DOTHAN, Ala. – Brennan Sim threw a career-best three touchdowns while the defense intercepted four passes to lead the University of South Alabama to a 64-0 victory over Edward Waters (Fla.) Saturday in the 2nd annual Wiregrass Football Classic at Rip Hewes Stadium.
In addition to tying the school record for most points in a game, set twice in 2009, it was also the largest margin of victory USA has ever recorded.
With the win, the Jaguars improved to 3-0 on the season and extended their all-time win streak to 10 games in a row. They will return home to take on Kentucky Wesleyan Saturday at 4 p.m. at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, the first of two straight home contests to close out the first half of the program’s second season.
The Tigers fell to 1-4 on the year.
“I think they performed very well. The bottom line is we had better players than they did,” Jag head football coach Joey Jones stated. “They really had a class bunch. I thought it was a well-played game.”
It’s the first time Sim recorded multiple touchdown passes in a game, as he finished 6-of-11 for 85 yards through the air. USA only needed to cover 35 yards for its first touchdown after he hit Jeremé Jones for a 21-yard gain, then Courtney Smith for a 19-yard score. After a bobbled snap, Taylor Noon went around the right side of the line for the two-point conversion and an 8-0 lead with just over 13 minutes to go.
Later in the opening quarter Jones’ 49-yard punt return set up a three-yard touchdown pass from Sim to Lamontis Gardner to make it 22-0 with more than three minutes left in the quarter. Sim threw his final touchdown to Bryant Lavender from 10 yards out, capping a six-play, 62 yard drive that made the score 36-0 less than a minute into the second quarter.
For his efforts, he was named the offensive player of the game.
“We came out and did what we needed to do. We got on the board and stopped them,” commented Sim. “We still made mistakes and we still need to correct some things, but we just have to keep improving every week.
“It’s just important to keep on executing the plays and playing hard. On a week like this, we can’t just let up and allow ourselves to take a step back. We have to keep taking steps forward, because those other teams we will be playing down the road are taking steps forward each week.”
Three of the four interceptions came in the first 15 minutes as Jaguars controlled play from the opening kickoff. Michael Wilson was responsible for the first, which he ran back 11 yards to the EWC-41, leading to Brandon Ross’ four-yard touchdown run that capped a four-play possession with less than eight minutes remaining in the period.
After Sim’s second touchdown, Justin Dunn picked off a pass on the second play of the ensuing Tiger drive and returned it 41 yards for a score and a 29-0 advantage at the end of the opening period. “I saw the guy curl up and the quarterback beginning to throw, so I just jumped the pass and took off. I saw green in front of me, but didn’t know what to do because I’m so used to chasing somebody,” Dunn recalled. Jerron Mitchell ended EWC’s next possession on the second play with an interception as well, which resulted in Lavender’s touchdown catch, while Clifton Crews picked off a deflected pass midway through the second quarter to help the Jags surpass their highest total, set twice, from a year ago.
Ray Cotton ended a six-play, 58-yard march with a 20-yard run to the left pylon with 4:16 remaining in the half after Crews’ interception, as USA outgained EWC 329-103 over the first 30 minutes in taking a 43-0 lead into the locker room.
The difference in total offense for the contest would end up 503-144 in the Jaguars’ favor. Cotton rushed for 78 yards and a score on just seven carries, with seven other backs gaining at least 30 yards. Kendall Houston had 48, Santuan McGee 46, Ellis Hill 43, T.J. Glover 41 and Ryan Scott 40, with Scott extending the lead to 50-0 with a 15-yard touchdown run midway through the third quarter. Michael Nevels scored twice in the fourth quarter — on runs of 12 and 11 yards — to finish with 35, and Johnny Lockett chipped in with 31 as USA finished 391 yards on 51 attempts.
“I figured I would get playing time, but I didn’t know I would get that much,” Nevels explained. “This type of win just makes you push harder; I just need to keep working.”
Glover had 92 all-purpose yards after returning a punt 35 yards and adding a 16-yard reception. Jones recorded 77 on one catch and two punt returns.
Ucambre Williams led the defense with five unassisted stops, while Jake Johnson — who was credited with the team’s lone solo sack — Ben Giles and Alonzo Long were all credited with three tackles.
“We got a lot of guys in the game. Our coaches had a plan of who they were going to play if we got up so we could get some good out of this game, and I think we did,” Jones said. “Our ones went out there and played well. The two lines stayed in there a good amount of time. They haven’t had a lot of reps, so it was good to get them in the game. We have to have some depth for the end of the year, and we keep trying to develop that.
“That was the great thing about today, we were able to reward those guys who have been working their tails off all summer long. They deserve it. There’s not many chances when you can do that, and we were glad to be able to get them in.”
Ninety of the Tigers’ 144 yards came on two plays in the first half, a 46-yard pass from Brandon Turman to Jordan Brooks and a 44-yard run by Antoine Nabors.
Lorenzo Capehart was selected the defensive player of the game after posting six unassisted tackles. Bertram Balfour had a game-high eight stops, while Denton Thompson chipped in with seven.
Nabors gained 61 yards on eight carries to pace the Tigers, who finished with 97 total on the ground. Two EWC quarterbacks were 2-of-15 passing for 47 yards.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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USA-Edward Waters box score
USA-Edward Waters photo gallery
