Game StatsPostgame QuotesPhoto GalleryMOBILE, Ala. – Xavier Johnson recorded career highs with 121 yards on the ground and 177 all-purpose yards, scoring twice in the second half to help lead the University of South Alabama football team to a season-opening 33-23 non-conference victory over Gardner-Webb Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
The Jaguars begin the season with a win for the second straight year, improving to 5-2 all-time making their season debut, in the first meeting between the two schools.
After falling behind for the only time all night early in the third quarter, Johnson needed just 15 seconds to take a screen pass 56 yards for a score, and he put the game away just over 15 minutes later with a 92-yard touchdown run. It was the longest carry in program history, lifting him over the 100-yard mark for the second time in his career.
"When we lost the lead, I knew that my guys were going come back out and play harder," Johnson explained. "Gardner-Webb is a great team. I felt like we came out in the second half more disciplined, worked harder and that we deserved the win."
"Overall we made some big plays when we had to have them," said USA head coach Joey Jones. "Xavier Johnson had two big ones, he was the player of the game in my opinion. He had some big plays that really got us going in the second half."
Blake Dees posted 13 stops, with two of those behind the line, to lead a Jaguar defense that forced three turnovers and limited the Runnin' Bulldogs to just 309 total yards; he forced a pair of fumbles, including one that led to three points for the Jags. Tre Alford, Roman Buchanan, DeMarion Harper and Kalen Jackson recorded nine tackles each, with Buchanan adding his first interception since USA defeated Tulane in the second game of his collegiate career and the two defensive linemen both breaking up a pass. Devon Earl collected eight stops as well, while Jeremy Reaves chipped in with five stops, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
"We want to do what we do and play fast and smart so we can make plays," stated Reaves. "Our defense is always looking to make plays. It doesn't matter if the offense goes out and scores or if they turn the ball over, the model's still the same. We want to make big plays."
"Our defense played well for the most part — real gritty and got after people. I thought we played South Alabama Jaguar defense," Jones observed. "Those guys took it over and kept playing that way. Gardner-Webb had a really tough quarterback; he's a talented guy. But we just kept grinding. I commend our defense for the way they played."
After Johnson put the Jags up 20-16 with the his touchdown catch, it was a Reaves interception that would lead to the first of two Aleem Sunanon field goals — this one a 41-yarder with 24 seconds to go in the third quarter — that extended the USA lead to a touchdown. On the opening play of the final period, Dees forced a fumble that Dondre Chanet recovered at the GWU-30, with Sunanon converting from 28 yards out to push the Jags' advantage to 26-16 with 12-and-a-half minutes left in the contest.
On the Jaguars' next possession, Johnson was limited to no gain on his first carry before cutting inside the right tackle and going untouched up the middle of the field.
USA finished with 224 yards on the ground, as Tyreis Thomas rushed nine times for 56 yards and Terrance Timmons added a career-long 49-yard run that gave the Jags a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the contest. The Jaguars added 184 yards passing as well — Cody Clements completed 14-of-25 attempts — with Gerald Everett and D.J. Vinson posting a game-high four receptions for 75 and 22 yards, respectively. In fact, it was Everett who caught a 50-yard touchdown pass with four-and-a-half minutes left in the opening quarter to extend the advantage to 13 points, capping an eight-play drive that saw Clements complete 4-of-5 passes including a pair to Vinson to open the possession.
Buchanan ended the Runnin' Bulldogs next drive with an interception on the second snap of the series, giving the Jags the ball at the GWU-27, but two plays later Gardner-Webb got the ball back on a Jonathan Sherrill interception.
That was when the lighting struck, delaying the contest for close to 40 minutes.
After play resumed, GWU got on the board less than two minutes into the second period, closing the margin to six points after Tyrell Maxwell connected with Mike Estes for a 48-yard scoring pass, concluding a three-play march that took a minute-and-a-half off the clock. Specials teams play would set up the Runnin' Bulldogs to cut the deficit even further; after a 55-yard Andrew Komornik punt was downed at the one-yard line, Dallas Davis was stopped in the end zone by Laron Glenn for a safety, making the score 13-9 with less than six minutes remaining before the half.
"It was definitely frustrating, but it's not something that you can control," Clements said of the delay. "You're just so excited for the first game and ready to go. Having that delay is a bummer and kills the momentum, but you have to get through it."
"Delays are sometimes good, but we used it to make some adjustments and it turned out to be a plus for us tonight," GWU head coach Carroll McCray stated. "Probably the biggest thing is that the game slowed down for us. South Alabama is a fast, physical football team."
The Runnin' Bulldogs took their first lead with less than 11 minutes left in the third quarter when Angel Guzman picked off a pass that deflected off a Jaguar receiver's hands and ran it back 21 yards for a touchdown, while Estes made the final margin 10 points after his five-yard scoring reception with 19 seconds remaining in the game capped a 16-play, 70-yard march.
He paced all players with 89 yards on four catches, accounting for nearly 70 percent of GWU's 132 passing yards as Maxwell completed 11-of-22 attempts. The latter finished with 234 yards of total offense after gaining 102 rushing on 22 carries, with Bobby Clark adding 47 more on 13 attempts.
Chad Jeter led the Runnin' Bulldog defense with 10 tackles, while Spencer Havird and Aaron Cook were credited with nine stops each.
USA returns to action Saturday at Nebraska, with kickoff slated for 7 p.m. (CDT) and the game to be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
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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