Jags Rest Up For Eight Game Stretch To End Season
As the players took a couple days off to rest and recharge for the final eight games of the season the coaches hit the road to do some recruiting. After the first five games with a tough three game stretch, it was much needed.
They return to the practice field to prepare for their trip to Jonesboro, Arkansas, which will be the fourth in what many consider the toughest portion of the Jaguars schedule. Arkansas is coming off of a 34-20 win Thursday night over FIU to even their record at 3-3 (1-1 Sun Belt).
The Jags will be focusing on correcting things that have plagued them in the first five games of the season. They are trying to get the offense on track and moving the ball, ending big plays on defense, eliminating penalties and turnovers. If they can correct them, they will correct the most important item on their list: ending the losing streak.
The offense is near the bottom in most offensive categories. They rank last in rushing offense. They rank ninth in passing offense, total offense and scoring offense. They are last in passing efficiency and 3rd down conversions. They rank ninth in kickoff coverage, penalties and turnover margin. And they are eighth in time of possession and first downs.
The defense is doing much better though. They are second in total defense, fourth in rushing defense, fifth in scoring defense and passing defense. Senior linebacker Jake Johnson is ranked at the top of the league in tackles per game with fellow linebacker Enrique Williams ranks 11th in the same category.
During the off week, head coach Joey Jones announced they were shelving the two-quarterback system but will evaluate the position, like all positions, on a week-to-week basis. He named Ross Metheny as the starting quarterback for Arkansas State. The coaches hope that this will bring more consistency to the offense.
The Jags do have a tough schedule left to go. After Arkansas State and FAU at home they will travel to Louisiana-Monroe who defeated Arkansas in overtime and narrowly lost to Auburn in Overtime. They then return home to face FIU before hitting the road for North Texas. They then return home for the last time this season for Middle Tennessee State, who defeated Georgia Tech by three touchdowns recently. They close out the season with road trips to Louisiana-Lafayette and Hawaii.
Hopefully they are well rested. The next eight games will continue to test them week-in and week-out.