MOBILE, Ala. – Kawaan Baker caught three touchdown passes and had 154 yards receiving on Saturday to help lead the University of South Alabama to a 38-14 Sun Belt Conference football victory over ULM at Hancock Whitney Stadium.

Baker's first score capped a 17-point first quarter for the Jaguars (3-2, 2-0 Sun Belt), and he later added touchdowns of 16 and five yards in the second half as South earned its second consecutive victory.  Desmond Trotter was 8-of-12 passing for 184 yards while Carlos Davis gained 58 yards on 17 carries as well.

Keith Gallmon and Nick Mobley shared team-high honors for the Jags with seven stops each, with Dewayne Betts Jr. supplying six and Riley Cole adding five including a sack.

Traveion Webster paced all players with 11 stops — a total that featured two behind the line of scrimmage — for the Warhawks (0-6, 0-3 SBC).  Colby Suits completed 22-of-33 attempts for 282 yards to lead ULM offensively.

South Alabama 38, ULM 14 (final stats)
South Alabama/ULM photo gallery

GAME FACTS
-Three long plays — a 95-yard Devin Rockette interception return, a 50-yard field goal from Diego Guajardo and an 80-yard Trotter-to-Baker connection — gave the Jaguars a 17-0 lead at the end of the first period.
-Josh Johnson supplied the only points of the second quarter on a one-yard touchdown run just under four minutes before the half to make the score 17-6 at the break.
-Trotter ran a score in from five yards out and threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to Baker to extend the Jaguar lead to 31-6 with 15 minutes to go.
-The teams traded touchdowns in the final quarter, with USA's drive taking nearly 11 minutes off the clock.
-Both teams ran 61 plays, with the Jags outgaining the Warhawks by 415-380 margin.
-South's offense converted on 11-of-17 third- and fourth-down attempts, with ULM successful on just 4-of-13 conversions in the contest.

NOTES
-This marks the first time since beginning Sun Belt Conference play in 2012 that the Jaguars have started league action 2-0.
-The Jaguars are now above .500 overall for the first time since defeating nationally-ranked San Diego State on Oct. 1, 2016.
-It's the first occasion that USA has won consecutive conference outings since defeating Troy and the Warhawks on Oct. 11 and 21, 2017.
-The Jags have now won three of four meetings with ULM in Mobile.
-Baker's initial touchdown was the second-longest pass play in school history, giving him over 1,500 receiving yards in his career; he finished the night tied for second on South's career record list with 14 catches for a score while moving into the top five on the program's all-time scoring list.
-The senior set new career highs in receiving yards and touchdowns catches while posting his second 100-yard game of the season and the third in his time with the program.
-The performance marked the first time since South visited Louisiana on Nov. 17, 2018, that Baker has scored multiple touchdowns in the same game.
-Jalen Tolbert went over 1,000 career receiving yards with a 27-yard first-quarter catch as well.
-Rockette's interception return was the first score on defense for the Jags since Jalen Thompson ran back a pick 55 yards for a touchdown in a Sept. 15, 2018, victory over Texas State.
-It was the first interception recorded by the South since Rockette nabbed the first of his career on Nov. 23 a year ago at Georgia State.
-Trotter's score in the third quarter was the first rushing touchdown of his career.
-Gallmon shared team-high honors in tackles for the first time since leading the Jaguars with 10 stops against Appalachian State on Oct. 26 last season.
-Mobley has now led or shared team-best honors in the category on four occasions this fall.
-Riley Cole has been credited with at least one stop for loss in each of the last three contests.
-It was the first time Chris Henderson has forced a fumble since South played host to Louisiana on Nov. 4, 2017.
-Guajardo became just the third individual to make a field goal of 50 yards or longer in program history with USA's first from that distance since Gavin Patterson connected from 50 yards out in an Oct 13, 2018, victory over Alabama State.

THEY SAID IT
South Alabama head coach Steve Campbell
Opening statement: "I'm very pleased with the way the guys played tonight. Tonight was about guys making plays. Devin Rockette started us off with the pick-six. We had been through a turnover drought and had talked about creating turnovers and finding ways to create explosive plays on defense. KB [Kawaan Baker] also made a big-time play for us with his 80-yard reception where he beat the guy, went up and took it to the house. Diego then hit a 50-yard field goal. We had a short period where we had a little bit of an offensive drought, but we then came back in the second half and were able to make more plays and add on points. The last drive [in the fourth quarter] after we shut them down where they got deep in our territory, [Desmond] Trotter really stepped up and made some big-time plays. He had a couple key plays during that drive where we were able to run 10 minutes off the clock. Terrion Avery and Jared Wilson made some great plays as well at the running back position. I told the guys in the locker room after the game that it wasn't about anything we [as coaches] called, but it was about them making plays. That's what it takes."
On his thoughts on the 16-play, 10-minute drive being an offensive line coach: "That drive was as fun to watch as it gets. We were down a couple of guys tonight along the offensive line with Wyatt Green not playing and [Jacob] Shoemaker going down in the third quarter. Trey Simpson, Braden Moody and Tyler Jernigan really stepped up. To see those guys put together a dive like that was really good to see. Early on in the game, we were having a hard time getting back to the line of scrimmage, but those guys were able to get some things figured out. I think ULM's rush defense is good and they're at the top of the league in pass defense, so I was really pleased with how that young group responded."
On being able to execute a game like you're supposed to and what it does for a team: "It says that for today — and today only — that we did what we were supposed to have done. This is now two weeks in a row that we've been able to execute like this. We're making progress and getting closer, we see what we're capable of. When we limit our turnovers and we're able to create turnovers, along with limiting our penalties, we're a tough team to beat. That's what we've got to keep doing because we've got some playmakers on both sides of the ball. Now though, we have a quick turn around. We need to get ready for Georgia Southern and see if we can expand on our road winning streak."
On Desmond Trotter tonight: "It was as good as I've seen him play. He was playing very confidently and did a great job of making plays with his arm. You could tell that he's continuing to grow and get better each time out. He also made plays with his feet in the run game. He also made some plays tonight where he was able to avoid the rush, keep his eyes up the field and complete some passes. I think [the quarterbacks] feeling more confident in what we're trying to do where they know once the play gets extended, they know how to make an adjustment and turn a play into a more positive play."
On where he feels they're at heading into the short week: "I think we're in good shape. We're looking forward to the challenge. Georgia Southern has a short week as well. They played at Coastal Carolina today and are probably just getting home now or not too long ago. The first game of the year, we spent the night before in our beds, drove over to Hattiesburg and then came home, so this will be our first 'real' road game.  I think it adds something to it, but we won't let that be a distraction. Our guys are pretty focused right now."

Senior WR Kawaan Baker
What went right: "They [ULM] played a lot of man coverage with press, so we just had to capitalize because that's what receivers do one-on-one. That's where we live."
On the team's growth: "We are having a lot of fun out there as a team while coming to practice every day, competing and making each other better. That's making it easier on the field. We are trusting the other side of the ball, the special teams and all other areas, but if something happens, pick them up and tell them it is a long game."
On the long pass that went for an 80-yard TD [while the ball is in the air]: "It's exciting but you're trying to stay relaxed at the same time. The ball placement was perfect. I needed to come down with it and we scored when I did."

Junior LB Nick Mobley
On what led to getting the win:"We just executed. We did all the things we have been coached to do. You work hard every day, work on the small things and be consistent, then you get victories. That just shows the perseverance of our team. At first we didn't have any victories, and now we're gaining momentum."
On Devin Rockette's pick-six: "It was an awesome play. When Devin runs, you're not catching him. It was a great play by him, and a great way to spark the game for us."
On the team's confidence: "It's going to build and get better every week and every day."

Senior CB Devin Rockette
On his pick-six: "That play gave us momentum to start the game, I think that was a big part in the game. That play was big. We were in zone coverage, and I saw a receiver sit down in front of me and saw the quarterback throw it so I just sat down and waited for a tipped ball, and it was tipped, and then I didn't see anything but green."
On the team's play: "I'm real proud of the team, we practiced hard this week. We need to be together. We all love each other and know how to work together."

Sophomore QB Desmond Trotter
On what went right offensively tonight: "I just feel like it was players making plays. I knew we could beat them [ULM] over the top, because they play a lot of man coverage, so we just had to execute and protect up front. We did that so we were able to come out on top today."
On having a weapon like Kawaan Baker: "Not just having him — but also having players like [Jalen] Tolbert and [Jalen] Wayne — makes it easy because I can choose who I want to throw to with them being able to make plays. It's a quarterback's dream. KB had a great game today. They had a plan for Tolbert, but you can't cover all of them. I was able to go to KB and he was able to make some plays today."
On his ability to rush: "With how they were playing man coverage, they did not have a spy on me and if I broke contain, I could pick up some yards. It just helped the team move the ball down the field."

Up next: USA will return to action with a Thursday match-up at Georgia Southern, with the contest kicking off at 6:30 p.m. (CDT) on ESPN.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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