Game StatsPostgame QuotesPhoto GalleryBOONE, N.C. – Behind Brandon Bridge's career night, the University of South Alabama football team's offense put up season-high totals for points and yards for the second week in a row.
The senior quarterback completed 19-of-28 attempts for 339 yards and three scores, as the offense rolled up 582 total yards — the second-highest figure in program history — in a 47-21 Sun Belt Conference victory over Appalachian State Saturday at the Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Bridge posted the second-highest individual game totals for both passing and total yards in the school's record books, finishing with 362 overall after adding 23 yards on the ground, to help the Jaguars (3-2, 2-1 Sun Belt) to their fourth straight road win dating back to last season. Shavarez Smith caught six balls for 133 yards — the first 100-yard game for a USA receiver since he achieved the feat at Georgia State last fall — and a pair of scores, while Xavier Johnson paced the ground attack with a career-best 70 yards on 10 carries.
Terrell Brigham helped the Jag defense limit the Mountaineers (1-4, 0-2 SBC) to just 33 yards in the first quarter and 169 in the opening half with a team-leading eight stops, with Roman Buchanan, Desmond LaVelle and Demarius Rancifer supplying seven apiece — it was a career-high total for the former. Jesse Kelley collected a career-best six stops including a half sack, and Montell Ganer and Antonio Carter were both credited with five; Garner also forced a fumble that Brigham recovered and broke up a pair of passes.
Bridge scored the first points of the contest on an eight-yard run, hitting Smith for a 67-yard touchdown to extend USA's lead to 20-7 at the half. He opened the third quarter with a 43-yard scoring pass to Danny Woodson II, then concluded the Jaguars' next possession by breaking loose from several Mountaineer defenders to find Smith alone in the back corner of the end zone for a 14-yard touchdown.
"The offensive line did a great job of keeping me clean, and the receivers did a good job of getting open and making the throws easy for me," Bridge observed. "I just owe it all to the whole offense. They made it easy for me. All I have to do is just get the ball to them. I thought we did an excellent job tonight."
The Jag defense provided an early opportunity for points after Garner — with ASU facing third-and-two — forced a fumble that Brigham recovered on the Mountaineer 26-yard line, but after a Jay Jones rush for 12 yards on its first play from scrimmage USA was forced to attempt a 28-yard field goal that was blocked by Deuce Robinson. The Jaguars forced another three-and-out when Garner stopped Taylor Lamb two yards shy of the first-down marker on a quarterback draw, and after 16-yard punt they once again took over on the ASU side of midfield.
This time Bridge led the offense 44 yards in six plays and less than two minutes, capping the drive with an eight-yard run around right end with nine-and-a-half minutes to go in the first period to give USA a 7-0 advantage. He found Smith for 21 yards on the second play of the possession, and when Johnson followed with a 13-yard run up the middle the Jags had first-and-10 on the ASU-11.
"The defense comes out ready to play every game," Jones explained. "[Defensive coordinator] Coach [Travis] Pearson and his staff do a great job with them. They just motivate their players; they just get after it. But when they come out and play that well early, it sets the tone and it lets the offense get rolling."
"Early in the game, we just had guys giving all they had and everyone was doing their job and handling their assignments," added Garner. "We were able to make plays. And we watch so much film that we know what people are doing. But preparation for this game set us up for a great win."
Grant McLaurin increased the lead to 10 points with little more than five minutes remaining in the opening quarter, connecting on a 36-yard field goal to complete an 11-play, 69-yard march. Bridge completed three passes for first downs — finding Claude Garrett and Cameron Broadnax for 10 yards each, then hitting Woodson II for 18 more — before an 18-yard Jones run moved the Jaguars to the Mountaineer 24-yard line.
USA held a 192-33 edge in total offense in the first quarter, recording 11 first downs while preventing ASU from moving the chains. Jones gained 59 of his 67 yards in the period, while both Woodson and Broadnax would go on to post three receptions in the contest with the former gaining a season-high 71 yards and the latter a career-best 49.
The Mountaineers would pick up their initial first down on the opening play of the second period via a roughing the passer call, adding three more after Lamb completed an 11-yard pass to Terrence Upshaw, then gained 14 and 15 yards on consecutive rushes. The Jags would force ASU to settle for a 34-yard field-goal attempt however, keeping the Mountaineers off the scoreboard when Ridge James blocked the kick.
Just over three minutes later McLaurin tacked on to the Jag advantage with a 39-yard field goal, as USA moved 58 yards in eight plays highlighted by a 37-yard pass from Bridge to Jeremé Jones. Another long gain — in fact, the Jaguars' longest from scrimmage this fall — made the score 20-0 after Bridge hit Smith for a 67-yard touchdown pass six-and-a-half minutes before the break.
Terrance Timmons — who would finish with a season-best 60 yards on just four carries — capped a 20-point third quarter for the Jags when he scored on a career-long 30-yard run with a minute-and-a-half left in the period, while Berron Tyson closed out the scoring for USA when he crossed the goal line from five yards out on his first career carry with just over 10 minutes to go in the game.
The Mountaineers got on the board with just over three minutes remaining in the opening half when Lamb found Malachi Jones on a 20-yard scoring pass. It completed a six-play, 71-yard march that saw a Brigham interception negated by a pass interference call — following that play Maleki Harris was ejected for a targeting penalty as well.
ASU also scored twice in the fourth quarter, first when Drew Bailey caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Lamb just over a minute into the period then when Kameron Bryant connected with Isaiah Lewis from seven yards out with five-and-a-half minutes left.
Lamb accounted for 230 yards of total offense, leading the Mountaineer rushing attack with 78 yards on 13 attempts while completing 16-of-30 passes for 152 more. Jones and Barrett Burns had four receptions each for 64 and 35 yards, respectively, to lead the team while Upshaw added 48 yards on eight carries and Bryant supplied 45 on four rushes as well.
John Law led ASU with a game-high 11 tackles, with Joel Ross chipping in with eight.
It was the Mountaineers' first-ever Sun Belt home contest, with pregame ceremonies honoring former head coach Jerry Moore, but the Jaguars spoiled the occasion by handing ASU its worst home loss since the 1984 season.
"I am very proud of this football team," said Jones. "Last week we travelled across the country to play Idaho and played a good game. And we came here this week to Appalachian State where they have a lot of tradition. They have great facilities here. It's a great venue, and our kids played extremely well. They have that look in their eyes right now, and they are understanding what it takes."
The Jaguars will have a week off before returning to action with its annual Homecoming game — the opponent this fall will be Georgia State on Saturday, Oct. 18, with the kickoff time at Ladd-Peebles Stadium still to be determined.
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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