Back When South Alabama Made History in Starkville

South Alabama walked into Davis Wade Stadium on September 3, 2016, as a 28-point underdog. The Jaguars had played their first football game seven years earlier. They had been an FBS program for four seasons. They were 0-4 all-time against SEC opponents and had lost to Mississippi State twice by a combined 67-13.

They left Starkville with a 21-20 victory — the first win over an SEC opponent in school history, the first Power 5 win and what the Associated Press called “the biggest game in program history.”

“I’m part of the South Alabama Jaguars,” linebacker Roman Buchanan said, “that beat Mississippi State.”

Joey Jones built South Alabama football from nothing. The university launched the program in 2009 and was playing FBS football by 2012. Jones was the only head coach the program had ever known, now in his eighth year on the job. His teams had shown they could compete. But competing against the SEC and winning against the SEC had been different conversations, and four tries had produced four losses.

The fifth try came in the opener, at Davis Wade Stadium in front of 57,075 fans.

Mississippi State was starting a new era. Dak Prescott — who had led the Bulldogs to No. 1 in the country in 2014 on his way to the NFL — was gone. Dan Mullen had a quarterback race that started with four candidates in preseason camp before Elijah Staley transferred. Three remained.

Mullen started Nick Fitzgerald at quarterback. After two stalled drives, he turned to Damian Williams, who moved the offense on the way to a 14-0 lead. New defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon was installing a new system with a secondary thinned by preseason injuries — two projected starting cornerbacks were out, and their replacements were making first career starts.

On the South Alabama sideline, Jones had his own new pieces. Tight end Gerald Everett and receiver Josh Magee had both started their careers at UAB but landed in Mobile after the Blazers temporarily shut down their football program. Bryant Vincent, also from UAB, had come to South Alabama as offensive coordinator. The talent and coaching that UAB’s shutdown displaced fed directly into the Jaguars’ roster — and two of those former Blazers would be on the field for the play that decided this game.

The first half went the way everyone outside that locker room expected.

Mississippi State built a 17-0 lead. A.J. Jefferson, a Bulldogs senior, spent the half in South Alabama’s backfield. Dallas Davis — a sophomore making his first career start — had nowhere to throw and nowhere to run. The Jaguars managed five rushing yards before halftime.

Jones had spent the entirety of fall camp preaching about finishing in the fourth quarter. At halftime, he put it to the test.

“We went in and fixed some things,” Jones said. “We didn’t jump on them, they didn’t jump on each other. The character of this team is what did it.”

The second half belonged to South Alabama.

First-year defensive coordinator Kane Wommack’s “Swarm Defense” took over. Buchanan led both teams with 12 tackles and lived in the Bulldogs’ backfield. Combined with safety Devon Earl, the Jaguars gave Mississippi State’s quarterbacks no room to operate. A team that managed five rushing yards before halftime ran for 89 after it.

“I guess we just got comfortable,” Jefferson said. “The coaches kept preaching to us, ‘Stay on them.’ But with such a young defense, it has to come from within. I should have did a better job of preaching it to them.”

South Alabama’s coaches had adjusted, and Jefferson could see it.

“The quarterback, he was getting out the ball faster,” Jefferson said. “I feel like their coaches adjusted to the pressure.”

Trailing 20-7 in the fourth quarter, Davis took over.

He left the pocket and took off down the middle of the field, hurdling Mississippi State’s Brandon Bryant — the Bulldogs’ top playmaker — and put South Alabama in the red zone. The SEC Network announcers called it a SportsCenter Top 10 play.

Five plays later, Davis hit Gerald Everett on a 4-yard touchdown pass. Fifty-seven seconds remained. South Alabama led 21-20.

“He’s earned it,” SEC Network announcer Matt Stinchcomb said on the broadcast. “What a job he did leading this team back in the second half. Fantastic job by the entire South Alabama team, but Davis’ was just phenomenal today.”

Josh Magee described the huddle before the game-winning drive: “We were calm mentally but we were kind of jacked up because we knew we had the chance to come take the game and get the lead. But as far as mindset, we just knew to pay attention to details, stay focused and have faith that we were gonna go do it and get the win.”

Mississippi State drove down the field and got into position for a field goal. Westin Graves lined up from 28 yards.

The kick hit the left post and fell to the turf at Davis Wade Stadium.

“To win a ballgame like this is a blessing,” Jones said.

Davis finished 24-of-34 for 285 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Michael Bonner of the Clarion-Ledger wrote that Davis “looked like Dak Prescott” — a comparison that carried weight given who Mississippi State was trying to replace.

“Dallas Davis had a hell of a day,” Jones said. “Everybody wondered about him, thinking who is he? Who’s this new guy? We knew his character. We knew how he would handle situations. He came out in his first start today and played unbelievable.”

Davis was still processing.

“I don’t think it’s hit me yet,” he said, “but we just made history, it’s a big moment.”

A month later, the Jaguars beat No. 19 San Diego State 42-24 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, the program’s first victory over a ranked opponent. They finished the regular season 6-6 and earned a bid to the Arizona Bowl, the second in program history, where they lost 45-21 to Air Force.

But September 3 was the day. A program seven years old and four seasons into FBS play walked into an SEC stadium as a four-touchdown underdog and won.

“I promise you we’re gonna enjoy this one,” Jones said. “I promise you we’re gonna enjoy this one tonight.”