Jeremiah Webb leads Jaguars with 182 yards and 2 TD to hand Broncos loss in Montgomery, AL.
The most wonderful time of the year started a bit earlier than usual in 2024.
Bowl Season officially kicked off Dec. 14 on a weekend typically reserved for the Army-Navy Game. The first bowl of 2024 was set in Montgomery, AL. Formerly known as the Camellia Bowl, the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl featured a matchup between 6-6 Western Michigan and 6-6 South Alabama with programs hungry to finish their seasons above .500.
The team that traveled within state boundaries was granted that wish. South Alabama overcame an early 10-point deficit and took control of the game, defeating Western Michigan in a 30-23 showdown roughly 170 miles northeast of campus.
It was all Western Michigan out of the gate, as the Broncos forced an immediate stop and drove down the field by means of their potent run game. A 36-yard scamper by First Team All-MAC running back Jaden Nixon set up a short rushing score by his contemporary Jalen Buckley on Western Michigan’s opening drive. The Broncos then pierced into the red zone again on their second series and this time came out with a 37-yard Luka Zurak field goal.
South Alabama turned the entire tide of the contest in the second quarter through Salute to Veterans Bowl MVP Jeremiah Webb. The Jaguars played shorthanded without starting quarterback Gio Lopez and star wide receiver Jamaal Pritchett, who were both late scratches due to injury. Stepping up in their places were Bishop Davenport and Jeremiah Webb, respectively, and that connection proved lethal in Montgomery.
South Alabama cut the deficit to 10-3 on a field goal in the early second quarter. The Jaguars defense then forced consecutive three-and-outs and the offense responded with a pair of Webb touchdowns. On Webb’s first touchdown, he burned coverage downfield and Davenport hit him in stride for a 52-yard tying score. The receiver’s second touchdown was a highlight reminiscent of those on “You Got Mossed!” as Webb stripped a 50-50 jump ball from his defender’s grasp, scoring a 45-yard touchdown in the process.
Webb’s second touchdown handed South Alabama a 16-10 advantage. By the halftime break, the receiver had a loaded stat-line of six receptions, 182 yards, and two touchdowns, marking by far the best performance of the senior’s collegiate career.
Western Michigan never established another lead after Webb’s takeover. The Broncos ended the half with a 29-yard field goal attempt, but they started to play in catch-up mode in the third quarter. That’s when Davenport kept the ball on a zone read, made several cuts through the Western Michigan defense and raced to the house for a 50-yard touchdown.
Trailing 23-13, Western Michigan wouldn’t slice into the deficit until 6:17 remaining in the fourth quarter. Senior quarterback Hayden Wolff targeted fellow senior Anthony Sambucci in the end zone, and Sambucci made a spectacular diving and juggling back-shoulder catch to give the Broncos their first touchdown since their opening drive. It marked the final touchdown throw and catch for the seniors in their college career, as they shared an emotional moment in Montgomery.
That late connection kept Western Michigan in the game, but South Alabama’s offense — which registered a Salute to Veterans Bowl record 537 yards — ensured there would be no Bronco victory. Faced with a 4th and 1 from the Western Michigan 27, South Alabama handed the ball to running back Kentrel Bullock. While the Broncos were in position to force a stop in the backfield, Bullock shed contact and converted the first down. One snap later, Bullock put on the finishing touches with a 22-yard touchdown run to ice the game.
Western Michigan managed a late field goal to make it a one-score game, but South Alabama recovered the ensuing onside kick to stave off the Broncos’ comeback effort.
South Alabama (7-6, 5-3 Sun Belt) won its second bowl game in program history, just one year after earning its first postseason victory in a 59-10 rout over Eastern Michigan in the 68 Ventures Bowl. Major Applewhite won his first bowl as a head coach, sending the Jaguars to three-straight winning seasons for the first time in their FBS existence.
Western Michigan (6-7, 5-3 MAC) dropped its first bowl appearance under head coach Lance Taylor. After losing four of their last five, the Broncos clinched three-straight losing seasons for the first time since 2002-04. Still, progress was made for Western Michigan in 2024 by ending a two-year bowl drought and competing for a trophy in December.