By Jocko Connelly
SOUTH ALABAMA BOWL GUIDE
https://usajaguars.com/documents/2024/12/9/2024_South_Alabama_Football_Bowl_Guide.pdf
GAME #13
South Alabama (6-6, 5-3 SBC) vs. Western Michigan (6-6, 5-3 MAC)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 14
Kickoff: 8 p.m. CT
Location: Montgomery, Ala. (Cramton Bowl)
Watch: ESPN
Listen: Jags Radio Network
Social: @SouthAlabamaFB
Tickets: USAJaguars.com/tickets/football
NOTES
– The 2024 IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl will mark the third-straight bowl game for South Alabama. The Jags played in the 2022 New Orleans Bowl and the 2023 68 Ventures Bowl before this year’s game.
– The IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl will be the fifth bowl game South Alabama has played in all-time. After the program started in 2009, South Alabama played in its first bowl game in 2014, also in Montgomery in the inaugural Camellia Bowl.
– Major Applewhite is the first head coach in program history to lead the Jags to a bowl game in his first season as head coach. Applewhite is now 3-for-3 in leading teams to bowl eligibility in his three seasons as a head coach.
– The IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl will mark the third time South Alabama has faced an opponent from the Mid-American Conference in a bowl game. The Jags played Bowling Green in the 2014 Camellia Bowl and Eastern Michigan in the 2023 68 Ventures Bowl.
ABOUT WESTERN MICHIGAN
Just like South Alabama, Western Michigan went .500 for the year with a 6-6 overall record and 5-3 record in conference play. Lance Taylor is in his second season coaching the Broncos, and he owns a record of 10-14.
Hayden Wolff quarterbacks the Broncos, and he has thrown for 2,212 yards and 17 touchdowns against 17 interceptions. Wolff’s top receiving target is Kenneth Womack who has caught 34 passes for 456 yards and a touchdown. Running back Jaden Nixon leads the rushing attack with 876 yards and 12 touchdowns for the year. Defensively, linebacker Donald Willis leads the Broncos with 99 total tackles.
SERIES HISTORY
Saturday will mark the first-ever meeting between the Jaguars and Broncos. Western Michigan is the fourth opponent the Jaguars will have met for the first time this season. The others were Ohio, Northwestern State and LSU.
FOLLOW THE JAGS
For complete coverage of South Alabama football, follow the Jags on social media @SouthAlabamaFB (Twitter), /SouthAlabamaFB (Facebook), @SouthAlabamaFB (Instagram) or visit the official home of South Alabama athletics at usajaguars.com.
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IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl Preview
GAME NOTES
https://wmubroncos.com/documents/2024/12/12/Game_13_-_IS4S_Salute_To_Veterans_Bowl_Game_Notes.pdf
THIS WEEK
Western Michigan is in Montgomery, Ala., to take on South Alabama in the IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl on Saturday at the Crampton Bowl on ESPN. Kickoff is set for 9 p.m., following The Heisman Trophy presentation on ESPN.
TICKETS
Bronco fans are encouraged to purchase tickets from the WMU Ticket Office. To order call 1-888-4-WMU-TIX or visit wmubroncos.com/tickets. Bronco Athletic Fund (BAF) and Club 66 members have priority access to tickets, with an exclusive window to purchase by Friday, December 6, 2024 at 5pm. Priority seating will be allocated based on BAF Priority Points, ensuring our most loyal supporters secure the best available seats.
ABOUT THE IS4S SALUTE TO VETERANS BOWL
The IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl, formerly known as the Camellia Bowl, is in its 11th year and has traditionally pitted the MAC against the Sunbelt. When those two conferences have been matched up, the conferences have split down the middle, with each winning four games. Last year’s game saw Northern Illinois defeat Arkansas State, 21-19
IS4S, the title sponsor, is an employee-owned and controlled small business that provides a wide range of engineering and management solutions to the United States Armed Forces and other government and commercial agencies.
WESTERN MICHIGAN AND (SOUTH) ALABAMA CONNECTIONS
– Lance Taylor is an Alabama native, from Mount Vernon. Taylor, 43, walked-on to the University of Alabama and played wide receiver for the Crimson Tide from 2000-03. After graduating and playing in the Arena Football League, he returned to Alabama to begin his coaching career as a graduate assistant under Nick Saban from 2007-08.
– Western Michigan head coach Lance Taylor served as an offensive graduate assistant under South Alabama head coach Major Applewhite in 2007 when Applewhite was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama.
– South Alabama Marching Band Director Dr. Robert Abend served as a graduate assistant under Western Michigan Marching Band Director Dr. Trey Harris while earning his Master of Music from Western Michigan University.
– Saturday’s bowl game will just be the second game that Western Michigan has played in its history in the state of Alabama. The first was a 34-13 loss at No. 13 Auburn back on Oct. 21, 1995.
THE SERIES
This will be the first ever meeting between Western Michigan and South Alabama.
STUDS UP FRONT
After WMU starting center Jacob Gideon and Addison West were voted First Team All-MAC, they continued to rake in the honors. Gideon was named a finalist for the Rimington Trophy, awarded to the nation’s top center. He is the first center in WMU history to be a finalist for the award and just the second in the history of the Mid-American Conference. Both have been named Hero Sports Group of 5 First Team All-Americans.
West has started every single game since the 2022 season and has helped the Broncos produce a 1,000-yard rusher in each of the last two seasons. While this year, WMU’s three-pronged rushing attack of Jaden Nixon, Jalen Buckley and Zahir Abdus-Salaam have combined for 2,098 yards. West has also been rated the top guard in all of college football by Pro Football Focus and was named a First Team All-American by the organization.
Gideon has been the top-rated center by PFF in each of the last three seasons. He has started 46 of the last 46 games since 2021, including 33 at center.
THREE-HEADED MONSTER
Western Michigan’s three-man rushing attack of Jaden Nixon, Jalen Buckley and Zahir Abdus-Salaam have combined for 2,098 yards rushing on the season and 23 rushing touchdowns. Of the 134 FBS teams, WMU is just one of 21 that have its top three rushers combine for over 2,000 yards. Combined, they have averaged 5.89 yards per carry and each have had a season-long run of at least 60 yards, with Nixon topping the trio at 92.
One of the three have gone for 100+ yards in each of WMU’s six wins. Nixon and Abdus-Salaam both went over the century mark in the win over Bethune-Cookman, while Buckley and Abdus-Salaam did it in the win over Eastern Michigan. The Broncos have averaged 260.3 yards rushing in their six wins.
BOWLING BRONCOS
Western Michigan is in search of the program’s third bowl win. WMU’s two wins came at the 2015 Bahamas Bowl over Middle Tennessee State and at the 2021 Quick Lane Bowl against Nevada.
DaShon Bussell, Anthony Sambucci, Damari Roberson, Zahir Abdus-Salaam, Mareyohn Hrabowski, Boone Bonnema, Aaron Wofford, Peyton Doorhy, Jack Sherwin, John Hofer, Tyson Lee, Calvin Muraski, Adam Vandervest, Addison West, Jacob Gideon, Malique Dieudonne and Kadinn Morris were all on the 2021 team and have the opportunity to become the only players in program history to win two bowl games.
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