South Alabama is on the road for the third straight week and fourth time in five, but this one carries a little more weight than all the others.

After facing Ohio, Appalachian State and LSU away from home already this year, the Jaguars (2-3) travel to meet Sun Belt Conference West Division rival Arkansas State (2-2) on Saturday. The trip to Jonesboro, Ark., offers a chance for South Alabama to get off to a 2-0 start in conference play for the second time in three years.

“It’s a very competitive conference,” South Alabama head coach Major Applewhite said. “There are a lot of one-score, 10-point ball games where your preparation is at a premium. Everybody in this league is capable of beating everybody; everybody in this league is capable of losing to everybody. So, the preparation going forward is what we’re putting a premium on.”

South Alabama has won five consecutive games against Arkansas State, its longest streak against any opponent. The Jaguars last lost to the Red Wolves in 2018, but won in Jonesboro in both 2020 (38-31) and 2022 (31-3).

Butch Jones’ Arkansas State team won its first two games against Jackson State and Tulsa before a pair of losses to power-conference opponents. The Red Wolves held their own against Michigan (losing 28-18) before falling flat vs. Iowa State (a 52-7 defeat).

Leading the way once again for Arkansas State is quarterback Jaylen Raynor, the 2023 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year. This season, the 6-foot, 201-pound has passed for 780 yards and three touchdowns (but five interceptions) this season, while rushing for a team-best 143 yards.

“I think he’s gotten better; he’s improved from last year,” South Alabama defensive coordinator Will Windham said. “He’s a good thrower, but he’s dangerous with his legs and that’s a scary thing. The nice part about that is we practiced against it all spring all fall camp with Gio and Bishop (Davenport). So, I feel like we’re probably a little bit more prepared for it in that regard.”

South Alabama was on an offensive roll before running into LSU last week, scoring only one touchdown in a 42-10 defeat. However, the Jaguars came out of the game largely healthy with the exception of wide receiver Jamaal Pritchett, who is expected to play Saturday after going through concussion protocol.

Arkansas State had an open date last week, whereas South Alabama has played five consecutive games. And after a physical battle with an SEC team last week, the Jaguars are doing their best to recover before heading to Jonesboro.

“It’s always a point; every week we’re banged up,” offensive guard Reed Buys said. “We’re all in the training room every single day. Every week is like a car crash. Your body’s feeling it. So, we’re just focused on getting the little nicks and bruises fixed up. But I think mentality is the biggest thing for us — staying strong there. We just focus on having a good week of practice and we’ll be good.”

South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez continues his fine season, having thrown for 1,014 yards and 10 touchdowns without an interception. He and Washington’s Will Rogers are the only FBS quarterbacks in the country who have double-digit TD passes without a pick this season.

Another target who has emerged in recent weeks for Lopez is redshirt freshman wide receiver Anthony Eager, who filled in after Pritchett was injured at LSU. The Mobile native caught a 27-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter and has five catches for 114 yards and two scores this season.

“It was actually pretty cool just to get to be in that spot, to score in Death Valley,” Eager said. “Not many people can say that. At first, my heart was beating a little too much; I was just a little nervous. But after a couple of plays, I was like ‘I got this. I can fill this spot.’”

Saturday’s game is a reunion for several members of the Arkansas State and South Alabama coaching staffs. Jaguars defensive line coach Jonathan Bradley played at Arkansas State and later coached there, while Windham was briefly on the Red Wolves’ staff this past offseason before being re-hired and promoted at South Alabama when Applewhite became head coach.

Applewhite and South Alabama offensive coordinator Rob Ezell also worked as analysts on the Alabama staff in 2019 and 2020 with Jones, who took over at Arkansas State in 2021. Ezell in particular said he learned a great deal from the Red Wolves’ head man.

“Butch has always been really good to me,” Ezell said. “He and his son Alex, I would consider them friends. He’s just a really detailed coach. I learned a lot from being around him and he really helped me grow and develop as a coach. … Butch really helped me look at the game a little bit differently — that it’s not always about scheme, but about how you play, how your players are executing. That really helped me a lot in my career.”

Kickoff Saturday for South Alabama-Arkansas State is set for 6 p.m. at Centennial Bank Stadium. The game will stream live via ESPN+.