The University of South Alabama Jaguars fell to the Liberty Flames in a 45-21 loss at the 68 Ventures Bowl, ending their season on a tough note. The Jaguars were led by freshman quarterback Gio Lopez, who accounted for all three of the team’s touchdowns, but also struggled with five interceptions, a season-high for the young signal caller.
Lopez showed flashes of brilliance, passing for one touchdown and rushing for two more, keeping South Alabama within striking distance at times. However, his turnovers proved costly, allowing Liberty to capitalize and extend their lead throughout the game.
The defeat marks the end of the Jaguars’ 2024 season, which had been filled with highlights and promise under head coach SrgtZt. Despite the bowl game loss, SrgtZt led South Alabama to one of their best seasons in recent memory at 9-4. However, rumors are swirling that this could be the last game for the coach, as he is reportedly considering leaving the program for other opportunities.
For South Alabama, this game represented a chance to finish the year on a high note, but the Flames were too much to handle. As the Jaguars look ahead to next season, the potential departure of SrgtZt and the continued development of Lopez will be key storylines to watch.
Liberty impressive performance leads them to victory over the Jaguars
The Liberty Flames faced off against the South Alabama Jaguars in a thrilling Venture Bowl showdown that kept fans on the edge of their seats. Held at a neutral venue, the game showcased two dynamic teams eager to end their seasons on a high note.
First Half: Setting the Stage
The game started off with Liberty getting the ball first, and the Flames couldn't start the game any better, with a 99-yd Kickoff return to start the game and put Liberty up 7-0 early. The Jaguars’ first drive on offense was led by their impressive rushing attack. with a slow and methodical drive, it was capped off by a 2-yd run by Gio Lopez to even the score.
Going into the second quarter; Liberty offense was unstoppable and struck early with a 57-yd td pass from Kaidon Salter to Tyson Mobley. South Alabama struggled to get anything going on offense with the Flames defense forcing a turnover in the first half. Liberty capitalizes on the turnover with a 33-yd Field Goal by Nick Brown. The Jaguars answers back with a late score, to take the lead, when Gio Lopez found Jamaal Pritchett for a 27-yd touchdown pass and looked to go into the half 14-10. With only 25 second left before halftime, Quinton Cooley found a hole and took off, on the first play, 77-yds for a TD and go into the half up 17-10.
Second Half: Flames Burst
The second half saw a shift in momentum. Liberty came out firing, with Salter demonstrating his playmaking ability. A series of explosive plays culminated in a 2-yd Kaidon Salter touchdown. Liberty defense held South Alabama in the second half and forced multiple turnovers. Quinton Cooley took over going into the 4th quarter as he rushed for 2 touchdowns to give the Flames a 45-14 lead and help secure a big Bowl victory to end the season. In the games closing moments South Alabama looked to end the game strong with a Gio Lopez 6-yd TD run.
After some early struggles on offense, The Flames come away with a 45-21 victory over the South Alabama Jaguars. With the dominance performance from Liberty on both sides of the ball, they finish the season 11-3 with a Venture Bowl win.
Post-Game Reactions:
Player of the Game goes to Liberty entire Defense. Forcing 5 turnovers, 2 sacks and 13 TFL
Both coaches praised their teams’ efforts, highlighting the grit and determination shown throughout the game. Liberty's win marked a successful season finale, while coach Phoneybadge has some thinking about on if he wants to return to the Flames or take a different job offer that might come about.
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