Monday Press Conference
Romelle Jones and Alex Page give chase to the FAU quarterback during the Jaguars win in 2012.
The University of South Alabama held their weekly press conference on Monday. As the Jags are very busy preparing for their trip to Hawaii, the offensive and defensive coordinators filled in for head coach Joey Jones. The coordinators were joined by quarterback Ross Metheny and defensive lineman Romelle Jones. Below are highlights from the press conference.
Defensive Coordinator Bill Clark began with an opening statement. “We’re going to lose a day in travel, so we have had to kind of tighten our belts coming straight off the last game and get the game plan in even earlier than we normally would. It’s a different feeling this week, you’re at the end of a long season; as a player, you just have to fight through that. From a preparation standpoint, it’s a time crunch trying to get ready, I think we have done a good job the last couple of days.”
Clark then spoke about going up against a program that is run by Norm Chow, a well known coach. “It’s like the trip, it’s a great experience. Of course, these are the things that keep coaches up at night, going against a guy who has been at Southern Cal and with the Titans. And that’s who they are; it’s a pro-style offense. That has been a point of interest for our players given his history and how well he has done as a coordinator.”
“They came into their own last week and scored a lot of points,” he continued. “They have played against a lot of great opponents their first year he has been running the program, so I hope they are not hitting their stride right now.”
Clark then spoke about what he has seen from his players the last few weeks. “The thing that we have talked about is fighting, and before last week I felt really good. You can sit here and talk about us being banged up, injuries and playing 13 games, but we can’t do that. I will promise you one thing, I know our guys are going to fight. We’re going over there to get a ‘W.’ We really want to see these guys finish strong, and finish on a good note for the seniors and next year’s team.”
“Our guys came out last night to practice just like it was week six or seven, and they did the same thing today. I think as a fan you have to like what you see on both sides of the ball and the kicking game, the effort that they have put in this year. Hopefully that can translate to a win.”
Finally Clark spoke about how important it is to finish the season strong in Hawaii. “We’re going to see their maturity level. Can you go do these things, have some down time and still be about your business? We have a lot of guys who have been through the wars, but they haven’t been through this though. It will be interesting to see how handle the long travel, the different time zone and one of the most beautiful places on earth.”
First year offensive coordinator Robert Matthews began with his opening statement before the press. “I think one of the things we have to make sure we are good at this week is monitoring the maturity level of the team with the travel, the long trip, the changing of the schedule and being in a place like Waikiki Beach. Certainly it’s a place where most of the guys on our team have not been before so they are going to see some sights and it will be a life-changing experience for them. While they are excited about being able to go and see a place like Hawai’i, they need to understand that we are going to play a football game. That’s our ultimate job, to go there, play the game and get a victory. Making sure our team is mature and that they handle it the right way, which I’m sure they will, is real important for us.”
Matthews then spoke about what Hawaii does defensively to create problems for opponents offenses. “They are a pressure defense, they try to create pressure situations on the quarterback and try to pressure your run game. It’s based out of a 3-5 [formation], and they are using multiple fronts and multiple coverages. They really just try to create confusion up front, give your quarterback different looks and wreck your run game with movement and blitzes.”
He then spoke about what he wants to see from the offense in the last game of the season. “I want them to finish strong. We have done some good things at times, and certainly there are things we would like to take back and work to correct. I want them to play with great energy, and I want them to enjoy playing the game of football. These guys don’t realize how lucky they are to be playing Division I football and to have the experiences they are having. I want them to embrace this opportunity, this is our final game of the 2012 season, and play with the passion that got them started in the game.”
“Obviously we want to execute, score points and move the football, but if they play with a high energy level and with that true passion that got them playing the game in the first place, then I think we will be successful.”
Quarterback Ross Metheny spoke about what he hopes to accomplish in the final game of the season for the Jags. “It’s a big trip, and we’re excited about it. We’re excited about playing a new opponent, but we have to keep in mind that it is a business trip and we are going there to win a football game and take care of business. We’re going to have fun with it, but again it is a business trip and we’re looking to play our best football.”
“It would be big for us to get a win going in to the offseason, just to have some momentum,” he continued. “The coaches and players always preach finishing strong, and I think a win at Hawaii would definitely be a good finish especially for our seniors who have put in so much hard work in building this program and getting this thing going. Finishing [the season] with a win would be great for them.”
Metheny then spoke about the importance of getting a win moving forward. “It just leaves a positive taste in your mouth going into all of the offseason work. This season has been up and down with a lot of close losses, and to be able to look back and say we finished strong with a win would be positive for our guys and a good motivator going forward.”
He also spoke about the Jaguars close losses this season. “Eventually, being so close isn’t enough. That’s kind of what has happened all season. We have been close in so many games, and haven’t been able to put a whole game together. Enough of that. We want to put one together, finish strong and take that into the offseason knowing that is what South Alabama football is going to be.”
Metheny then addressed where he thinks the program fits into the Sun Belt Conference. “If you look at the games we have played this year, we have been close in so many. It has kind of been a learning experience with everyone involved with this program. But one thing to take away from it is our competitiveness and our competitive spirit of this team and coaching staff. We have never quit in any game, and my hat’s off to my teammates and our coaching staff. You don’t want to take moral victories, but I think we have established ourselves and we can say that we can be competitive in this league especially going forward. There is a lot of respect for the teams in the Sun Belt, but we’re excited about the future going forward.”
Finally he spoke about going to Hawaii. “A lot of guys wouldn’t have this opportunity if they didn’t play Division-I football. It’s a neat experience. For me personally, I get to see my sister who lives out there. I’m excited about that. It’s going to be fun. It will be a new environment, but we will absorb it all then get down to business and go win a football game. We’re excited about it as a team. This is what Division-I football is – making big trips, travelling and going and playing football.”
Defensive lineman Romelle Jones began by talking about what he hopes to accomplish in the Jaguars final game of the 2012 season. “Our number-one goal is to definitely get a win. That is always the most important thing. It is a business trip. It’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. A lot of guys probably would have never had this opportunity without being a part of this great thing we have going at South Alabama.”
He continued by talking about the importance of getting a win for the program moving forward. “College football is built on momentum, and that would be great momentum going into the offseason. It would give guys something to look forward to. To have a win to finish the season and leave us with a great taste in our mouths going into the offseason would be great.”
Jones also spoke about the Jaguars close losses this season. “It’s not enough coming close every game. I feel like we shouldn’t look back at the past as much, but just look forward and use it as a building block as something great that we can build on this offseason. We can definitely have something to look forward to and build off of.”
He then spoke about where he feels the South Alabama program fits in the Sun Belt conference. “This season was a great building block. It wasn’t a great season, but I know it was a confidence-builder for a lot of guys. That let us know that we can compete with guys on any level and can pretty much go toe-to-toe with anybody in the Sun Belt.”
Finally, Jones also spoke about going to Hawaii. “It’s something that growing up I never thought I would be able to experience at such a young age. It just really warms my heart. It’s a great thing, but at the end of the day we still have to focus and realize that it is a business trip and we need to take care of our business and finish this season off in the proper way.”
South Alabama and Hawaii will kickoff at 10pm Central time.
Jags Head Into Final Game Of Season
The Jaguars will have to put their loss to Louisiana-Lafayette behind them quickly because this week will a flurry of activity.
They will have to get some practice in before they begin their travel to Hawaii early this week in order to acclimate themselves to the time change and the weather on the Pacific island.
But this may be a great time for the Jags to visit Hawaii as they are struggling this season. The Warriors only have two wins this season as they are coming off of a win against UNLV 48-10 on Saturday. UNLV only has two wins themselves.
After such a long and tough season, maybe a more relaxed atmosphere is just what they need. A win in their final game would snap a five game losing streak and would help the coaches and players take some momentum into the offseason.
Next season the Jags will be eligible for the Sun Belt Conference crown and for a bowl game.
The Jaguar offense, lead by Ross Metheny, set school records against ULL with completions (27) and passing yards (360). This was without two of the Jaguars top three running backs as well.
In addition, placekicker Michel Chapuseaux set a school record for points scored in a season by scoring 12 of the Jaguars 30 points to increase his season total to 83 points. He also took the lead in the Sun Belt Conference with 20 field goals for the season. He made kicks of 45, 33 and 50 yards against the Ragin’ Cajuns’.
Kickoff for the Jaguars and Warriors is set for 10pm Central time. The game can be heard on 105.5 FM WNSP and streamed from their website http://www.wnsp.com/. It will be available to view on Oceanic Pay-Per-View for $12.56 and can be streamed over the internet. But Baumhower’s Restaurant has announced that they will stay open late for Jaguar fans and will be showing the game.
Go Jags!
Lady Jags Split A Pair Of Games Over The Weekend
The Lady Jags suffered their first loss of the season on Friday when they played Cal State Northridge. Cold shooting lead to the Jags first loss in a 47-40 decision in the opening round of the Radisson Hotel Chatsworth Thanksgiving Basketball Classic at the Matadome.
The lady Jags shot a season-low 22.1 percent from the field in the game. “It really didn’t matter where the shots were coming from tonight, we just couldn’t score,” Jaguar head coach Rick Pietri said. “You have to give part of the credit to that to Cal State Northridge’s defense. In the second half, we were able to make some adjustments. We attacked them and got some open looks on the perimeter and some plays close to the goal. But we just couldn’t make plays. We were able to cut it to five late in the second half after being down by 12 or 13, and we just couldn’t make that one extra play offensively and (Cal State Northridge) responded. They’re a good team and were picked to win their league for a reason. They’re expected to be in the NCAA tournament. When they had to make a play, their players stepped up and finished. When we had to close the gap more, we just couldn’t finish.”
That dropped the Jaguars record to 4-1 on the season and took on Detroit on Saturday in the consolation game where they bounced back with a 59-56 win.
That win improved the the Jaguars record to 5-1 on the season before the Jaguars open up Sun Belt Conference play at Florida Atlantic on Wednesday.
Mary Nixon’s return to the lineup had an immediate impact for the Jags. She led the way with 19 points on 5-of-11 shooting and was also 6-of-8 at the foul line.
“Mary Nixon clearly is a difference maker for us,” Coach Pietri said. “She sat out the last two games for us and today was available to play and was excellent. She not only does things individually, but her presence has a positive effect on the rest of our group. Mansa El also played very well today and I think she was able to do that because of the presence of Mary on the court. When we are fully stocked, I feel really good about where we are as a team as we move forward.”
The Jags tip-off against Florida Atlantic at 6:05pm Central time.
Big Plays Down Jags Against ULL
Jaguar tight end Wes Saxton catches a pass from Ross Metheny over the middle in the Jaguars loss to FIU.
The South Alabama Jaguars fell to Louisiana-Lafayette 52-30 in their final Sun Belt game of the season on Saturday. Big plays were the key to the Ragin’ Cajuns’ win as they pulled away from the Jags after closing in within one point in the second quarter.
Cajun quarterback Terrance Broadway accounted for 365 yards of total offense while both Harry Peoples and Javone Lawson added over 100 yards receiving to improve to 7-4 overall (5-2 SBC). After the game the Cajuns accepted a bid to play in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.
Jaguar quarterback Ross Metheny threw for a school-record 360 yards passing by going 27-of-44. The Jags record falls to 2-10 overall (1-7 SBC) in their Sun Belt and Football Bowl Subdivision debut season.
South Alabama would score the opening points of the game on their first possession that began with a 34 yard pass from Metheny to Greg Hollinger to quickly move into Cajun territory. That was followed with completions to Bryant Lavender for eight yards and T.J. Glover for 15 yards to move into the red zone at the Cajun 18 yard line. Facing third and eight from the 16, Metheny would find Saxton open for 13 yards to the 3 yard line and a first down. Terrance Timmons would fumble the ball on the next play and would be recovered by ULL, however an offsides penalty would negate the turnover and move the ball to the 1 yard line. Julian Valentin would take it into the end zone on two plays later to go up 7-0.
The Cajuns’ would answer by scoring the next 17 points unanswered to take a 17-7 lead with 3:18 left in the first quarter.
The Jags would begin to fight their way back beginning with their possession at the end of the first quarter. They would drive down to the Cajun 28 yard line before being forced to settle for a 45 yard field goal to shrink the lead to 17-10 with 14:08 left in the second quarter.
The subsequent ULL possession would be a three and out as a personal foul penalty would would put them at second and 24 at their own 11 yard line. After a completion for no gain Broadway would be sacked for an eight yard loss back to their own three yard line and forced to punt. Glover would call for a fair catch at the ULL 40 yard line.
After an incomplete pass on first down, Metheny would find Hollinger for a 17 yard gain to the Cajun 23 yard line then again for nine yards. But the Jags would not be able to make a first down and would settle for a 33 yard field goal to further cut into the Cajun lead at 17-13.
A personal foul on ULL would move the kickoff to the 50 yard line and it would be caught at the goal line and returned to the Cajun 7 yard line. Again the Cajuns’ could not get anything going and would actually be sacked back around the 3 yard line and forced to punt. The punt would be caught at the 44 by Glover and returned 13 yards to the ULL 35 yard line.
Terrance Timmons would rush for a gain of three yards and a loss of one on the first two snaps of the possession. On third and 8 at the ULL 33, Metheny’s pass to Glover fell incomplete and after a time out called by the Cajuns to react to a possible fake with Trey Fetner on the field. But the Jags Chapuseaux would convert the 50 yard field goal to get within one point at 17-16.
The score would be the same with over two minutes to go in the first half when Broadway would hit Lawson for big gains of 53 and 27 yards on back-to-back plays to quickly march down the field to cap off a five play, 98 yard drive to score a touchdown with 16 seconds remaining until halftime. The Cajuns’ would take the 24-16 advantage into the locker room.
The big plays would continue after halftime as ULL would would connect with Peoples for a 72 yard gain down to the Jaguar 4 yard line. They would put it into the end zone two plays later to extend the lead to 31-16 a mere 1:28 into the third quarter.
“I thought that drive was the turning point in the game,” head coach Joey Jones said. “And then they came out in the third quarter and drove down and scored. That turned the whole game.”
“Offensively they did a great job. We didn’t play as well defensively as we have played, we gave up a bunch of big plays and yardage, but they are a talented football team. They are very good on offense, and a lot of it had to do with the fact that they have some really good athletes.”
Broadway would score on a six yard run midway through the third quarter to cap off a 12 play, 75 yard drive that was kept alive by a 25 yard on fourth and five on a fake punt. That score would push the Cajun lead to 22 points.
South Alabama ended the Cajuns’ run of 21 unanswered points with with about two and a half minutes left in the third quarter. They would drive 67 yards in eight plays with the final play being a 23 yard touchdown pass from Metheny to Jereme Jones.
The Jags would score once more around mid way through the fourth quarter. Metheny would connect with Gabe Loper for the 28 yard touchdown. That was one play after Julien Valentin ran for 25 yards to set up the touchdown pass.
South Alabama would end the game with 414 total yards of offense. The Jags passed for 360 yards and rushed for only 54 yards in the game. The Jags would gain 21 first downs and control the ball for 30:12 in the game. The Jags converted 6 of 15 third down attempts.
Louisiana-Lafayette gained 538 total yards, 176 yards rushing and 362 yards passing. They earned 24 first downs and 29:48 in time of possession in the game. They also converted 2 of 10 third downs against the Jaguar defense.
Valentin was the Jaguars leading rusher with 34 yards on three carries. Glover added 19 yards on 10 carries. Demetre Baker and Kendall Houston both missed the game with lingering injuries.
Ross Metheny went 27-of-44 for 360 yards and two touchdowns. Wes Saxton was his favorite target with seven catches for 83 yards. Jereme Jones added 56 yards on four catches with a touchdown. Lavender chipped in 47 yards on four catches, Glover with 38 yards on four catches, Hollinger had 60 yards on three catches, Besteda added 37 yards on two catches and Loper added 36 yards on two catches. B.J. Scott was even credited with a catch for three yards in the game however I believe that was supposed to be credited to Cameron Broadnax.
Effrem Reed was the leading rusher for the Cajuns with 81 yards on 17 carries. Broadway added 65 yards on 13 carries. Broadway also went 11-of-19 passing for 305 yards and two touchdowns.
Harry Peoples caught five passes for 166 yards and a touchdown with Javone Lawson adding 113 yards on three receptions for a touchdown. Three other receivers had catches for the Cajuns.
South Alabama will end their first season in FBS play with a trip to Hawaii this Saturday, December 1. Kickoff is set for 10pm Central time.
Know Your Stadiums: Cajun Field
Louisiana-Lafayette’s Cajun Stadium also referred to as “The Swamp”.
The University of Louisiana At Lafayette football team call Cajun field home. It is used for both football and women’s soccer. It has an official capacity of 31,000 but has additional capacity on hills behind the end zones.
Planning began around 1967 when a rendition was featured on the football media guide and was built in 1970 as a replacement for McNaspy Stadium. It opened on September 25, 1971 with a shutout of Santa Clara University.
The stadium consists of a bowl with seating on the sidelines with a second deck on the east sideline.
Due to Hurrican Katrina, the 2005 New Orleans Bowl was hosted at Cajun Field instead of in New Orleans. The game saw Southern Miss defeat Arkansas State 31-19. The Tulane Green Wave also used the stadium for home games in the 2005 season after being displaced by the hurricane.
The Cajuns largest crown was when they upset then 25th ranked Texas A&M 29-22 on September 14, 1996 in front of 38,783 fans. It was the schools first victory over a ranked opponent. The largest ever crowd at Cajun Field was September 5, 2009 when they defeated Southern University 42-19 in front of a crowd of 41,357.
In the fall of 2007 ULL added a new building for all teams to have access to for practice. The Leon Moncla Indoor Practice Facility includes a full size football field with endzones and field goal posts.
In the summer of 2008 the school replaced the long-standing natural grass in favor of ProGrass, an artificial turf. The stadium was pressure washed and repainted and advertisements and banners were installed around the black retaining walls that surround the field.
The was nicknamed “The Swamp” in 1988 and was noted on stadium signage, in the school yearbook and in 1989 in the official Southwestern Lousiana sports media guide. The swamp-referenced nicknames are tied to the field’s early 1970 construction and even refer back to the original football field for the school that was known at those times as Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute in the early 1900s.
The University’s first football field was on the main campus adjacent to a small cypress pond, which later becase Cypress Lake and also nicknamed “The Swamp.”
The Swamp nickname also fits with the area’s geography which is comprised of many bayous and wetlands. It also includes the Atchafalaya Basic and nearby Gulf of Mexico marshlands.
The nickname “The Swamp” actually predates the use by the University of Florida for Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. It was not called “The Swamp” until 1991 when Steve Spurrier referred to it as that.
because Cajun Field’s surface is set two feet below sea level in a natural bowl. Since the surface is below sea level, a total of four 60 horsepower pumps and a sophisticated drainage system is needed to help keep the field in playing condition.
The subsurface stadium requires many fans to walk down to their seats while the football players and their opponents enter the field through an underground tunnel from the ULL athletics complex.
Head Coach Mark Hudspeth said on a radio interview that Cajun Stadium would undergo a $40 million dollar renovation after the 2012 season.
Jones Pleased With Preparations For ULL
Coach Tommy Perry talks with running back Terrance Timmons during preseason camp.
Overall Coach Jones is pleased with the preparations his team and coaching staff has made this week for their trip to Lafayette. Jones noted the balance the Ragin’ Cajuns have on both sides of the ball and how this will be a tough game for his team.
“I think the coaches have done a good job of honing things down. I say simplifying or cutting out some of the excess things we had in the gameplan where the kids could go out there and execute,” Jones said. “I think that’s the best thing that’s happened. I think the kids have studied it and have executed it very well to this point.”
The Jags went through a two-hour practice, their final prior to the game, on Thursday morning at the South Alabama Practice Facility. They met again later for a Thanksgiving lunch.
This is another first in South Alabama history as they have never played this late into the season before so this was the first time the team and the coaching staff had to schedule practices and activities around Thanksgiving day.
“First of all, you wish these young men could go home and be with their families, but obviously we are their extended family and I think there’s a certain love there as family members on this football team,” Jones said. “It’s the second best thing to going home.”
“We’re going to feed them at lunch and treat them like they are at home,” Jones continued. “Some of the guys will go home today, guys who live close by, will go home to eat and be with their families. They’ll be back tonight and get ready to leave (Friday) to go to Lafayette.”
South Alabama’s woes at the running back position will continue this weekend at Louisiana-Lafayette as both Demetre Baker and Kendall Houston will not play. Head Coach Joey Jones said after practice on Thursday that both have ankle injuries.
Baker and Houston are two of the top three rushers on the team. Baker leads the running back corps with 595 yards in nine games while Houston is third on the team with 207 yards rushing in 11 games. They have combined to score five of the teams nine rushing touchdowns.
When asked if the loss of Baker and Houston would limit what the Jags will be able to do offensively against the Ragin’ Cajun’s Coach Jones said, “It really doesn’t. We’re going to run our offense. Obviously, in goal-line situations we have some other guys who are going to come in. But other than goal-line and short-yardage, we’re going to run our offense.”
“Certainly, we don’t need to get anymore of them hurt,” Jones continued. “We’re down to the few and the proud right now. But we’re not going to change our offense.”
Terrance Timmons and T.J. Glover will see the most playing time at running back for the Jags against ULL. Ellis Hill, Julian Valentin will also see some playing time as well as quarterback Trey Fetner in certain situations.
Defensive lineman Will Thompson will miss the game as well with an ankle injury.
Jereme Jones, who sufferred a concussion against Middle Tennessee game last week, has been cleared to play. He has the school record of 25 consecutive games with a reception. He is also the teams leading receiver with 444 yards on 39 catches with six touchdowns.
South Alabama and Louisiana-Lafayette will kick off at 4pm in Lafayette, Louisiana. The game will be televised on ESPN3 and can be heard on 105.5 WNSP or their website http://www.wnsp.com/
Jaguar Men Fall In Third Straight Game Of Coaches Vs Cancer Classic
The South Alabama Men’s basketball team dropped their third consecutive game of the Coaches Versus Cancer Classic to fall to 2-3 on the season. Georgia State improves to 3-2 on the season after their third consecutive win.
Augustine Rubit scored 31 points to tie his career high, but the Panthers had two players score at least 25 points and made a defensive stop on the last possession to preserve the 75-73 win over the Jaguars.
The Panthers shot 50% from the floor and scored 43 points in the first half alone. They also converted 11 of 18 three-point attempts in the contest.
“We’ve got to go back to basics. We’re just not guarding,” Jaguar head coach Ronnie Arrow said. “Our teams have always been known for good man-to-man, pressure defenses and we’re not doing it. I thought they were going to score 100 points today. We’re not going to beat too many people holding them to 50 percent (from the floor). We have to get where we take more pride in our defense and stopping the ball.”
Rubit scored 20 of his 31 points in the first half on his way to his second straight double-double with 11 rebounds. He shot 13-of-18 from the floor, 5-of-6 from the free throw line while tying his career high with three assists and had two blocks and one steal.
“I thought he played very well, but I thought our guys did a good job of getting him the ball and he was finishing,” Arrow said.
GSU’s Manny Atkins scored 26 points, 19 of them in the first half, to lead the Panthers. R.J. Hunter added 25 with 16 of them coming in the second half while going 5-of-6 from outside the three-point arc.
“When someone is having a great game like Hunter, we can’t just be off of him,” Arrow said. “We got closer to him, but in situations like that, he doesn’t even get the ball. We kept just letting him catch it. He’s a good freshman, but we should have been smart enough not to let him get the ball.”
“It’s like we’re hard-headed,” Arrow continued. “They’re going to have to make a bunch before we get on them. When a team is making 3s, you don’t come off of them. You don’t come off guys that are hot.”
The Jags went into the locker room at halftime trailing by eight points but made up that deficit in the first 5:26 of the second half to tie the score at 47 when Mychal Ammons nailed a three-pointer.
However, the Jags were unable to take the lead even though they tied the game one other time. They battled back from a six point deficit midway through the second half and closed within one point twice, the second time with 4:48 left in the game on a Rubit layup.
But the Panthers answered back with an 8-1 run which was capped off by a 3-pointer by Atkins at the 2:22 mark. The Jags answered back with a run of their own as they got three-pointers from Freddie Goldstein and Xavier Roberson on three consecutive trips down the court. Roberson’s fourth and final one of the game made it a one point game with 34.6 seconds left.
Hunter would go to the line for the Panthers and made his first shot but missed the second to set up the Jaguars for one final shot with 11.3 seconds left in the game. Ammons drove the lane but was unable to get his shot to the net.
“We were trying to run a flare for Freddie,” Arrow said of the final play.
All 12 points by Roberson came from outside the three-point arc to be the only other Jaguar in double digits scoring in the game.
The Jags will have a week to correct their mistakes from this week and refocus on Sun Belt Conference play. The Jags will open Sun Belt play against Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, FL on Thursday, November 29 against Florida Atlantic with tipoff set for 6pm Central time.
Happy Thanksgiving
From our family to yours, happy Thanksgiving Jaguar Nation!
Jags Travel To ULL For Final Opportunity At Another SBC Win This Season
The Jaguars go on the road on Saturday for their final Sun Belt game in their first season of competition in the conference and FBS play. The Jags also look to get their second FBS and their second Sun Belt victory when they play Louisiana-Lafayette.
Over the last seven games, the Jaguars have found out where they stand in the conference as they complete their second year of a two-year transition into FBS. With only one win to show, the Jags have had four games decided by eight points or less. A single possession.
The win-loss record is not where head coach Joey Jones would like it to be, but it has still been a productive season as the fourth year of the program comes to a close over the next two weeks.
“One thing I think is that we have become a better football team throughout the season, we’ve probably improved more throughout this time than any time we ever have as evidenced by our team playing with a team like Middle Tennessee, who is probably going to play for the [Sun Belt] championship,” Jones said. “It’s 17-12 in the fourth quarter and we had chances to make plays and win the ball game. But we are right there. I think that we have found out that we can play with Sun Belt teams now. Do we have to get better and learn how to win games? No doubt about it. But in our first year I’m real pleased with the progress, though I am certainly not happy with the results at this point. We are at a point where we want to be, though we wish we had won a few more games.”
South Alabama enters this weekends game with a 2-9 (1-6 SBC) record and one last opportunity to earn a conference victory this season. Louisiana-Lafayette enters the game with a 6-4 (4-2 SBC) record with an offense that ranks in the top half of the conference as they average 433.3 yards per game and 33.1 points per game. The Jaguars defense ranks second in the conference by allowing 366.4 yards per game.
Last Saturday, the Jaguars defense held Middle Tennessee to 20 points, ten points below their scoring average when they entered the game. On the other hand, ULL gained 582 yards of total offense against the top defense in the conference in Western Kentucky. They scored two touchdowns in the final three minutes to defeat the Hilltoppers 31-27.
“Offensively they have really become much better, they are running their quarterback a lot more,” Jones explained. “Earlier in the year they were careful to run him because they lost their other quarterback, but now they have Broadway in there and he is doing a great job running the football. He is scary when he pulls it down. And they are throwing it well all the time, they were already good at that, so it has given diversity in that they can run it or throw it. They have big offensive linemen who run the zone very well, they have a complete offense that you have to defend all over the field.”
ULL quarterback Terrance Broadway accounted for 403 yards of total offense against Western Kentucky as he rushed for 145 yards on 14 carries and completing 23-of-33 passing attempts for 258 yards. For the season he has a 65.7% completion rate while accounting for 19 touchdowns (13 passing and six rushing) while posting 2,526 total yards this season.
“We do a great job every week preparing, I really want to compliment our staff and what they do scheme-wise to get ready for games,” Jones said. “Our players are buying into it, playing hard-nosed football and getting after it. If we don’t give up the big plays in games that we continue to talk about we would be doing great defensively. But I am real pleased with how we are playing defensively overall. We are preparing for this team like anyone else, but experience against some of the teams in this league has helped us.”
The ULL defense allows 419.2 yards per game, 266.8 of them through the air. Ross Metheny has threw for over 200 yards in the Jaguars last six games. So there is a good opportunity for the Jaguars to drive and score.
The Jaguars and the Ragin’ Cajuns kickoff is set for 4pm in Lafayette, Louisiana and can be seen online on ESPN3.com (if your internet service or cable TV service is from an affiliated service provider).
Jags Fall For Second Day In A Row In Coaches Vs Cancer Classic
The South Alabama Jaguars men’s basketball team fell for the second consecutive game in the Coaches versus Cancer Classic in Atlanta, Georgia. Monmouth’s Jesse Steele hit three free throws with 1.3 seconds left to give them the 73-71 win.
Those three free throws came seconds after Augustine Rubit hit three free throws of his own to give the Jaguars the lead 71-70 with 5.8 seconds left in the game.
The Jags fought back from a six point deficit in the final 3:16 before Steele’s final points of the game.
“I thought our guys really played hard, came back and had the game won,” Jaguars head coach Ronnie Arrow said. “The last thing I said to our guys was ‘don’t foul.’ The ball was there, Antoine (Allen) went for it and they called the foul. We have to do better in late-game situations. It’s just a shame that it ended like that. Hopefully we learn from it and the next time we get in that situation, we won’t foul.”
Rubit earned his first double-double of the season with 20 points and 16 rebounds while tying his career high of five blocks. Xavier Roberson scored 13 of this 18 points in the second half including three 3-point field goals in the final five minutes of the game.
Both teams traded double-digit runs in the second half. The Jags were trailing 45-41 early in the second half before an 11-0 run in just over two minutes put them in the lead.
But once that run ended, the Jags went silent by going without a field goal over the next seven-plus minutes while missing the next nine shots with three turnovers. Monmouth capitalized with a 12-0 run to retake the lead 57-52.
They would extend the lead over the Jags to seven points with 5:21 left in the game. Roberson would hit the first of his three late three-pointers to pull the Jags within four points.
“I thought tonight he did what we needed him to do, which is make shots for us,” Arrow said.
After a layup with 1:18 left in the game by Monmouth to push their lead to 70-66, Rubit would answer on the next possession with a three-point play. He would then grab a key rebound after a miss by Monmouth on their next possession.
“We did a good job there,” Arrow commented on the Jaguars rally late. “I thought Freddie (Goldstein) ran the plays that we called, we executed and Xavier hit a couple of big shots.”
After multiple scoring opportunities in the final seconds could not be converted by the Jags, Rubit would be fouled on a rebound attempt and sent to the free throw line. He would convert both shots to put the Jags ahead 71-70.
Then Steele would be fouled on the other end of the floor for the final three free throws that would seal the game.
South Alabama committed 25 turnovers in the game, both teams combined for 41 turnovers in the game. “They put a lot of pressure on us,” Arrow noted.
As mentioned before, Rubit would be the Jaguars leading scorer with 20 points and 16 rebounds. Roberson would end the game with 18 points, three rebounds and one assist. Mychal Ammons would chip in 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
South Alabama will complete play in the Coaches Versus Cancer Classic on Wednesday when they play against host school Georgia State with tip-off slated for 2pm Central time. The game can be heard live on the WNSP website.