updated 9:39 a.m. ET Sept. 13, 2006

LINCOLN, Neb. - To Nebraska cornerback Andre Jones, it’s not a matter of if the No. 19 Cornhuskers beat fourth-ranked Southern California on Saturday. It’s a matter of when.

“When we beat this team, we can show the world that we are a great team and we restored the order,” Jones said Tuesday.

Jones, a transfer from Fresno City Community College, signed with the Huskers last winter after turning down an offer from USC. The Fort Walton Beach, Fla., native was supposed to back up Zackary Bowman this season, but Bowman sustained a season-ending knee injury in August and Jones became a starter.

Jones isn’t fretting about the Trojans having won 46 of their past 48 games, a Pacific-10 record 27 straight home games and that the Huskers are three-touchdown underdogs.

“I like to hear it. Most of my life, I’ve been the underdog anyway,” he said. “People said I wasn’t as good as I seemed, and I’ve always come out on top. That’s why I came to this school.

“When we beat USC, its going to slingshot our season.”

Jones also seems unfazed by the prospect of having to cover two of the top receivers in the nation in Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith.

“My friends have all been calling me, blowing up my phone, talking big noise and everything — saying how they’re going to beat us, saying all these threats they have on their team,” Jones said. “We’ve got the same amount of threats over here.

“We’re going to come up on top. USC is a great team. Of course, it’s not going to be an easy game like it was against Louisiana Tech and Nicholls State.”

Jones has two tackles and two pass breakups in two games.

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Jones started his college career at Kentucky, where he played three games in 2003 before suffering a season-ending leg injury. He was awarded a medical redshirt for 2003 and transferred to Fresno.

He had five interceptions his first year and two interceptions and 13 pass breakups last season. He was ranked among the top defensive backs coming out of the junior college ranks, and he drew scholarship offers from four other Pac-10 schools in addition to USC.

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“It came down between USC and Nebraska. When I went there, I just didn’t sense that love that I felt when I came here,” Jones said. “It’s more Hollywood out there. It didn’t seem real to me. I wanted to come to a town where football is loved. And what better town than (Lincoln).”

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