In just his second season at the helm of the South Alabama Jaguars, Kane Wommack delivered the programs most successful season to date. How can he improve on that impressive performance in the 2023 college football season? Our South Alabama season predictions hold the answers.
South Alabama Season Predictions: Predicting the Game-By-Game Results
Using groupthink, College Football Network analysts have painstakingly gone through every game for every team in the Sun Belt and across the country.
Find Every Sun Belt Season Prediction per team: App State | Arkansas State | Coastal Carolina | Georgia Southern | Georgia State | JMU | Louisiana | UL-Monroe | Marshall | ODU | South Alabama | Southern Miss | Texas State | Troy
Picking these games straight up with a projected score using the rosters as up-to-date as the last spring practice, the South Alabama season predictions could result in a title tilt in 2023.
Week 1 – South Alabama at Tulane: Loss, 22-27
Opening weekends don’t get much tougher than facing the reigning AAC and Cotton Bowl champions. Although Tulane lost a ton of talent to the NFL, they return QB Michael Pratt, and the defense is still filled with playmakers. Both previous games between the two teams have been tight, and they currently share the head-to-head record, but Tulane should edge a win.
Week 2 – South Alabama vs. SE Louisiana: Win, 44-10
Although one of the better teams in the FCS who reached the second round of the FCS Playoffs in 2022, SE Louisiana also notched a win over FBS-bound Jacksonville State last fall. However, they’re likely to be outmatched against one of the top teams at the Power Five level, with our South Alabama season predictions forecasting a comfortable win for the Jaguars.
MORE: Sun Belt RB Rankings 2023
Week 3 – South Alabama at Oklahoma State: Win, 25-24
Ok, buckle up for an upset alert. Oklahoma State will hope to challenge atop the Big 12 this fall, and having beaten the Jaguars twice previously, the assumption will be that the Cowboys can send South Alabama back to Mobile with a defeat on their 2023 record.
Not so fast, my friend. The Jaguars have the rush defense to nullify the Oklahoma State offense and the offensive firepower to punish a defense that was particularly porous when pounded on the ground last fall. South Alabama’s route to a potential top-25 finish starts with a Power Five win.
Week 4 – South Alabama vs. Central Michigan: Win, 33-19
South Alabama concludes their out-of-conference schedule by welcoming Central Michigan to Mobile. While dual-threat quarterback Bert Emanuel Jr. is a dangerous threat, the Jaguars stack back-to-back-back wins before opening Sun Belt play. They beat the Chippewas by 14 in Mount Pleasant last fall.
Week 5 – South Alabama at James Madison: Win, 30-24
South Alabama avoided James Madison during the Dukes’ impressive first season in the Sun Belt, but the Jaguars must overcome the conference new kids on the block this fall if they want to be in with a shot at the title. While JMU will still be competitive this fall, the loss of quarterback Todd Centeio and several defensive pieces should give the Jaguars the upper hand.
Week 6 – South Alabama at Louisiana-Monroe: Win, 29-12
South Alabama hasn’t lost at home to Louisiana-Monroe since 2018, and we don’t expect that streak to end in the 2023 college football season. The Jaguars have a talent advantage on both sides of the ball and should lock up Sun Belt win number two.
Week 8 – South Alabama vs. Southern Miss: Win, 31-15
The Jaguars are on a three-game winning streak against Southern Miss and have scored more than 30 points on the Golden Eagles in two of the three previous matchups. It should be a comfortable fourth win over Southern Miss with another 30+ point performance, according to our South Alabama season prediction.
Week 9 – South Alabama vs. Louisiana: Win, 29-15
As Louisiana asserted themselves as a perennial Sun Belt contender, they won six consecutive games against South Alabama. However, last season’s win for the Jaguars in Lafayette was a trend-changer as the men from Mobile become the dominant force in the conference this season.
Week 10 – South Alabama at Troy: Win, 19-15
This game has the potential to decide the destination of the entire Sun Belt title. The winner will ultimately take the West, and according to our season predictions, a South Alabama win will see them battle Coastal Carolina in the title game.
MORE: Sun Belt WR Rankings 2023
Arguably, the Jaguars have the better offense with their ability to win in multiple ways while the Troy offense isn’t quite as potent.
Week 11 – South Alabama vs. Arkansas State: Win, 29-13
Having beaten Troy the previous week, our South Alabama season predictions don’t expect the Jaguars to drop the ball the rest of the way. The three-game home stretch starts against an Arkansas State team that has been soundly beaten the past two seasons.
Week 12 – South Alabama vs. Marshall: Win, 31-19
Despite Marshall returning some of their best defensive players and possessing the best running back in the conference in the form of Rasheen Ali, the Thundering Herd might struggle to move the ball on the Jaguars through the air — a problem South Alabama won’t have as they win the first ever matchup between the two Sun Belt teams.
Week 13 – South Alabama at Texas State: Win, 27-19
Heading into the final weekend of the 2023 college football season, these two teams have a 4-4 head-to-head record between them and a history of tight games. However, the Jaguars will be aiming for Sun Belt dominance and our South Alabama season predictions have them going undefeated in conference play. The Sun Belt Championship Game awaits.
