Salute to Veterans Bowl: South Alabama 30, Western Michigan 23
South Alabama withstood a late comeback attempt from Western Michigan to capture just the second bowl victory in program history. Running back Kentrel Bullock broke off a 22-yard touchdown scamper with 2:42 remaining to ice the game and clinch a third straight winning season for the program.
The Jaguars were down several of their best players, including running back Fluff Bothwell (portal) and quarterback Gio Lopez (injury). Without Lopez, sophomore Bishop Davenport stepped into the starting lineup and caught WMU off guard with his explosiveness. The Texas native found Jeremiah Webb for a 52-yard touchdown and later broke off a 50-yard scramble of his own. Webb was exceptional, catching six passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Bullock added 17 carries for 130 yards as South Alabama set a bowl record with 537 yards of offense.
Western Michigan jumped out to a 10-0 lead after two scoring drives. However, the Broncos went nearly 50 minutes of game time without scoring another touchdown. The highly touted Western Michigan running game was held to fewer than 4.0 yards per carry, including just 11 carries for 45 yards from star Jaden Nixon.
