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MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Roger Lewis might have caught the University of South Alabama football team off guard when he caught a 44-yard touchdown pass less than three minutes into the inaugural Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, but it was his final reception that stunned the Jaguars.  Lewis' 78-yard scoring catch, which came 16 seconds after USA had taken its only lead of the night, lifted Bowling Green to a 33-28 victory over the Jags at the Cramton Bowl.

He finished with 137 yards on four receptions, and Gehrig Dieter added seven catches for 108 more, as the Falcons (8-6) recorded 369 yards through the air in spoiling the Jaguars' first-ever bowl appearance.  James Knapke — who completed 25-of-39 attempts for 368 and had the two scores to Lewis — was voted the Bart Starr Most Valuable Player.

Maleki Harris led the USA (6-7) with a school-record 18 tackles, which included a career-best three behind the line of scrimmage and a sack.

"My hat's off to Bowling Green. They played a good game, they made a lot of big plays on offense," Jaguar head coach Joey Jones stated.  "I think they hit us with about four deep balls.  It was one of those games that come down to a play or two, and we didn't make those plays at the end of the game."

The Jags had rallied from a 13-point deficit with a pair of touchdowns in the final quarter.  USA closed to within 27-21 when Brandon Bridge finished a five-play, 77-yard march — one that required less than two minutes — with an 18-yard pass to DeMarrion Buford-Hughes with 11-and-a-half minutes to go in the contest.  The opening play of the possession was a 45-yard completion from Bridge to Danny Woodson II, and the senior also found Jake Howton for a 10-yard gain and a first down.

The score was the first of Buford-Hughes' career.

BGSU looked like once again had an answer, moving to the Jaguar two-yard line, but after holding Travis Greene to a one-yard gain and then tackling him twice at the line of scrimmage, Tyler Tate's 18-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide left.

USA started its final possession at its own 27-yard line with four minutes and 13 seconds to go in the game, and on the first play of the drive Bridge hit Woodson II for 44 yards down the left sideline.  Timmons went left for a nine-yard run to move the chains again, then added a five-yard rush to the right on third-and-three to set up the Jaguars with first-and-goal at the BGSU-6.  Bridge connected with Jeremé Jones to cover half that distance, with the Jags taking their only lead of the contest when Timmons scored from three yards out with one minutes and 20 seconds remaining.

Bridge was 20-of-37 passing for 279 yards, with 225 of those coming in the second half.  Woodson II paced USA with career-high totals of six receptions for 122 yards while Jones and Shavarez Smith recorded four catches each for 45 and 34 yards, respectively.

"I take full responsibility for that whole first half.  I didn't play like myself," Bridge observed.  "I had to build that confidence, but the adjustment was pretty much just me.  Everything that was called was there — I just wasn't playing like myself."

The Falcons opened up the scoring less than three minutes into the contest, completing its initial possession with a 44-yard pass from Knapke to Lewis on fourth-and-two; BGSU's first drive covered 65 yards in seven plays over two minutes and 21 seconds.  The advantage doubled on the Falcons' next possession after they were able to march 93 yards in nine plays and less than three minutes.  After picking up one first down, Knapke found Dieter for a 23-yard gain to convert on third-and-10, with the two connecting again two plays later for a 53-yard completion to the USA-4.  Greene was able to cross the goal line from one yard out on second down with just under seven-and-a-half minutes to go in the opening quarter, making the score 14-0.

The Jaguars got on the board a minute-and-a-half later, however, on a drive that saw USA run on all five snaps.  Xavier Johnson carried twice for 13 yards and a first down, and Bridge followed with a 14-yard gain.  After a pass interference call moved the ball 15 yards, Kendall Houston rushed for 31 yards before breaking free for a 44-yard touchdown run, the longest of his career.

Houston would lead the Jags with 53 yards on five catches, Bridge recorded 41 yards on the ground, and Johnson and Timmons both posted 21 yards.  USA finished with 415 yards in all.

A Tate field goal from 39 yards out pushed the BGSU advantage back to 10 points, capping a 14-play march with less than seven minutes remaining in the opening half, and after the teams traded turnovers Tate converted a 22-yard field goal with 53 seconds remaining before the break.  Qudarius Ford sacked Knapke, forcing a fumble that Davin Hawkins recovered at the USA-49, but three plays later Gabe Martin recovered a lateral at the USA-40.  Knapke found Dieter for gains of 12 and 16 yards, with the latter completion moving the ball to the nine-yard line, but after Fred Coppet rushed for five yards he was stopped for no gain by Desmond LaVelle and Montell Garner broke up a pass in the end zone on third down as the Falcons took a 20-7 lead at the half.

With six minutes to go in the third quarter, the Jags made it a one-score game after Bridge scored on a 15-yard run down the left sideline.  He found Jones for 10 yards for the initial first down of the possession — which covered 52 yards in nine plays — then converted twice on third down with a 15-yard pass to Jones and an 11-yard gain to Woodson II.

The Falcons answered less than a minute-and-a-half later, with Knapke completing four straight passes before Greene went untouched up the middle for a 17-yard touchdown run, extending the BGSU lead to 27-14 on the 47-yard scoring drive.

Coppet led all players with 70 yards on 16 carries and Greene rushed 20 times for 41 yards and two scores, helping the Falcons record 131 yards on the ground and 500 of total offense.

"We just wanted to make them one-dimensional," explained Harris.  "We knew they ran that up-tempo offense, and we knew that it worked off of big plays.  One thing that hurts you in the up-tempo offense is the run game.  Stopping the run was a big thing coming in, and it's something we have been preaching all year."

Terrell Brigham added 12 stops — his sixth outing this year with 10 or more — while Roman Buchanan supplied nine tackles and broke up a pass.  Jimmie Gipson III chipped in with a career-high eight stops, with 1½ for loss, and Ford and Theo Rich each collected eight tackles.

Bryan Thomas led the Falcons with six tackles, which included a pair of sacks, and Charlie Walker had a sack among his five solo stops.  Jude Adjei-Barimah and Martin also were credited with five tackles apiece.

It was the last game for 32 seniors for USA.  "They never back down, and they're the heart of our team.  They're a bunch of fighters," Jones said of the group.  "But we're not quite there yet.  We're a young program.  We are going to start winning these bowl games in the future, and a lot of it has to do with this senior class putting us on the map.  They [Bowling Green] probably have a few more players than we do overall.

"There are some positives to this, but it's a tough loss."

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).

—USA—