold for long stretches, managing points in only 2 of the 4 periods. PJ Martin added a rushing touchdown and 69 yards on the ground, giving South Alabama a second way to bleed the clock once the lead was in hand.
The number that decided this one barely needs the box score: South Alabama converted 7 of 16 third downs, while SE Louisiana went 0-for-7. Pair that with a nearly 20-minute time-of-possession edge and 2 turnovers by the visitors, and the Jaguars were never seriously threatened after the first quarter. It's one data point, and it came against an FCS opponent, but it's the kind of opening statement a program hoping last year was a blip wants to make.