If South Alabama is playing on a Thursday night, the scoreboard operator becomes the busiest person in the building.
South Alabama (4-2, 2-0 Sun Belt) continued its stellar start to the 2026 campaign, toppling Arkansas State 56-49 in the highest-scoring game of the season. The 105 combined points were also the most in an FBS regulation contest since Sept. 21, 2024.
For South Alabama, it was just another ordinary Thursday night.
Thursday night South Alabama is joining the likes of second half Alamo Bowl TCU or Space Game UCF or Alamodome conference game UTSA as college football's best situational teams. Since Major Applewhite took over as head coach for the 2024 season, the Jaguars are 4-0 on Thursday nights.
South Alabama has been so exceptional that this 56-point road outing at Arkansas State actually decreased the team's Thursday night scoring average under Applewhite from 57.7 points per game to 57.3. Here are Applewhite's four Thursday night entries:
* Sept. 12, 2024: South Alabama 87, Northwestern State (FCS) 10
* Sept. 19, 2024: South Alabama 48, Appalachian State 14
* Oct. 23, 2025: South Alabama 38, Georgia State 31
* Oct. 8, 2026: South Alabama 56, Arkansas State...
Source: Yahoo Sports