South Alabama opens its season against Southern Utah on Thursday, August 29, 2013, at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The Jags arrive at the stadium. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com)

MOBILE, Alabama - Colton Cook kicked a 28-yard field goal on the game's final play as Southern Utah upended South Alabama 22-21 in the season-opening game for both teams. The Thunderbirds moved 54 yards in 10 plays to set up the winning kick. QB Aaron Cantu had a 16-yard completion to Griff McNabb to the USA 27, and Malik Brown converted a third-and-5 play with a 13-yard sweep to the 9-yard line. After USA stuffed a run by Raysean Martin up the middle, Southern Utah's left-footed kicker booted the winning kick, despite being roughed on the play.

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Southern Utah called timeout with two seconds left in the game, trailing South Alabama by two points with the ball on the Jaguars' 11-yard line.

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Southern Utah has driven into field-goal position in the final minute against South Alabama. The Thunderbirds have moved from their 35 to the USA 22 with 42 seconds left to play.

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After four consecutive three-and-out possessions, Southern Utah's offense came to life, sparked by an interception by Tommy Collet of a pass by USA QB Brandon Bridges. After a sack, Southern Utah QB Aaron Cantu found Griff McNabb down the sideline for a 44-yard pass to the South Alabama 6-yard line with 6:59 left in the game. From there, Cantu found tight end Anthony Norris in the corner of the end zone on third down from the 2 to pull the Thunderbirds within 21-19. Southern Utah went with a 2-point conversion pass. But USA's Montell Garner put the hit on Fatu Moala as the ball hit the turf, and USA stayed in front 21-20 with 6:13 left in the game.

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Two passes from Ross Metheny to Danny Woodson were the key plays in South Alabama's touchdown drive as the Jaguars took a 21-13 lead. Woodson caught a short pass from Metheny and turned it into a 33-yard gain to the Southern Utah 20. On third down from there, the former LeFlore star was right at home in the Ladd-Peebles Stadium end zone when he took a curl-in from Metheny and twisted his way to a touchdown with 14:47 left in the game. The Jags' scoring drive covered 64 yards on seven plays in 1:36.

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With a one-point lead, South Alabama was on the move as the fourth quarter arrived. The Jaguars have the ball at Southern Utah's 20-yard line after Danny Woodson took a short pass from Ross Metheny and stepped his way to a 33-yard gain. USA will snap the ball to start the fourth quarter with a second-and-10 at the Thunderbirds 20.

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After Ross Metheny's touchdown pass put South Alabama in front, the teams matched three-and-outs, with Southern Utah getting the ball for its current possession at the Thunderbirds 27 with 3:46 left in the third quarter.

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Back in the game after giving way to Brandon Bridge in the second quarter, quarterback Ross Metheny got South Alabama into the end zone and into the lead. Running back Jay Jones broke a 57-yard run to the Southern Utah 4-yard line. Two runs by Kendall Houston got USA to the 1 before he took the ball into the end zone. But USA tight end Rush Hendricks was called for a false start on the play, wiping out the TD. Now facing third-and-goal from the 6, USA got in the end zone again when Metheny hit Jereme Jones across the middle. Another flag flew on this play, but it was for roughing the passer against Southern Utah. Aleem Sunanon's extra point gave the Jaguars a 14-13 lead with 7:38 left in the third quarter.

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Southern Utah turned punter Brock Miller's 26-yard run to South Alabama's 28-yard line on a fake into a 37-yard field goal by Colton Cook with 11:15 left in the third quarter. The Thunderbirds put together a 10-play, 57-yard drive with just two first downs -- a 15-yard run by Raysean Martin on the second play of the series and Miller's fake -- to take a 13-7 lead.

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Southern Utah fooled South Alabama on its first possession of the second half. In punt formation on fourth-and-2 at the Thunderbirds 46, punter Brock Miller tucked the ball under his arm and swept left for 26 yards to the USA 28-yard line with 13:04 left in the third quarter.

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Southern Utah had South Alabama on its heels in the first quarter, but the Jaguars got back in the game on a 40-yard touchdown scramble by quarterback Brandon Bridge with 4:37 left in the first half.

The Thunderbirds scored the first two times that they had the ball in the 2013 season. Colton Cook's 33-yard field goal capped the opening 12-play, 66-yard drive and Raysean Martin's 1-yard plunge into the end zone ended a three-play strike highlighted by tight end Chandler Allphin's 54-yard ramble with a reception to the USA 8-yard line.

South Alabama, which had punted and missed a field-goal attempt to that point in the game, punted again and had a field-goal attempt blocked, before Brandon Bridge, who came in at quarterback for starter Ross Metheny on the first possession of the second quarter, engineered a six-play, 72-yard scoring drive. With two scrambles and three completions during the series, Bridge had a hand in all but 1 yard gained by the Jaguars on their way to the end zone.

Though behind on the scoreboard, USA outgained Southern Utah 171 yards to 147 yards in the first half.

Southern Utah will receive the kickoff to start the second half.

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South Alabama has the ball again, but this time at its 5-yard line after a 48-yard punt by Southern Utah's Brock Miller was downed there with 1:49 left in the first half.

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Quarterback Brandon Bridge scrambled 40 yards right up the middle for South Alabama's first touchdown of the season with 4:37 left in the first half. On USA's six-play, 72-yard scoring drive, Bridge accounted for all but 1 yard. He completed three passes to three different receivers and scrambled twice. His touchdown run came when the middle of the field opened, and he sprinted to the end zone.

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A long loss on a fumble put Southern Utah in a hole, and the Thunderbirds' fourth possession of the game ended with a punt on fourth-and-43 from their 29. After a fair catch on the punt, South Alabama took over on its 28 with 7:10 to play in the first half.

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South Alabama squandered its good field possession, even though the Jags almost scored twice. Quarterback Brandon Bridge ran down the sideline to the end zone, and the PA announcer shouted out the home team's touchdown. But Bridge was marked out of bounds after a 12-yard gain. Bridge hit tight end Rush Hendricks over the middle as he crashed into the end zone from 20 yards out, but Southern Utah safety Miles Killebrew's hit had knocked the ball loose. Toi Taufa then blocked the 37-yard field-goal attempt by USA place-kicker Aleem Sunanun.

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A fumbled snap at the Southern Utah 11-yard line got the Thunderbirds' third possession of the game off on the wrong foot, and the South Alabama defense held Southern Utah to a three-and-out, then saw a 30-yard punt from Brock Miller that set USA up at the Thunderbirds' 43 with Brandon Bridge in at quarterback.

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South Alabama was prepared to punt the ball away after going three-and-out on its third possession of the game when the clock on the first quarter ran out. Southern Utah has scored both times it has had the ball in the game, on a 33-yard field goal by Colton Cook and a 1-yard run by Raysean Martin.

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Southern Utah scored its first touchdown of the season on its second possession of the year, with Raysean Martin going into the end zone on a 1-yard plunge as the Thunderbirds took a 10-0 lead. The touchdown was set up by a long pass from Aaron Cantu to tight end Chandler Allphin to the USA 8-yard line.

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With South Alabama facing a third-and-5 at the Southern Utah 15, Zak Browning broke through to sack USA quarterback Ross Metheny for a 9-yard loss. That brought USA place-kicker Aleem Sunanon onto the field for a 41-yard field goal attempt, which was wide right with 2:21 left in the first quarter.

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South Alabama's T.J. Glover returned the kickoff 43 yards to get the Jaguars' second possession started on their 48-yard-line.

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Colton Cook capped Southern Utah's first possession of the season with a 33-yard field goal with 5:52 to play in the first quarter. The Thunderbirds went 61 yards on 12 plays in 6:03 to score against South Alabama.

Southern Utah had a first down at USA's 25. But linebacker Clifton Crews knocked down a Thunderbird pass on first down and two runs by Raysean Martin came up 1 yard short of a first down, bringing Southern Utah's left-footed kicker on to the field.

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Southern Utah has called timeout after reaching the South Alabama 25 with 7:27 left in the first quarter. The Thunderbirds have marched the ball from their 23-yard line on their opening possession, keyed by a 16-yard run by Malik Brown on third-and-9 at the Southern Utah 42.

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After picking up first downs on two of its first three plays of the game, South Alabama's opening drive was derailed when tight end Wes Saxton was flagged for offensive pass interference, wiping out a 20-yard reception to the Southern Utah 32-yard line and pushing the Jaguars back to a third-and-25 situation, which was followed one play later by a punt.

Southern Utah will start its opening offensive series of the game at its 23 after a fair catch of USA's punt.

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South Alabama will receive the kickoff in its opening game of the 2013 football season. Southern Utah won the opening coin toss and deferred its decision to the second half. The Jaguars chose to get the ball first. Southern Utah will defend the south end zone at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

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South Alabama kicks off its fifth season of intercollegiate football against Southern Utah at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

This season is different, though, because for the first time the Jaguars are eligible to play for the Sun Belt Conference title and for a bowl invitation.

While South Alabama is a member of the Sun Belt, Southern Utah is a member of the Big Sky Conference, an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision league.

This is the first game between the teams.

South Alabama went 2-11 last season. Southern Utah posted a 5-6 mark in 2012.

South Alabama won its first three season-openers before dropping last year's kickoff game to Texas-San Antonio.

This year's opener will kick off under almost clear skies with a temperature in the high 80s -- and on its scheduled date. South Alabama also was scheduled to open the 2012 season on a Thursday night. But with Hurricane Isaac buzzing in the Gulf of Mexico, last year's season-opening game against the Roadrunners was postponed until Saturday.

The Jaguars are wearing red jerseys with white pants and helmets. The Thunderbirds have white jerseys and black pants with dark helmets.

The game can be heard on WNSP-FM 105.5 and seen on ESPN3.

Fans can purchase tickets at the ticket booths at the stadium. Tickets cost $15 each for reserved sideline seats and $10 each for general-admission end zone seats.

South Alabama students can get in free by showing their student ID card as they enter Gate 2E.

The Wave transit system is operating shuttles that cost $2.50 per person for round-trip service from Bel Air Mall (park in the lot south of J.C. Panney and Target) to Ladd-Peebles Stadium on a continuous loop until 90 minutes after the completion of the game.