MOSCOW, Idaho — South Alabama piled up 429 yards of total offense and its defense sacked Idaho quarterback Matt Linehan seven times Saturday as the Jaguars beat the Vandals 34-10 for their first Sun Belt Conference win of the season.
Quarterback Brandon Bridge completed six of his first seven passes, threw a 51-yard touchdown to Claude Garrett and ran 54 yards for another score. Montell Garner returned an interception 59 yards for a touchdown as South Alabama built a 20-0 halftime lead.
Offense Bounces Back
Bridge finished 15 of 25 for 196 yards with a touchdown and an interception, spreading completions among seven receivers. Shavarez Smith led the group with six catches for 44 yards. Wes Saxton caught three passes for 18 yards and Jereme Jones had two for 11. Garrett’s lone reception was his first touchdown catch at South Alabama.
Running back Jay Jones ran for 108 yards on 18 carries, his second 100-yard game of the season and his first since the opener against Kent State. Bridge added 71 rushing yards on six carries.
“We got a lot better, but we have to continue to improve,” head coach Joey Jones said of the offense. “I’m never satisfied, we’re going to get there. But I thought we were a much-improved offense this week. I think we are honing in on what we are good at, and the coaching staff is doing a good job of calling plays we are good at running.”
Fast Start
South Alabama opened the scoring with less than four minutes left in the first quarter on Bridge’s 51-yard pass to Garrett. Thirty-six seconds later, Garner intercepted Linehan and returned it 59 yards for a touchdown and a 14-0 lead.
Grant McLaurin kicked a 19-yard field goal with 8:41 left in the second quarter to make it 17-0. Idaho drove into range late in the half, but Austin Rehkow’s 40-yard field goal attempt went wide left with 2:03 remaining.
South Alabama appeared content to run out the half, but after the Vandals stopped the Jaguars on third down, an Idaho unsportsmanlike conduct penalty gave USA a first down at its 41. Bridge hit Smith on consecutive completions, the second a 10-yard gain out of bounds at the Idaho 27, and McLaurin made a 44-yard field goal for a 20-0 halftime lead.
Idaho Pushes Back
The Jaguars needed three plays to score to open the second half. On third-and-1 from the USA 46, Bridge kept the ball and ran 54 yards untouched for a touchdown, making it 27-0 just 1:26 into the third quarter.
Idaho then put together its best stretch. The Vandals drove from their own 16 to the South Alabama 11 before penalties pushed them back, and Rehkow’s 37-yard field goal cut the deficit to 27-3 with 6:54 left in the third quarter.
On the first play of the next USA possession, a Bridge pass intended for Jereme Jones was intercepted at the South Alabama 30. Two defensive holding penalties followed, and Linehan threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Joshua McCain to make it 27-10 with 6:25 left in the period.
Two plays later, officials ruled that Kendall Houston fumbled at the USA 44. Idaho reached the 10, but a penalty and a sack by Jerome McClain stalled the drive at the 23, and Rehkow missed wide left again from 40 yards with 3:18 left in the quarter.
Defense Closes It Out
South Alabama sacked Linehan for a 12-yard loss on fourth-and-2 at the USA 43. Bridge then found Antonio Carter for a 27-yard gain to the Idaho 18, and Jay Jones ran the remaining distance on the next play for a 34-10 lead with 8:00 to play.
The Jaguars sacked Linehan three more times and intercepted him over Idaho’s final two possessions.
Qudarius Ford led the defense with nine tackles. Demarius Rancifer, filling in for injured teammates, had seven tackles and a sack. Garner finished with five tackles, a sack and the interception return.
“Our defense is playing hard,” Jones said. “They are getting after it, and that’s the way we play defense here at South Alabama. Our defensive front did a great job. The guys covered well, the linebackers were fitting holes – it was a total team effort.” He credited defensive coordinator Travis Pearson and his staff, adding, “That is one of the best offenses in the league, and we did a great job stopping them.”
Up Next
“I thought the guys really adapted well after coming out here on the road with a four-hour plane ride,” Jones said. “We were ready to play when we started the football game.”
South Alabama (2-2, 1-1 Sun Belt) travels to Boone, N.C., next to face conference newcomer Appalachian State (1-3, 0-1 Sun Belt).
