| Year: | 2011 |
| Team: | South Alabama Jaguars |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Independent |
| Record: | 6–4 |
| Head Coach: | Joey Jones (3rd season) |
| Off Coach: | Greg Gregory (4th year) |
| Def Coach: | Bill Clark (3rd season) |
| Off Scheme: | Multiple |
The 2011 South Alabama Jaguars football team represented the University of South Alabama in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This was the third season in program's history. They were led by head coach Joey Jones and played their home games at Ladd–Peebles Stadium. This was their third and final season as an FCS independent before joining the Sun Belt Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2012; it would also be their first season in which all of their opponents were other Division I teams (they had played mostly lower division teams in 2010 and prep schools and junior colleges during their inaugural season in 2009). They finished the season 6–4.
See also: West Alabama Tigers. The Jaguars opened the 2011 season at home against the West Alabama Tigers of the Gulf South Conference. The meeting was the first all-time against the Tigers. This was South Alabama's first televised game on local station WJTC and ESPN3.
South Alabama defeated West Alabama 21–10 on Thursday night in the season opener for both teams, improving to 18–0 since starting its football program in 2009. Before the game, starting running backs Kendall Houston and Demetre Baker, as well as wide receiver Corey Besteda and freshman linebacker Desmond LaVelle, were suspended for the first 2 quarters of the game for violating team rules.
Kendall Houston scored two touchdowns on runs of 2 and 10 yards in the second half for the Jaguars, who broke a 7–7 halftime tie. The Jaguars rushed for 205 yards but quarterback C.J. Bennett threw three interceptions. Gary Johnston led the Tigers with 72 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted twice and sacked twice. Trailing 13–7, West Alabama cut the lead to 13–10 on a 22-yard field goal by Ryne Smith with 10:58 remaining. Houston's second touchdown with 8:13 left put the game out of reach.[2]
See also: 2011 Lamar Cardinals football team. C.J. Bennett threw two touchdown passes as South Alabama defeated Lamar 30–8. Lamar was held to three first downs and 64 yards on offense in the first half as South Alabama scored three times in the second quarter for a 20–0 halftime lead. Bennett passed 10 yards to Corey Waldon in the second quarter and 10 yards to Jereme Jones in the third as the Jaguars built a 27–2 lead. Bennett completed 9 of 14 passes for 144 yards. The Jaguars have beaten Lamar by a combined score of 56–8 in their past two meetings.[3]
See also: 2011 NC State Wolfpack football team. South suffered its first loss in program history when the Jaguars fell 35–13 to NC State in Raleigh, North Carolina. South Alabama kept things competitive into the third quarter of its 35–13 loss to North Carolina State before allowing the Wolfpack's Mike Glennon to throw a career-high four touchdown passes. Demetre Baker had an 8-yard scoring run and Jordan Means kicked two field goals, including a school-record 46-yarder, for the Jaguars. C.J. Bennett finished 17 of 32 for 182 yards with two interceptions and Kendall Houston rushed for 117 yards.
See also: 2011 Kent State Golden Flashes football team. South Alabama suffered its second loss in the season and second loss in program history, falling short of Kent State 33–25. The Golden Flashes led the Jaguars 26-0 going into halftime. In the second half, after a quick score by Kent State to go up 33–0, South Alabama's offense clicked on and scored 25 unanswered points. The Jaguars had the ball with less than a minute left in the game but came up short. The game finished with a score of 33–25. C.J. Bennett ended the game with 281 yards in the air with 1 TD pass and 3 interceptions. Bryant Lavender was Bennett's favorite target, catching 5 passes for a total of 97 yards. Demetre Baker had 10 rushes for 28 yards and 2 TDs. Kendall Houston ended the game with a miserly 23 yards on 11 rushes.[4]
See also: 2011 UTSA Roadrunners football team. Demetre Baker ran for 87 yards and two touchdowns, including the game winner in double overtime, to lift South Alabama to a 30–27 victory over Texas-San Antonio in South's first overtime game. Kendall Houston finished with 72 yards rushing and a touchdown for the Jaguars. C.J. Bennett finished 11 of 17 passing, throwing for one touchdown score.
See also: 2011 UT Martin Skyhawks football team.
See also: 2011 Georgia State Panthers football team.
See also: Henderson State University.
See also: 2011 Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils football team.
See also: 2011 Cal Poly Mustangs football team.