Hollins and Eager power South Alabama past UL Monroe 52–35

Jared Hollins threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns as South Alabama beat UL Monroe 52–35 Saturday. Anthony Eager caught two long scoring passes, Brendan Jenkins added another and the Jaguars finished with 570 total yards in a game filled with rapid offensive responses.

Eager caught four passes for 168 yards. His touchdowns covered 35 and 69 yards in the third quarter, giving South Alabama answers when UL Monroe tried to reduce the lead. Jenkins finished with three catches for 91 yards, including the 72-yard touchdown that opened the scoring less than a minute into the game.

Hollins completed 14 of 19 passes without an interception. South Alabama's passing attack averaged 16.9 yards per attempt, and its running game added 249 yards. The Jaguars scored through the ground game as well, with Keenan Phillips, PJ Martin and Trae'von Dunbar each reaching the end zone.

The opening sequence immediately put UL Monroe behind. After Jenkins' touchdown, South Alabama returned a fumble for another score. Zach Palmer-Smith's 31-yard rushing touchdown got the Warhawks on the board, but Phillips and Martin supplied short touchdown runs for the Jaguars before halftime.

Eager's first touchdown came early in the third quarter. UL Monroe answered through Aidan Armenta's two-yard pass to Bryce Anderson, but Eager's 69-yard touchdown reception restored more room for South Alabama. Armenta added a short rushing score later in the period as the Warhawks kept trying to close the gap.

Dunbar's 32-yard touchdown with 2:31 remaining made it 52–28. UL Monroe answered with Armenta's nine-yard pass to Darrion Gilliam in the final minute, but South Alabama kept possession after the ensuing kickoff and ended the game with its 17-point margin intact.

Dunbar finished with 91 rushing yards on 12 carries. Martin added 58 and Phillips 42. Those contributions meant the Jaguars could finish drives on the ground as well as through Hollins' long throws. South Alabama converted six of 13 third downs and two of three fourth downs, and it finished without a turnover.

Armenta completed 25 of 41 passes for 355 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Marcellus Jackson caught five passes for 93 yards, while LT Robinson had four for 58. UL Monroe accumulated 442 total yards, but its rushing game produced only 87 and the Warhawks committed two turnovers.

The visitors succeeded on all three fourth-down attempts and kept producing points after the game became a chase. South Alabama's repeated long touchdown passes, combined with a defensive score and a productive ground game, gave UL Monroe too many scoring possessions to match by the end of the night.

ULM's official preview listed the Warhawks at 0–4 and South Alabama at 2–2 entering the Sun Belt opener at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Saturday's result moves the Jaguars above .500 at 3–2 and gives them a 1–0 conference record. ULM is now 0–5 and 0–1 in league play, despite an offense that kept producing answers well into the second half.