LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - If Nebraska coach Frank Solich has any more offensive changes in mind, he might consider giving linebacker Julius Jackson a look.

It was Jackson who scored two touchdowns as No. 4 Nebraska overcame its worst offensive game of the season and got past Southern Mississippi 20-13 on Saturday.

"After I scored, I was like, they need to move me to offense," said the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Jackson, who scored on a fumble and a deflected pass. "This was a dream game for anybody on defense, to be able to intercept the ball and run it back for two touchdowns. It hasn't hit me yet, but it will."

The Huskers (3-0) gave up 209 passing yards by Jeff Kelly, but also forced five turnovers and held the Golden Eagles (2-1) to 25 yards rushing. Derrick Nix ran for 70 yards, but Kelly was sacked five times for minus-45.

Southern Miss threatened to tie the game late in the fourth quarter, but Kelly's pass to the Nebraska 1 was intercepted by Keyuo Craver with 1:17 left to play. It was the second interception of the game for Craver, who tipped the pass that Jackson returned for a TD.

Eagles coach Jeff Bower said his team was just a play or two away from an upset.

"Lots of people will ask, 'What's wrong with Nebraska?' Well, give us credit. We have a good team," Bower said.

Nebraska needed a big day from its defense, because the offense never got going. Earlier in the week, Solich moved Bobby Newcombe, who started the first two games at quarterback, to wingback and replaced him with Eric Crouch. The move didn't spark Nebraska's offense, which turned the ball over five times and gained just 183 yards.

"It's obvious we didn't play well across the board on the offensive end of it," Solich said. "I'm concerned that this is two weeks in a row we've not been able to run the ball."

Crouch threw two interceptions and running back Dan Alexander fumbled twice and rushed for 54 yards on 16 carries in his first career start.

Newcombe dropped the only pass thrown to him and botched a punt return that led to the first touchdown scored by an offense against Nebraska this year.

Midway through the first quarter, Kyle Vanden Bosch hit Kelly from the blind side and knocked the ball loose. Jackson scooped it up at the Southern Miss 16-yard line and ran untouched into the end zone. Nebraska led 6-0 after a missed extra point.

Jackson scored again in the fourth quarter when Craver tipped a Kelly pass high into the air and Jackson caught it at the Southern Miss 28-yard line and ran it in.

Nebraska scored its only offensive touchdown of the game in the second quarter on Willie Miller's 8-yard run. Miller had eight carries for 38 yards.

After Newcombe fumbled a punt recovered by Southern Miss at its own 45, Kelly led the Eagles on a six-play drive, capped by an 8-yard pass to Todd Pinkston for a 7-6 lead with 52 seconds left in the first. It was the first time Nebraska trailed this season.

Kelly put the Eagles up 13-12 early in the third quarter with a 5-yard pass to Sherrod Gideon. Pinkston caught 11 passes for 163 yards.

                   1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH  FINAL
                   --- --- --- ---  -----
Southern Miss       7   0   6   0    13
Nebraska            6   6   8   0    20

First Quarter
     Neb-Jackson 16 fumble recovery (kick failed), 7:50.
     SM-Pinkston 8 pass from Kelly (Hanna kick), 0:52.
Second Quarter
     Neb-Miller 8 run (run failed) 9:45.
Third Quarter
     SM-Gideon 5 pass from Kelly (pass failed), 12:54.
     Neb-Jackson 28 interception return (Alexander run), 8:26.

                       SoM      Neb
                       ---      ---
First downs             15        8
Rushes-yards         34-25   41-119
Passing                268       66
Comp-Att-Int       45-23-4   10-6-2
Return Yards            50      118
Punts-Avg.            8-44   8-49.8
Fumbles-Lost           2-2      5-3
Penalties-Yards       5-24     9-62
Time of Possession   32:19    27:41

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING-Southern Mississippi, Nix 29-70, Kelly 5-(minus 45).
Nebraska, Alexander 16-54, Miller 8-38, Crouch 16-26, Buckhalter
1-1.
PASSING-Southern Mississippi, Kelly 23-45-4-268. Nebraska, Crouch
6-10-2-66.
RECEIVING-Southern Mississippi, Pinkston 11-163, Gideon 8-81,
Gulley 3-16, Fowler 1-8. Nebraska, Gibson 2-19, Davison 2-19,
Alexander 1-27, Miller 1-1.
A-77,826.