The good version of South Alabama showed up for Saturday’s 68 Ventures Bowl, with extreme prejudice.

The Jaguars throttled Eastern Michigan 59-10 at Hancock Whitney Stadium, recording the first bowl victory in program history and scoring their most points ever against an FBS opponent. South Alabama finishes a consistently inconsistent year at 7-6, a second straight winning season after a 10-3 record in 2022.

South Alabama — playing in its home stadium but technically the visiting team — outgained Eastern Michigan (6-7) 627 yards to 150, despite playing without starting quarterback Carter Bradley, No. 1 running back La’Damian Webb and top receiver Caullin Lacy. Bradley and Webb both missed the game with injuries, while Lacy transferred to Louisville after the regular season.

Senior Desmond Trotter and freshman Gio Lopez rotated at quarterback on Saturday night, with often spectacular results. Trotter passed for 115 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for a score, while Lopez threw for 192 yards and three scores and rushed for 88 yards and a touchdown.

Jamaal Pritchett and DJ Thomas-Jones each caught two touchdown passes for the Jaguars. Pritchett caught eight passes for 127 yards, while Thomas-Jones — who caught three touchdown passes in the regular-season finale vs. Texas State — hauled in three passes for 23 yards.

South Alabama held Eastern Michigan to just 6-for-20 on third down and fourth downs, and kept the Eagles under 100 yards until the final six minutes. Marquise Robinson and Jalen Jordan recorded interceptions for the Jaguars, while Robinson also broke up three passes.

Defensive end Jamie Sheriff had a monster night in his final game as a Jaguar, totaling four tackles, two tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries. South Alabama totaled nine tackles for loss and four quarterback hurries as a team.

South Alabama scored the first three times it had the ball, moving the ball with relative ease each time. Diego Guajardo’s 46-yard field goal made it 3-0 after the Jaguars’ first possession, then South Alabama scored touchdowns on its next two drives.

Trotter hit Jeremiah Webb for 49 yards to set up a 3-yard touchdown pass to Thomas-Jones and a 10-0 South Alabama lead. Gio Lopez led the next scoring drive, connecting with Pritchett on a 4-yard score to make it 17-0.

Eastern Michigan went three-and-out on its first two possessions, but took advantage of a South Alabama turnover to set up its first score of the game. After Joe Sparacio’s interception gave the Eagles the ball in USA territory, Kenyon Bowyer hit a 49-yard field goal to make it 17-3 with 14:50 left in the half.

South Alabama then tacked on three more scores before the half. Kentrel Bullock ran 17 yards for a touchdown to put the Jaguars up 24-3, then Robinson’s interception set up Lopez’s 20-yard scoring strike to Thomas-Jones for a 31-3 lead.

After another interception, this one by Jordan, South Alabama again got into the end zone to go up 38-3. Lopez hit Pritchett on a 41-yard touchdown pass, which was originally ruled down at the 1 but overturned via replay.

South Alabama got the ball back with six seconds left after Eastern Michigan muffed a punt, but Guajardo missed a 29-yard field goal. The Jaguars had to settle for the 35-point halftime lead.

South Alabama got another touchdown on its first possession of the second half, with Trotter running in from three yards out to make it 45-3. Lopez’s 27-yard TD run put the Jaguars up 52-3 with 7:50 remaining in the third.

Freshman PJ Martin scored a 6-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to give South Alabama a 59-3 lead. Cam’Ron McCoy ran for a 10-yard touchdown with 58 seconds left to finally put Eastern Michigan in the end zone and set the final score.

South Alabama’s previous record for points against an FBS opponent came in back-to-back games earlier this year. The Jaguars battered Louisiana-Monroe 55-7 on Oct. 7, then routed Southern Miss 55-3 on Oct. 17.

South Alabama had been 0-3 in bowl games before Saturday night. Eastern Michigan falls to 2-6 in bowls.