Three things to watch in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl: South Alabama versus Bowling Green.

1. A bunch of firsts

For seven decades, there wasn't even a football program at South Alabama, so it's pretty darn impressive that the program has reached the postseason in only its second season as an FBS member. But don't expect the Jaguars to be caught up with the bright lights. They have a point to make. Last season they recorded six wins but weren't selected for a bowl game. Now that they've (A) again recorded a six-win season and (B) made a bowl game, they're going to make sure they make it a memorable one and prove they deserve to be here.

This is also the first bowl game for both coaches. Bowling Green coach Dino Baber has never coached in an FBS bowl game, though he did go to the FCS playoffs during his two seasons with Eastern Illinois. South Alabama coach Joey Jones has never coached in a bowl game. However, during his playing career at Alabama (1980-83) he made four trips to bowl games, winning three.

2. Finishing strong after bad slides

Both of these teams badly need a win to help alleviate the pains of the late season. Bowling Green lost its final three games by an average of 19 points, while South Alabama lost four of its last five by an average of 18 points. A win here would make the offseason a little less difficult, and whichever team is on the losing end, well, it's going to be a long, frustrating offseason.

3. Quarterback play

Both of these teams feature some pretty good quarterback talent, even though you probably haven't heard of these quarterbacks since they aren't in Power 5 conferences. Bowling Green's James Knapke is just a sophomore, but he threw for 2,805 yards and 13 touchdowns this season. Part of what comes with that youth, though, are the mental mistakes, which he has had his fair share of, throwing 12 picks. But this extra practice time to build chemistry with his young receivers (three of his top four receivers are freshmen or sophomores) could be seen when Knapke takes the field Saturday.

South Alabama quarterback Brandon Bridge has completed only 52 percent of his passes this season, but he has been a bit more clean -- compared to Knapke -- when it comes to picks. Bridge has just six interceptions to his 14 touchdowns and 1,648 passing yards. Bridge is a senior, so he'll be looking to make a statement as he gets ready for what's beyond Jaguars football.