Gio Lopez and South Alabama dominate App State 48-14 in Thursday’s Sun Belt clash

It’s been a strange start to the season for South Alabama, now under the guidance of former Houston head coach Major Applewhite. But they came out on top Thursday night, beating Sun Belt title favorites Appalachian State 48-14 to move to 2-2 overall. The win also gives the Jaguars a 1-0 start to conference play.

The victory came a week after setting an FBS record when the team scored 87 points against FCS rival Northwestern State in its first win of the season.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Gio Lopez was the main spark in the Jaguars’ victory, showing off his dual-threat skills throughout. Lopez finished with three touchdowns, two passing and one rushing. He completed 16 of 24 passes for 154 yards and ran for 105 yards on seven carries, including a 50-yard run in Mountaineer territory and a 31-yard touchdown run.

On defense, junior cornerback Jordan Scruggs intercepted the ball and ran 96 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. The Jags also forced and recovered a fumble in the victory.

Now Applewhite must prepare his team for a matchup against #16 LSU in Baton Rouge on September 28.

App State, which has a 2-2 record to start the season, will host CUSA favorite Liberty on the same day.

https://t.co/pqMQA3cyyI photo:twitter.com/bl1JzzxBxb

— South Alabama Football 🏈 (@SouthAlabamaFB) September 20, 2024

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