Monday Press Conference
South Alabama Coaches talking together before the NC State game.
Monday’s press conference previewed the Jags upcoming game this weekend against the University of Texas-San Antonio in the Alamo Dome. The game is scheduled to kick off at 4:30 pm and will be televised on the Longhorn Network.
During the press conference Coach Jones said that the off week came at a good time both mentally and physically after two very physical games against FBS teams. He continued by saying, “As far as Texas at San Antonio goes, they are a very hungry football team. They remind me of us a couple of years ago, the way we came out that first year with a lot of hunger and excitement. They have some really good players. Offensively, they do a lot so we’re really working hard defensively this week to get prepared for all that they do. They are a really sound football team defensively; they’re very well-coached and have some real tough, hard-nosed guys inside. It’s not as multiple as their offense is, but they are very sound defensively. They are very similar to their offense in special teams; they do a lot of things with different return games and kickoffs. Their whole team is making us prepare for a lot of different things.”
Talking about the keys to preparing for a team with multiple sets. Coach Jones said that you have to prepare for everything they do and that it takes time away during the week. Coach Jones commented, “The key to their offense is the quarterback; he does a very good job. He can run and throw, and with that they can be multiple so we have to work on all of it because we don’t know what they are going to do.”
Coach Jones also spoke about having a bye week following two consecutive losses, the first two losses in the program’s short history. “I talked to the team today (Monday) about how the little things matter. When you do the little things right, the big things seem to work out. We have to work on us, and if we work on that this week and really concentrate on getting better then we’ll let the chips fall. But our kids are excited. They are excited about being back and playing games again, but that two-to-three day break helped us out.”
Safety B.J. Scott commented at the press conference that the off week allowed them to get their legs back underneath them and get to some rest. He wants to see how the team reacts after returning to play following two consecutive losses. While UTSA is hungry, he thinks the Jags are really hungry.
Scott continued talking about preparing for a multiple offense by saying his mindset is to watch as much film as possible to prepare. He said that UTSA has the most formations he has ever seen since he started playing football and that it’s going to take a lot of focus this week and during the game.
On improving as an individual contributor to the team, Scott said that he is never comfortable with his success or lack of it. He wants to play harder and that he never feels like his work is done and he feels that he has to get that through to his teammates as well. He wants them to follow the way he plays on the field.
Running Back Demetre Baker joined Scott in commenting at the press conference. Baker said that most of the players needed the week off to recover and allowed them to refocus and what they are doing wrong and to fix them. The loss helped them to refocus and remind them to stay hungry.
He continued saying that he is eager to get on the field again and that he thought the others guys were too. He said that is the point of the game, you’re going to win some and lose some, but when you lose it’s about how you respond. When you when it’s about what you learn from it. Every game is a battle and no game is going to be perfect, but the ones who fight the most are the ones who come out with the win.