Jags Defense Prevails In Annual Red-Blue Spring Game
South Alabama concluded their spring practice schedule on Saturday with their annual Red-Blue spring football game.
Injuries have been an issue throughout spring practice. Several players projected as starters or second string missed parts or all of spring drills. Then a couple of players had their day cut short by non-serious injuries leaving the Jaguar offense particularly shorthanded by the end of the day.
Taking into account the number of injuries coming into the game, the coaching staff took a scrimmage-like approach to the final practice. They interspursed game-simulation scenarios with skills competitions to entertain the fans in attendance.
The entire morning was geared for the fans and families. An easter egg hunt was held for kids in the Jaguar Training Center, the covered practice field next to Hancock-Whitney Stadium. There was also a “yard sale” of game-worn jersey’s and practice wear.
In the spirit of a game and keeping score, the offense and defense competed against each other with modified scoring for each side during the final session of the day, which they called “Red Zone Lockout.”
When the scrimmage wrapped up the Jaguar defense won 19-9.
All of the points for the offense came by field goal. Diego Guajardo had two conversions and Barret Pickering added one score.
The defense scored points by keeping the offense out of the end zone. While the offense put three points each on the scoreboard for their field goal conversions, the defense added four points to their total for keeping them out of the end zone. The defense sealed their victory when outside linebacker Dalton Hughes put seven points on the board by recovering a fumble on the final possession of the session.
The scrimmage began with kickoffs and alternating 1’s vs 1’s and 2’s vs 2’s attempting to drive the field.
When that session ended the quarterbacks competed in an accuracy competition where two golf carts crossed the field at different depths with a target on the back. Each player had four attempts at each of the two depths and then one stationary target deep down field. Carter Bradley edged out Desmond Trotter for the win based on points.
Later the receiver skills competition had a number of receivers run across the playing surface starting at the near sideline with quarterbacks and GA’s tossing balls at them from both sides for them to catch before turning downfield along the sideline for a deep pass attempt. Two receivers tied with a perfect score.
The “Big Man Punt Return” skill was, arguably, our favorite. Three offensive linemen and three defensive linemen each had two attempts to field punts launched from a practice machine. The offensive line won the competition by one in walk-off fashion.
In a presentation given to the crowd, head coach Kane Wommack spoke about building new traditions. But in keeping with one of the earliest traditions of the football program, he brought back the tradition of the #5 jersey.
The tradition of honoring a player with the #5 jersey began in the second season of South Alabama football after the tragic death of Anthony Mostella. In a different twist to the tradition, a different player is honored each game week with the jersey. During the spring game coach Wommack announced that senior-to-be safety Keith Gallmon Jr. will dress out in the honorary #5 for the season opener against Nicholls on September 3.
Quotes
“We had a couple of guys that got dinged up early, so offensively we were down at the end there,” coach Wommack observed after the game. “We wanted to make sure we kept it as clean as possible. [The injuries] limited some of the things I feel [offensive coordinator] Major [Applewhite] was going to do today. We wanted to do some things with Desmond [Trotter] and Carter [Bradley], but when you’re that limited you really just want to get out of the game as healthy as you can at that point. That’s part of it.”
“We go some great things done this spring,” he continued. “I think we realized where we have strengths, and some of the things that we’ve got to make sure that we address before we walk into that first game in September. We’ve got time to do those things. We’ll also have some scholarship numbers to address those needs as well. I feel we’re in a really good place right now. I told both the players and coaches that ‘Spring doesn’t finish with the final game. You build your team off the things you did well and off the tings you’ve got to improve on.’ It’s going to be a critical next couple of weeks for us.”
When asked about a position group that caught his eye during the spring, Coach Wommack said “You have to tip your hat and give kudos to our offensive linemen, especially the guys who have been able to stay out there. There were a lot of guys that were banged up every single day and they just refused to come out of practice because they knew they would be hanging their teammates out ot dry if they did. That was really impressive.”
“Our linebacker corps has take a tremendous step forward,” Wommack continued. “I think ‘Q’ [Quentin] Wilfawn is a huge piece of that. Trey Kiser has improved greatly, and then you add a piece to the puzzle like James Miller, who was with me at Indiana, and that group has taken their game to another level. It’s the hardest position on our defense in what we ask them to do, so of course in year two, you’re going to see a tremendous amount of improvement from that group.”
Desmond Trotter spoke about the game saying, “I feel like we executed better and were able to take care of the ball throughout the game. We had that one fumble on the run, but other than that we took care of the ball. We have some guys who are banged up, so when you have some of your starters out its kind of hard to get explosive plays, but I think we were able to still execute throughout the scrimmage.”
“For myself, it’s timing,” Trotter said when asked what he will be working on between now and fall camp. “Just working on my layups, the ones that are wide open, I can’t miss those. Then just getting reps and reps in with different routes with the receivers and the guys coming in so I can create that connection going into the fall.”
Gi’Narious Johnson spoke about the progress the team has made since the start of spring. “At the start of spring, they told us that we have to learn how to finish and be more physical,” Johnson explained. “Those two items were our main focuses for the spring. We are playing fast, physical and running to the ball. It’s great and I feel like we are going to be a much more dominant team this year compared to last year.”
Keith Gallmon Jr. spoke about being honored with the #5 jersey. “It’s a blessing and an honor to wear this jersey and to be able to represent South Alabama. I know it has put a lot of pressure on me to be a better leader throughout the summer and throughout the fall to get this team prepared to win games.”
When asked about what the team accomplished this spring, Gallmon said, “I feel like we made a big jump from year one to year two. Everybody is flying around. Our communication is next level for us on the back end. I feel like everybody has been able to react quicker and make plays faster. It definitely showed up today.”
Desmond, who took reps with the 1’s on Saturday, said he felt more comfortable with Major Applewhite’s offense now. He admitted that he had trouble picking up the new offense quickly last season. He also looked more comfortable, which will only get better as the countdown to fall camp begins in earnest.
Next:
South Alabama has not announced when fall camp will begin. The first game of the 2022 season will be on Saturday, September 3 at Hancock-Whitney Stadium.