WHAT: Southern Miss (1-5, 0-3 Sun Belt) at South Alabama (3-3, 1-1)

WHEN: 6:30 p.m., Tuesday

WHERE: Hancock Whitney Stadium, Mobile

SERIES: USA leads 3-0

TV: ESPN2

LINE: South Alabama by 18.5

THIS GAME WILL DETERMINE: If South Alabama can get back above .500, both overall and in Sun Belt Conference play.

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Answering 5 preseason questions at midway point

THREE THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1. Will South Alabama’s dominance in Monroe carry over to Southern Miss?

The Jaguars put forth one of the more complete efforts of the Kane Wommack era last time out at ULM, scoring on nine of 10 possessions to win 55-7. South Alabama has had a nine-day layoff since then, however, so it’s anyone’s guess as to whether or not the momentum will carry over. The Jaguars also have not played all that great at home this season, and the nearby Golden Eagles are likely to bring a big crowd.

2. Can South Alabama bottle up Frank Gore Jr. again?

Gore has been one of the more-productive running backs at the Group of 5 level in recent years, but hasn’t fared especially well vs. South Alabama in his career. The Jaguars have held him to just 179 yards and two touchdowns on 51 carries in three games, an average of 3.5 yards per carry. Gore ran for only 66 yards on 20 carries vs. the Jaguars in Hattiesburg last year, but did throw a 29-yard touchdown pass in a 27-20 South Alabama win.

3. Will the Jaguars finally excel on a national stage?

South Alabama is 0-2 this season when playing on national television, losses at Tulane and at James Madison. A year ago, the Jaguars lost high-profile TV games to Troy and UCLA in the regular season and to Western Kentucky in the New Orleans Bowl. The ESPN2 spotlight will be on Hancock Whitney Stadium Tuesday night, so the Jaguars have another chance to either thrive or shrink.

KEY MATCHUP

South Alabama WR Caullin Lacy vs. Southern Miss CBs: Whether it’s MJ Daniels or Zay Franks who has primary responsibility, no one has been able to cover Lacy of late. The Jaguars speedster has five straight 100-yard games, and is a good bet to make it six on Tuesday.

BY THE NUMBERS

3-11 — South Alabama’s record in regular-season midweek games since joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2013. One of those wins came 32-21 at Southern Miss on Sept. 3, 2020, a Thursday night.