A week after dismantling a Power 5 opponent on the road, South Alabama fell apart in a 34-30 loss to Central Michigan at Hancock Whitney Stadium on Saturday.

The Jaguars took an early 14-0 lead and were up 30-27 until the final moments, when CMU quarterback Jase Bauer burst into the end zone on a 3-yard touchdown run with 13 seconds left. South Alabama falls to 2-2 this season, while Central Michigan improves to 2-2.

Central Michigan took its first lead on its opening possession of the second half, driving 56 yards after a short South Alabama punt. Jase Bauer kept for a 1-yard touchdown to put the Chippewas up 20-14 with 8:30 left in the third.

South Alabama — which won 33-7 at Oklahoma State last week — pulled within 20-17 on Diego Guajardo’s 33-yard field goal late in the quarter, but Central Michigan scored on a busted play to go up 10 on the first play of the fourth. Bauer broke loose from a near-sack by South Alabama’s Trey Kiser and flung the ball downfield, where Jesse Prewitt had gotten behind the Jaguars’ secondary for a 70-yard touchdown.

South Alabama answered immediately with Carter Bradley’s 72-yard touchdown strike to Caullin Lacy, but Guajardo missed the extra point to keep Central Michigan up 27-23 with 13:27 to play. The teams exchanged punts before South Alabama drove 59 yards to the end zone, with La’Damian Webb scoring from the 1 to make it 30-27 with 2:42 to play.

Central Michigan then drove 75 yards for the winning touchdown, taking advantage of a pair of South Alabama penalties along the way. The Jaguars were called for defensive holding at one point, and — most crushingly — linebacker Quentin Wilfawn was called for unsportsmanlike conduct after a third-down stop at the USA 35. Central Michigan then moved inside the 5 after Bauer found Jesse Prewitt for 17 yards to the 3. Bauer scored two plays later.

South Alabama had one last shot after getting to its own 45, but Carter Bradley’s long pass fell incomplete on the final play.

For a while, it appeared the game might be a runaway for the Jaguars. South Alabama scored touchdowns on its first two possessions, and held Central Michigan to three-and-outs.

The Jaguars moved 75 yards with little resistance for the first touchdown, a 3-yard run by Webb at the 9:02 mark of the first quarter. After another CMU punt, South Alabama found the end zone again on Bradley’s 35-yard touchdown pass to Lacy for a 14-0 lead with 4:23 left in the first.

Central Michigan switched quarterbacks at that point, with Jase Bauer replacing starter Bert Emanuel Jr. This time it was the Chippewas driving for a touchdown, converting a pair of third-down chances before Bauer’s 14-yard run made it 14-7 with 13:37 left in the second.

After South Alabama punted, Central Michigan drove to the end zone again. A defensive holding call against the Jaguars on third down was key, and the Chippewas later converted fourth-and-1 inside the USA 5 before Bauer kept again for a 1-yard touchdown.

Central Michigan’s Tristan Mattson was wide left on the extra point, however, keeping it a one-point game with 4:13 remaining in the half. South Alabama then drove to the CMU 27, but Webb stumbled and was dropped for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-1 to keep it a 14-13 game at the half.

South Alabama opens Sun Belt Conference play next Saturday, traveling to James Madison for an 11 a.m. kickoff. That game will be televised live by ESPNU.