USA Prepares For Season Finale And Senior Day
South Alabama first-year defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer talks with the defense on the sidelines during the Jags game against Kent State.
As the Jaguars are putting the finishing touches on their gameplan for Saturday night’s season finale, they hope to send out a group of seniors on a winning note. Of the 28 seniors who will be honored before the game, 15 of them and three coaches were part of the team from the very beginning.
“I don’t ever want to compare a class to another class because we have certainly had some great classes here,” head coach Joey Jones said to AL.com about the departing senior class. “But it would be very, very hard to beat this class in all phases, from the standpoint of what they’ve done on the field, what kind of character they have, how they’ve led these guys and just their true love for South Alabama. They are the guys who came here and built this program and I will forever remember them.”
But they will not have an easy game against Lousiana-Lafayette on Saturday night. They will be going up against big offensive line, two good running backs and a bit of an unknown at the quarterback position.
The Ragin’ Cajuns quarterback was injured in their previous game against Louisiana-Monroe and will miss Saturday’s game. Though he seemed to move the offense fairly well during his short time playing last Saturday, he will have a week to prepare for the game while South Alabama will be trying to prepare for a quarterback they have little film on to dissect.
But a huge motivating factor for the Jags is to send the seniors out on a winning note and to stay alive for a potential bowl big by getting bowl eligible in their final regular season game.
According to Jones, Wednesday’s practice went well. The defense is preparing for all of the offensive threats ULL will bring to bear on the Jaguar defense. He also said that the offense will have to score points in order for them to win the game.
When asked about offensive balance and their success in the last two games, coach Jones pointed to the maturity of the team this year. He also said that the running game has improved with the help of the offensive line playing very well. He also mentioned that quarterback Ross Metheny is playing very well by executing successful passes downfield to help loosen the defense and allowing the running game to be successful.
It may come down to fan support that will determine who wins the game. While Texas A&M may be the “Home of the 12th man”, South Alabama fans can be their own 12th man this Saturday night. They can make Ladd-Peebles Stadium a fearsome place to play if fans and students alike come out to support the team. Not only support the team, but make noise and disrupt ULL’s communication. If we could spread the excitement and enthusiasm of the Jaguar “Road Crew”, Ladd would shake from it’s very core.
Challenge your friends, family and aquaintances to come out to Ladd-Peebles Saturday night for one of the few games being played on Saturday and to honor the Seniors who built the foundation for the future of football at the University of South Alabama.
See yesterday’s post here for my challenge to #PackLadd.