MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama football team is returning home for a pair of non-conference contests in the next two weeks, but just because those games won't count in the Sun Belt Conference standings doesn't make them any easier.

One of those visits will be from San Diego State, which just entered the top 25 nationally after improving to 3-0 last weekend.  But before the Jaguars play host to the Aztecs, they can't overlook their opponent on Saturday.

"Nicholls State is a real scrappy bunch," South head coach Joey Jones said.  "They took Georgia down to the wire, 26-24 [a couple of weeks ago].  They play really hard and have some good players.  They've done a heck of a job with their program the last year or so.  I know [NSU head coach] Tim Rebowe real well.  He does a good job coaching them."

The Jags and Colonels will get underway at 6 p.m. (CDT) at Ladd-Peebles Stadium; the contest can be heard for free worldwide as part of the iHeartRadio app and locally on both WRKH 96.1 FM and 99.5 The Jag, and it is slated to be broadcast nationally on ESPN3 as well.

As part of the College Football Playoff's Extra Yard for Teachers program this weekend, the USA College of Education, C Spire and Raising Cane's are inviting teachers and a guest from Mobile and Baldwin counties, Saraland and other school districts within the region to attend the match-up.

Tickets are available for the game — the cost is $20 for sideline seats and $15 to sit in the end zone — and can be purchased by going online to visit www.usajaguars.com or contacting the USA Athletic Ticket Office at (251) 461-1USA (1872).

Tailgating will begin in the Ladd-Peebles Stadium parking lot at 8 a.m., with a window on each side of the facility open at 3 p.m. for those interested in purchasing tickets on site.  The team's arrival at the stadium, the "Jag Prowl," will get underway at 3:30 p.m., and stadium gates will open to the public 30 minutes later.

Shuttles — with the cost $2.50 for a round trip, although free for children five and under — will begin running from the Shoppes at Bel Air located behind J.C. Penney beginning at 2 p.m., providing continuous service until 90 minutes after the end of the game.

While the Colonels came close to pulling off an upset in their season opener at UGA, the Jags' win this fall came over another Southeastern Conference school when they began the campaign with a 21-20 victory at Mississippi State.  USA has dropped back-to-back league outings since, including a 28-23 decision last weekend at Louisiana-Lafayette, and will enter the contest with a 1-2 mark.  NSU is 1-1 after defeating Incarnate Word, 35-28, at home on Saturday in its first Southland Conference game of the year.

The Jaguars enter play averaging 276 yards per game passing, although the Colonels have allowed just under 190 yards per outing through the air in their first two contests.  Like South, NSU's offense also has recorded more yards via the pass — averaging 200 per game, compared to 167 on the ground — but the Jags have surrendered fewer than 180 passing yards per contest thus far this fall.

Dallas Davis (66-of-105 passing, 828 yds, 4 TDs) is second in the Sun Belt with more than 280 yards of total offense per game to lead the Jaguars, and tight end Gerald Everett is tops in the conference with better than 80 receiving yards per contest with team-leading totals of 18 catches for 242 yards and a pair of scores.  Kevin Kutchera has recorded nine receptions for 174 yards as well, averaging 19.3 yards per reception, and both Sam Harris and Grant Powell are posting more than 15 yards per catch after hauling in multiple balls last weekend against the Ragin' Cajuns.

Tyreis Thomas and Xavier Johnson have collected 128 and 73 yards per outing rushing, respectively, although the latter added 90 on four kickoff returns in addition to gaining a team-high 58 last time out.

Like Davis, Chase Fourcade has thrown for four scores in NSU's first two contests, connecting on 32-of-57 attempts for 388 yards.  C.J. Bates paces the Colonels with seven catches for 113 yards, with Jarrell Rogers adding six for 69 and Damion Jeanpiere five for 53 as all three have reached the end zone.  C.J. Okpalobi has gained 170 yards on the ground while Dontrell Taylor has dded 117 in relief, as both have scored a pair of touchdowns.

Roman Buchanan continues to lead the South defense with 31 tackles — the senior has been credited with two for loss in each of the last two weeks — although it was Kalen Jackson who recorded a team-high 12 stops in the ULL game, matching a career high; he stands second on the squad with a total of 26 tackles through three outings.  Jeremy Reaves has chipped in with 21 stops, including 2½ behind the line, three passes broken up and an interception as he is tied for the league lead with 1.33 passes defended per contest.  Bull Barge has supplied 16 tackles and Darrell Songy 15, while Randy Allen has posted three stops for loss among his 14 total this fall.

The Colonel defense is led by B.T. Sanders, who has been credited with 11 tackles, one more than Hezekiah White.  Terrell Encalade and Jeff Hall have made nine stops apiece for the unit, with the latter also running back a pair of interceptions 137 yards.  Sully Laiche paces NSU with four tackles for loss — which includes three sacks — with White adding 2½ behind the line of scrimmage.

"Nicholls runs the exact same offense as Louisiana-Lafayette runs," Jones explained.  "Coach Rebowe came from there, so he brought everything with him.  We feel like we are playing the same type of team, just with a different uniform.  Defensively is where I've really been impressed with them, they really play hard on defense.  Georgia had a tough time trying to run right at them."

The Jaguar football program has been challenged in every game this fall, playing an SEC foe and facing two Sun Belt teams with a combined 5-1 record to date this season.  The road has returned USA to its home venue this weekend, but that won't make life any easier when Nicholls visits in the first of two tests in Mobile in the next couple of weeks.

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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