SOUTH ALABAMA 24, ARKANSAS STATE 19
MOBILE, Ala. -- The comeback slipped away from Arkansas State University's grip, falling away as the football was jarred loose from Justice Hansen's diving frame.
The redshirt junior quarterback had been flushed from the pocket on third and goal, searching for a receiver down 24-19 to South Alabama with 5:18 left in the game, when he lowered his shoulder and veered toward the goal line.
The lead, the victory, perhaps an outright Sun Belt Conference title awaited on the other side of the white line.
Hansen never made it.
South Alabama linebacker Bull Barge slammed his helmet into the football, forcing the touchback that secured ASU's first conference loss of the season, 24-19 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
Once alone in the conference lead, ASU (5-3, 4-1) is now in a four-way tie for first place.
"I just tried to make someone miss and get to the end zone," said Hansen, who was 27 of 44 passing with 285 yards, 2 touchdowns and 4 interceptions.
"The quarterback can't turn the ball five times," he added. "I don't think it needs to be any more complicated than that."
The last interception came on ASU's final drive of the game.
The defense forced a punt after the touchback, and Hansen was back on the field at the ASU 45 with 2:06 left and no timeouts.
Four plays later, South Alabama's Jeremy Reaves undercut a short route for the game-ending interception.
The Jaguars (4-6, 3-3) celebrated its first victory over ASU long after the clock expired, which halted a comeback that brewed when Hansen completed a 14-yard touchdown pass to senior Chris Murray to set the final score with 9:13 left in the game.
"If Justice dives in the end zone without a turnover, I don't think our defense gives up the lead," Anderson said. "They played a great game all night."
ASU held South Alabama to a 10-6 halftime lead despite four offensive turnovers in the first half, three of which were committed within ASU's first seven offensive plays.
South Alabama had its first drive extended twice: the first on an ASU personal foul during its first punt, the second when ASU senior cornerback Blaise Taylor muffed the second punt which was recovered by South Alabama at the ASU 35.
The ASU defense held again, aided by a sack from junior defensive end Ronheen Bingham, which led to a third South Alabama punt.
Three plays later, Hansen threw a pass high and behind senior receiver Dijon Paschal, who tapped the ball up high enough for South Alabama's Tobias Moss to reel in in his first career interception at the ASU 29.
An almost identical play occurred on ASU's following drive, when a Hansen pass bounced off junior receiver Kendrick Edwards and into the diving hands of South Alabama's Sean Grayer at the Jaguars 29.
The interceptions gave South Alabama its only points of the first half: a 5-yard touchdown run on 4th and 1 by running back Tra Minter, and a 46-yard field goal by Gavin Patterson.
After South Alabama's field goal, ASU scored its first points after a 13-play, 65-yard drive that ended with a 24-yard field goal by sophomore Sawyer Williams.
The drive relied on three quarterback draws by Hansen -- two went for first downs -- and outside passes of 18 and 15 yards to senior tight end Blake Mack.
ASU resorted to a wide receiver throwback pass on its following drive from sophomore Darveon Brown to Hansen, which went 14 yards to the South Alabama 14.
The Red Wolves were in range of a touchdown, but a shotgun snap veered past Hansen for a loss of 14 and ASU settled for a 40-yard field goal.
Meanwhile, the ASU defense held South Alabama to 151 first-half offensive yards with 7 tackles for loss and 3 sacks.
The pressure forced South Alabama quarterback Cole Garvin into several quick throws, but he recovered with touchdown passes of 39 and 16 yards during the second half.
The ASU defense had two tackles for loss to set up the offense's final shot of the game, one by senior defensive end Ja'Von Rolland-Jones.
"We just needed a stop," said Rolland-Jones, who had two tackles for loss and a sack. "The outcome was not what we wanted it to be."
Sports on 11/12/2017