MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama football program ended 2013 as one of the hottest teams in the Sun Belt Conference, winning each of their last three contests by a double-digit margin.  The Jaguars have had a long wait to get back on the field in an attempt to lengthen that streak courtesy of an opening on the schedule the first week this season, but that break is over as USA prepares to begin the 2014 season.

Head coach Joey Jones — entering his sixth season guiding the program with a career mark of 31-21 — and the Jags will visit Kent State Saturday, with kickoff at Dix Stadium set for 1 p.m. (CDT) and the game scheduled to be broadcast nationally on ESPN3.

It's the final scheduled match-up in the series between the two schools, with the Jaguars avenging a 33-25 loss in Kent in September 2011 with a 38-21 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium last October.

"I think we've had a good camp, a good three weeks of practice, but this is when it all matters," Jones stated.  "We have to start putting all those things we've learned through camp into this week."

USA had nine individuals earn preseason all-league honors over the summer in a vote of Sun Belt head coaches and media members, with five of those coming from an offense that averaged more than 425 yards and nearly 30 points per outing a year ago.  Senior TE Wes Saxton — who is also on preseason watch lists for the 2015 Reese's Senior Bowl, and the John Mackey and Biletnikoff Awards — was one of three first-team selections after posting 50 receptions for 635 yards, with junior Chris May and senior Ucambre Williams two of five lineman to be named to the first-team.

The Jaguars' second-team preseason all-SBC choices included a pair of senior receivers, Shavarez Smith and Jeremé Jones.  The former matched Saxton with 50 catches, setting a school season record with 940 yards including six scores, while the latter grabbed 40 balls for 457 yards and three touchdowns.  Danny Woodson II returns to the unit after posting 26 receptions for 439 yards and four touchdowns in his first season as a Jag, with the group bolstered by the additions of Marvin Shinn, Claude Garrett, Tony Ray Parnell and Braedon Bowman.

Jay Jones was an honorable mention all-league selection last season after pacing USA with 737 yards on 143 carries, scoring five times, with Kendall Houston and Terrance Timmons also back in the offensive backfield after gaining 209 and 83 yards, respectively, in '13.  Up front the Jaguars bring back Drew Dearman at one guard slot and should be strengthened by the return of Melvin Meggs at the other after missing last season due to injury.

The Jags lost second-team all-Sun Belt selection Ross Metheny, who led the conference in total offense with 268.8 yards per game.  Brandon Bridge is slated to start at quarterback this fall in his place after throwing for 398 yards and a touchdown in nine appearances a year ago, with the senior backed up by a pair of newcomers — Matt Floyd joined the program from South Florida, with Hunter Vaughn coming from Butler (Kan.) C.C.

A pair of seniors who ranked among the team leaders in stops last fall, Qudarius Ford and Maleki Harris, were voted second-team preseason all-conference, as was Jesse Kelley on the defensive line.  Ford's 76 tackles are the most among USA's defensive returners, and he also broke up six pass attempts and intercepted two others, while Harris collected 63 stops including 8½ behind the line of scrimmage to go along with a team-best seven passes defended.  Kelley recorded 34 tackles with 6½ for loss, as did Jerome McClain in his first season with the program.  USA returns two other starters in the secondary, Montell Garner and Antonio Carter; in addition to totaling 60 stops, Garner paced the squad with three interceptions and tied Ford for the team lead with eight total passes broken up.

Theo Rich, along with newcomers Akeem Lewis and Jimmie Gipson III, will look to help fill the void left by the departures of Alex Page and Pat Moore — who combined for 27½ stops for loss including 13 sacks last year — with Davin Hawkins set to start at linebacker and Roman Buchanan slated to take over at strong safety.

During its three-game winning streak, the Jaguar defense surrendered an average of just 277 yards per game.

Aleem Sunanon earned honorable mention all-SBC accolades last season and is a second-team preseason choice after converting 18-of-23 field goal attempts to lead the team with 91 points in his first year on the collegiate level, and T.J. Glover ranked 31st nationally with an average of better than 25 yards per kick return.  Freshman Corliss Waitman should handle USA's punting duties after averaging 44 yards per kick as a senior at Milton (Fla.) High.

Unlike the Jaguars, the Golden Flashes did play last weekend, dropping a 17-14 Mid-American Conference decision at home to Ohio as time expired when Josiah Yazdani kicked a 44-yard field goal.  KSU trailed by seven throughout the second half, but put together an 11-play, 78-yard drive that culminated with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Colin Reardon to Chris Humphrey to even the score with three-and-a-half minutes left in regulation.

Reardon completed 30-of-41 pass attempts for 264 yards and two scores, with Humphrey gaining a team-high 91 yards on six catches and Ernest Calhoun chipping in with 12 receptions for 62 more.  The Golden Flashes, however, were able to manage just 31 yards on 22 carries as a team, finishing the contest with 295 yards of total offense.

"Offensively they moved the ball up and down the field," observed Jones.  "Their quarterback can run and throw, he's a dual-threat guy who you have to worry about, so we have to be smart about how we play him.  They do a good job with the run and pass — they didn't run the ball as well last week, but I know from playing them in years past they are always going to be able to run the ball."

Nate Holley paced the KSU defense, recording 18 stops, forcing two fumbles and breaking up a pass to earn MAC East Division Player-of-the-Week honors.  Jordan Italiano also was credited with a double-digit tackle total after supplying 10, and Matt Dellinger had eight tackles as the unit recovered four fumbles.

"Defensively they've really done a good job of toning things downs, they've got their guys lined up and playing with good technique," Jones explained.  "They held Ohio to 17 points, they did a great job defensively."

James Brooks had 41 yards returning kickoffs and 15 running back punts — posting a team-leading 101 all-purpose yards — while Anthony Melchiori averaged 47 yards per punt, with three of seven efforts ending inside the Ohio 20-yard line, and had all three of his kickoffs result in touchbacks.

This will mark the first time that the Jaguars, who have won three of five opening-day contests since the program's inception in 2009, will begin the year on the road.  It's also the latest start date for USA in six seasons.

In addition to airing on ESPN3, the radio broadcast can be heard locally on Lite Mix 99.9 (WMXC FM) as well as world-wide through the iHeartRadio platform.

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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