NEW ORLEANS – It was a lot closer than many on sidelines of the University of South Alabama football team would have cared for, but the final result was all that mattered.

Maleki Harris intercepted Nick Montana's two-point attempt that could have tied the game with one minute and 19 seconds left in regulation, and when Bryant Lavender recovered the onside kick the Jaguars were left to snap twice to run out the clock on a 41-39 victory over Tulane Saturday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

In evening their record at 1-1 on the season, the Jags snapped a seven-game losing streak dating back to last October and picked up their first victory on the road since defeating Texas-San Antonio in overtime on Oct. 8, 2011.

"That was a great win for a lot of reasons," observed USA head coach Joey Jones.  "We struggled last week at the end of the game. We played well for three-and-a-half quarters but then lost it.  In this game we played well, but then they (Tulane) came back and we bowed up and won it.  That's a sweet way to win a ballgame; Tulane is a much improved team.

"But my hat's off to my staff.  We worked 16 hours a day since last Thursday night because we care about these players.  And these players care about this team.  They came and worked — we had a great practice week.  They did everything we asked them, never dropped their heads and they came out and won the ballgame today.  That's what it's all about; that is a good life lesson for them there."

But what once looked like an easy victory — USA held a 21-point advantage early in the second quarter — came down to the wire.

The Green Wave (1-1) turned three straight Jaguar miscues in the third period into 14 points, going ahead 33-31 with six-and-a-half minutes to go in the quarter on a 40-yard touchdown pass from Montana to Ryan Grant one play after Dominique Robinson picked off a pass and ran it back to the USA-40.  The Jaguars answered on special teams near the end of the period, however, as after Qudarius Ford blocked a punt that Terrance Timmons recovered in the end zone, give USA the lead back 38-33 with just over a minute to go.

"We practiced that punt block all week," Ford said.  "We knew they weren't going to be ready for it.  When the coaches called it, I knew it was going to work.  We just executed.  We saw how the wings always flared out, and it left the underneath gap wide open.  I knew when I got through that it was money."

Ross Metheny then guided the Jags down the field in nine plays and 78 yards over more than three-and-a-half minutes, keyed by a 43-yard completion to Shavarez Smith, to set up a 23-yard field goal from Allem Sunanan that oushed the advantage to eight points with six minutes remaining.  But Montana connected on 6-of-8 attempts in leading the Green Wave back down the field, adding an 11-yard pickup on a scramble to move TU to the USA-10.  On second-and-eight Roman Buchanan appeared to make a diving interception, but the call was overuled by video replay and two plays later Montana found Ryan Grant on a 10-yard scoring pass to complete the 15-play, 82-yard march.

On the two-point conversion, Antonio Carter pressured Montana — who was rolling to his right — to throw the ball in the air short of the goal line where Harris could seal the win.

Montana finished 29-of-47 passing for 327 yards and three scores, although he was sacked three times and threw one interception.

But the Jags managed to limit TU to just 45 yards on 27 carries, as the Green Wave finished with 372 yards of total offense.

Ford paced USA with eight stops, and in addition to blocking the punt he broke up two passes.  Romelle Jones and Terrell Brigham recorded seven tackles each, with Jones posting two for loss including a sack and Brigham forcing a first-quarter fumble, Charles Watson had six and Buchanan collected five solo stops to go along with an interception and another pass broken up.  Clifton Crews was credited with two stops behind the line and Alex Page chipped in with a sack as well for the second week in a row.

"My job as a defensive player is just to get the ball back to the offense," said Buchanan.  "We knew what the game plan was; we were prepared.  We knew what they (Tulane) were coming to do.  We knew who they were throwing the ball to, so it was just time to make a play and get the ball back to the offense.  Last week was a terrible loss — it hurt.  There was no way we could lose this game.  We had to get one (win) under our belt.  Now we just have to keep it rolling."

The Jaguars needed just 47 seconds to go ahead 7-0 after the opening kickoff, on the basis of three long runs.  Jay Jones opened the contest with a rush for a pickup of 29 yards, and after an incomplete pass Metheny gained 11 yards on a draw before keeping the ball and cutting up the middle of the field for a 35-yard touchdown dash.  Less than four minutes later Metheny doubled the USA lead with a 14-yard touchdown pass to Smith, capping a three-play, 60-yard march that saw the left-hander find Wes Saxton for a gain of 26 yards one play before the score.

It marked the first time since the Jags defeated Tennessee-Martin on Oct. 15, 2011, that the offense has put together multiple scoring drives requiring less than a minute.

USA added to it's total with just over three minutes remaining in the opening period, marching 75 yards in seven plays before Metheny connected with Davin Hawkins in the left corner of the end zone on a 30-yard scoring pass.  It was the junior tight end's first career reception.

With a 21-7 advantage at the end of the first quarter, it marked the most point production for the Jag offense since it scored 20 in a Sept. 10, 2011, victory over Lamar, as the unit totalled 245 yards and 11 first downs in the opening 15 minutes of the contest.

Metheny made it a 28-7 score in the opening minute of the second quarter with his second score on the ground when he went around right end for a 12-yard touchdown run.  On the first play of the six-play, 80-yard possession he hit Danny Woodson II for 41 yards, and he found Saxton for a gain of eight one snap prior to reaching the end zone.

USA recorded 328 yards over the opening 30 minutes, ending the contest with 465; that's the most the Jaguars have ever gained against an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision opponent.  Metheny finished 19-of-30 for 290 yards and two touchdowns, accounting for a school game-record four scores with two more on the ground to go along with a career-best 75 yards on 11 carries.  Saxton equalled previous career highs with seven catches for 92 yards, Jeremé Jones supplied 50 on four catches and Woodson II had 50 on three, while Smith and Hawkins posted 57 and 45 yards, respectively, on their two receptions.  Jay Jones carried 11 times for 64 yards and Cris Dinham added 28 on 10 attempts.

"We were just taking what they gave us and kept rolling," Metheny stated.  "We made the plays tonight, and that's what our offense is set up to do.  We put ourselves in position to make the plays, we just have to make them.  We struggled with that a little last year and last week as well.  But we finally made the plays and did what we were supposed to do tonight."

"We got up big (early). The offense played great the first half, probably the best offensive half we have had," Jones excplained.  "Then we came out and had three turnovers fairly quickly in the second half, but the defense was playing really good in the second half.  We had to have a big play, and we blocked the punt.  The punt return staff did a great job of coming up with that punt block.  It was something we saw on film, and it worked just right.

"You have to make those plays in order to win big games and we did it."

The Green Wave responded to the second Jaguar score with a drive that took nearly four-and-a-half minutes off the clock, culminating with a two-yard touchdown run by Orleans Darkwa.  The big play of the possession for TU was a completion from Montana to Grant for a gain of 41 yards.  Montana added a touchdown pass of 29 yards to Justyn Shackleford — capping an 11-play, 80-yard march — with 10-and-a-half minutes to go before the intermission, making it a 28-14 game.

Grant's 14 receptions and 187 yards were both the best recorded by an opponent against the USA defense.

After the Jaguars picked up on first down on their ensuing posession, a fumble on USA's first punt attempt was kicked through the back of the end zone for a safety midway through the second quarter, cutting the Green Wave deficit to 12.  TU tacked on a 47-yard Cairo Santos field goal with a minute-and-a-half left in the first half, drawing the Gren Wave to within nine, but Sunanon pushed the Jag advantage back to double digits with a 46-yard field goal — the first of his career — as time expired.

TU turned an interception return of 30 yards by Nico Marley — and a 15-yard penalty on the Jaguars on the play — to start their second drive of the third quarter in the red zone.  Three plays and 15 yards later, Darkwa scored for the second time, this time from one yard out, to make the score 31-26 with just under 12 minutes left in the period.

After Marly recovered a USA fumble on the Jaguar 39-yard line the Green Wave had an opportunity to take their first lead.  But Jesse Kelley stopped Darkwa for a loss of one on third-and-one from the USA-30, and on fourth down Pat Moore broke up Montana's pass attempt to end the threat.

Sam Scofield led the TU defense with 15 total stops — 13 solo — with two for loss, Robertson posted 11 stops and Marley had seven.

"It's the biggest win we've ever had," said Jones.  "Tulane is a much-improved team, and they have a good football program.  They're going to do well in Conference USA.  For us to come on the road and win one like that is big for the South Alabama football program.  (Head coach) Curtis Johnson, his staff and the players acted first class the entire game.  My hat's off to them.  They are the kind of team you want to play against, because they play the game the right way."

USA will open Sun Belt Conference play Saturday with a 6:30 p.m. kickoff at Ladd-Peebles Stadium against Western Kentucky.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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