South Alabama Football

South Alabama set FBS, program and conference records during Thursday night's 87-10 victory over FCS member Northwestern State.

The win marked the highest-scoring victory by an FBS team over an FCS opponent in the matchup's history, per Fear the FCS. Houston set in 1990, and Oklahoma State tied in 2012, the previous FBS-FCS record of 84 points.

The victory also marked the highest-scoring FBS outing since Fresno State's 94-17 win over New Mexico in 1991.

South Alabama racked up the record-breaking points total despite the blowout being cut short as the fourth quarter was replaced with a six-minute running clock, per College Football Report.

South Alabama also set a program and Sun Belt Conference record with the team's 87-point total. The team recorded its previous high of 55 points twice last season during wins over UL Monroe and Southern Mississippi.

Northwestern State was put in an almost immediate deficit when South Alabama's Jamaal Pritchett returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown in the opening minute of the game.

South Alabama, which led by 14 points at the end of the first quarter, had extended the lead to 42 points at the half and 70 points by the end of the third quarter.

Jaguars quarterback Gio Lopez went 15-of-19 for 257 yards and four touchdowns in his season debut, while Fluff Bothwell and Kentrel Bullock combined for 15 carries, 245 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the victory.

South Alabama totaled 620 total yards of offense in the wind, while holding Northwestern State to 237 yards.

The victory marked Major Applewhite's first win since he was named the program's coach in January. The former Houston coach spent the past three years building the Jaguars' offense before he was promoted to his current role.

Northwestern State will meanwhile continue searching for the program's first win of the season following an 0-3 start.

The Georgia State Panthers defeated the South Alabama Jaguars, 21-13, at Georgia State Stadium on Thursday evening, but the game's top highlight belonged to South Alabama place-kicker Gavin Patterson.

The visitors trailed 14-3 with 1:16 remaining in the third quarter when Patterson lined up for a 46-yard field goal. 

His attempt ricocheted off the left upright and then took two bounces off the crossbar before it sneaked in behind the opposite post for three points. 

Patterson should tell his friends he called "bank" when asked about the play this weekend. 

[Twitter]

The University of South Alabama's football practice facility collapsed Saturday in Mobile, Alabama, during construction.

South Alabama athletic director Joel Erdmann tweeted a photo of the scene:

The school also released the following statement regarding the matter, per Dennis Pillion of AL.com:

"At approximately 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, July 22, the structure of the Jaguar Training Center, a covered athletics practice facility that is under construction on the University of South Alabama campus, fell within the construction limits of the site. No workers were present in that area at the time.

"University Police secured the scene of the event, which is under investigation. No determination has been made at this time about the cause."

While thunderstorms have ravaged the area recently, associate athletic director Brian Fremund said it hadn't yet been determined if they played a role in the collapse of the facility, per Pillion.

Alyssa Newton of WPMI tweeted a video of the wreckage:

Nicole Fierro of Local 15 News provided several photos of the aftermath as well:

According to Pillion, the original plan for the facility was for it to be completed in late 2017.

There is no current timetable for completion, but Erdmann said the school is considering several options, including retrying the original plan or creating a new one, per WKRG.

South Alabama has been an FBS school since entering the Sun Belt Conference in 2012.

Last season, the Jaguars went 6-7 and reached a bowl game for just the second time in the brief history of the program.