Game StatsPostgame QuotesPhoto GalleryCOLUMBIA, S.C. – When the University of South Alabama met South Carolina on Saturday both defensive units forced numerous turnovers, combining to record 10 takeaways. But it was the Gamecocks who made more plays with the ball in their possession in earning a 37-12 non-conference football victory over the Jaguars at Williams-Brice Stadium.
Skai Moore and Brison Williams each picked off two passes, with Moore also posting nine stops, as USC limited the Jags to 289 total yards while improving to 6-5 on the season. T.J. Gurley supplied nine stops as well while breaking up a pass, both T.J. Holloman and Jonathan Walton were credited with six tackles and J.T. Surratt collected five.
Devon Earl — making his first career start — had one interception and one fumble recovery to go along with a career-best six tackles for USA (6-5), which will return home to face Navy in its regular-season finale Friday at 2 p.m. at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Maleki Harris also had a hand in two takeaways with a forced fumble and fumble recovery, as both he and Terrell Brigham led the Jaguars with eight total stops, and Montell Garner forced a fumble while recording five solo stops.
"One thing about our kids is they know how to fight," explained Jag head coach Joey Jones. "They know the next play is the only thing they can control. We preach that to them, and they came out and made some big plays; that's just a testament to our team. We were out-manned out there, and we were toe-to-toe with them for a while but we just couldn't finish.
"They kind of wear on you with their size, and they have good players. My hat's off to them because they played a good ballgame."
USC finished with 454 yards of total offense, posting 210 on the ground and 244 through the air. Dylan Thomson was 10-of-17 passing for 237 yards — accounting for the other seven on a fourth-quarter touchdown catch — with Pharoh Cooper and Nick Jones collecting 95 and 53 yards, respectively, on three receptions. Brandon Wilds had a game-high 77 yards on 16 rushes, with David Williams adding 65 on 12 attempts.
The Gamecocks used a 10-play drive to put the first points of the day on the scoreboard, with Elliott Fry connecting on a 42-yard field goal just over three minutes into play. After advancing to the USA-27 following a 19-yard catch from Jones and a run of 13 yards by Wilds, the Jags held Wilds to two yards on the next two plays before Harris broke up a pass intended for Rory Anderson in the end zone.
The Jaguars would answer, evening the score 3-3 with over five minutes to go in the period on an Aleem Sunanon 20-yard field goal after covering 70 yards in 14 plays. Hunter Vaughn connected with Jeremé Jones and Shavarez Smith for 10 and 12 yards, respectively, to move USA to the USC-47 yard line, advancing the chains twice more with passes to Smith again and Wes Saxton.
Smith and Jones each had five catches to pace all players, with the former leading the Jags with 82 yards. Vaughn hit 15-of-23 attempts for 151 yards, with Brandon Bridge coming on to add two completions for an additional 19 yards.
USC used a pair of plays over 25 yards to regain the lead less than three minutes later; first Thompson found Mike Davis in the flat for a pickup of 28 yards, then two plays later hit Jones for a 29-yard touchdown. After the Jaguars responded with another 14-play march that resulted in a Sunanon field goal — this time from 29 yards out with just over 11 minutes remaining in the first half — the Gamecocks were driving again when Harris stripped Davis, with E.J. May recovering the ball on the USA-26.
On the Jaguars' second snap of the ensuing drive, however, Brison Williams intercepted a pass in the flat and ran it back 21 yards for a 17-6 Gamecock advantage. The teams would trade four turnovers before the break, with Williams and Moore picking off passes for USC but Earl returning his first career interception 28 yards as well as recovering a fumble forced by Garner.
After the last takeaway, the Jags ran six straight times — with Timmons gaining 22 of those on four attempts — leading to Sunanon's third field goal two seconds prior to the half, as he hit again from 29 yards out.
Kendall Houston led USA with 68 yards rushing, carrying 16 times, and Timmons had 17 attempts for 62 more, but USA finished with 119 yards on the ground as a team.
Fry pushed the lead back to 11 points, midway through the third quarter with a career-long 47-yard field goal, with the key play on the drive for the Gamecocks a 45-yard completion from Thompson to Damiere Byrd that moved the ball to the USA-22. USC followed with a sack and forced fumble — which was recovered by Phillip Dukes at the USA-32 — to end the ensuing Jag possession, going up 23-9 on a 24-yard Fry field goal with three-and-a-half minutes remaining in the period.
Cooper found Thompson alone in the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown with just over 10 minutes to go in the contest, capping the Gamecocks' longest drive of the season — an eight-play, 96-yard march — while making the score 30-9. Two plays earlier, with USC facing third-and-10 from its own 14-yard line, Thompson hit Cooper for a 73-yard gain to set up the score. Moore ended USA's next possession with his second interception of the day, running it back 42 yards in leading to David Williams' 14-yard scoring run on the following snap for the Gamecocks.
After Rush Hendricks recovered a muffed punt at the USC-17, Sunanon tied a school game record with his fourth field goal of the afternoon, hitting from 31 yards out with four-and-a-half minutes remaining to close out the scoring.
The Jaguars ran 78 plays to the Gamecocks' 57, holding the ball a season-high 35 minutes and 48 seconds; that included recording nearly 21 minutes of possession in the opening half.
"I thought we were playing good football in the first half," Jones stated. "We moved the ball offensively against an SEC defense; we converted on third down. We forced a couple of turnovers and did some good things, but we turned the ball over multiple times in the first half and we didn't get it done in the red zone. When you don't get those things done against a team like that, then they start to wear on you.
"Our guys fought, and I am real proud of the way we came and played," he added. "Would I have liked to make a few more plays? Yes, but we didn't and they deserve the victory. They outplayed us."
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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