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/
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).
Monday Press Conference
Head coach Joey Jones speaks with sideline reporter Pat Greenwood heading into halftime against Middle Tennessee on Saturday, November 17, 2012.
South Alabama head football coach Joey Jones held his weekly press conference. Coach Jones was joined by wide receiver Bryant Lavender and linebacker Bryson James to reflect on the Jaguars game against Middle Tennessee and to preview their trip to Louisiana-Lafayette this weekend.
Below are some highlights from the press conference.
Coach Jones opened the press conference with his opening statement. “It’s been a long journey from playing our first Sun Belt game with Troy to this point. 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. It’s 17-12 in the fourth quarter and we had chances to make plays and win the ball game, and we don’t do that.”
“But we are right there,” Jones continued. “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.”
Jones then spoke about what concerns him the most about Louisiana-Lafayette. “Offensively they have really become much better, they are running their quarterback a lot more. Earlier in the year they were careful to run him because they lost their other quarterback, but now they have [Terrance] 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.”
“They are playing with a lot of confidence,” he continued. They are good on defense. They are flying to the ball. They lost a couple of games a few weeks ago to North Texas and Arkansas State, but have bounced back with big wins including over Western Kentucky. They are playing really well right now with a chance to get into a big bowl game, that’s what’s on their agenda at this point.”
“For us, it’s another Sun Belt game and another chance for us to get a Sun Belt win, that’s what our kids are looking forward to.”
Jones then spoke about how facing similar quarterbacks this seas will help to prepare them for Louisiana-Lafayette. “It’s helped that we have played against a lot of spread teams in this league who have great quarterbacks, but I think Broadway is probably the best runner that we will face. He can pull it down, he is just like a running back with the ball in his hands, he can break tackles and has good speed, so he can run for 50 or 60 yards easily. We have to be smart about what we do and be in good position on defense.”
He was then asked about how he feels about the Jaguars defense. “We do a great job every preparing, I really want to compliment our staff and what they do scheme-wise to get ready for games. 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 have given the ball back to the offense several times on three-and-outs, they’ve done a great job.”
“We are preparing for this team like anyone else, but experience against some of the teams in this league has helped us.”
Coach Jones then spoke about the Jaguars game against Middle Tennessee again. “After the second quarter of the game [Saturday] we are down three running backs for this year. We lost Brandon Ross early in the year, then we lost Demetre [Baker] and Kendall [Houston], so we are basically with our fourth-string running back in the ball game. You lose that depth at running back and it certainly is a factor. I think that hurt the running game a little bit in the second half. The backs we have left are smaller backs that are really good outside runners, but are probably not guys you want to pound inside. Losing that in the second half hurt us offensively.”
“In the first half I thought we had a really good half,” Jones continued. We had 220 yards but only had six points to show for it, but we moved the ball fairly well. Our running back situation became pretty thin in the second half.”
“They [Baker and Houston] are day-to-day, we will find out more toward the end of the week.”
Wide receiver Bryant Lavender began by talking about what he has learned while competing in the Sun Belt Conference. “We had a lot of high hopes going into the season. It hasn’t gone the way that we planned it. At this level you have to make plays. You need big-chunk plays from an offensive standpoint, and just have to keep grinding. You have to have faith in the defense that if we [offense] go three-and-out that they will get the ball back for us or sometimes get a defensive score.”
Lavender then spoke about how competitive the team has been in conference play this season. “We expected to be in the games and win some of them that we play. We are very confident in our abilities. That’s why we were brought here, to play ball and get an education. Being uneasy about being able to play with these guys [conference competition] was not a question. It was whether or not we could make the play or make the tackle when we needed it. Unfortunately, we have not done that in most of the games like we should have. But we have learned that you have to make the play in the close games.”
He then spoke about the importance of finishing strong in the last two games of the season. “It would be great for the program and our university to close out [the season] with another conference win and a win at Hawaii, just to send us [into the offseason] on a good note. Last season, we did not finish out on a good note losing to Cal-Poly. It would set another stone for our program to get another Sun Belt victory. It would be great for us and would give us a jump-start on what we need to do for the upcoming year. It would catapult us into the next season, and have us ready to work even harder. When you get that last taste of victory, you got to have more. We haven’t had the taste of victory in a long time.”
Lavender then spoke about how the experience of playing in the Sun Belt Conference this season will be beneficial to next season. “We have to understand as a team that nobody will give us a win, or no one is going to give us a chance to make a play. We have to go out there and take it. We have to have that dog mentality. But we understand there are going to be times where there will be bad plays. You have to have a short-term memory. You can’t remember what you did last play, because it will take you two plays to get ready for the next play if you do that. You just have to keep pushing, and we have to keep pushing each other and have confidence in one another that we are going to get it done.”
Linebaker Bryson James spoke about what he has learned in competing in the Sun Belt Conference this season. “We [defense] have found that not allowing the big play means everything. That’s one thing that [defensive coordinator] coach [Bill] Clark always tells us that it’s the one play, missed tackles and little things like that, that hurts us. I have learned that it’s about preparation and watching film.”
James also spoke about how competitive the team has been this season in conference play. “I think we have brought it to every team we have played this year. We played as hard as we can. We haven’t started out as fast as we have wanted to in every game. As a whole, I feel like we haven’t actually played a full game. We’re all brothers and we all play as one, but as a unit we haven’t put together a full game.”
He then also addressed the importance of finishing strong in the last two games of the season. “For me, we’re going back to the home state of Louisiana. All of my family is going to be there, so I just want to put on a show and hopefully my teammates will do the same and we can come out with a win.”
Finally James spoke about how the experience of playing in the Sun Belt Conference can be beneficial to next season. “I talk to a lot of the players, and I tell them that there are a lot of the little things that play a part in the game – skipping a class, a rep or workout – those little things count. It’s always the little things that people look over, and they tend to get into a habit. We’re going to be leaders next year, and those are the things we have to stop.”
Turnovers Key In Loss To Middle Tennessee
Head coach Joey Jones speaks with sideline reporter Pat Greenwood heading into halftime against Middle Tennessee on Saturday, November 17, 2012.
South Alabama has had problems with turnovers throughout the season. It bit them again against Middle Tennessee.
Even though the Jags turned the ball over four times, three interceptions and a fumble, they stayed within on score of a Middle Tennessee team that is tied atop the conference standings.
For the season, the Jags have 14 interceptions and 15 fumbles and continue to rank last in the Sun Belt Conference turnover ratio. They were -9 in turnover ratio coming into the the game, but leave with a -13 turnover ratio.
“No doubt,” coach Joey Jones said acknowledging the turnovers impact in the game. “We can’t do that and win. We talk about it, we work on it. You know, it’s part of the game that happens sometimes but bottom line, if we don’t take care of the football we’re not going to win. And that’s very simple and we’ve got to (take care of the ball) to have a chance to beat these teams.”
Four turnovers against Texas-San Antonio to begin the season lead to a loss. Four more turnovers against Troy lead to a loss. Four turnovers in a loss to Florida International. Four turnovers against Nicholls State yet they were able to win the game.
“It’s always frustrating because you coach and you work every day to not turn over the ball and when you do bad things happen,” Jones continued. “But even with all that we had a chance to win the game. If we make a drive in the fourth quarter, we’ve got the ball with three minutes left. But we don’t drive down and score and (turnovers were) obviously a big part of the game.”
When Coach Jones was asked if the frustration level rises when his team still had a chance to win the game despite a large number of turnovers, he said “Sure. Let’s be honest. If we were playing horseshoes we’d be in pretty good shape because we’ve been close a lot. But we’re not. We’re in a game where you’ve got to win on the scoreboard to win the ballgame and we haven’t done that. So it’s frustrating from that standpoint.”
South Alabama will travel to Louisiana-Lafayette for a 4pm kickoff against the Ragin’ Cajun’s which will be aired on ESPN3.
Jags Fall To Middle Tennessee 20-12 On Senior Day
The Seniors gather near midfield as the game captains B.J. Scott, Jake Johnson, Anthony Taylor and Trey Clark meet at mid field to represent South Alabama for the coin toss. From left to right: Andy Dalgleish, Cori Barnett, Michel Chapuseaux, Gabe Loper, Jonathan Cameron, Tremain Smith, Kennedy Helms, Ellis Hill and Ryne Baxter.
The South Alabama Jaguars fell to Middle Tennessee 20-12 on Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in another hard fought game for the Jags. Logan Kilgore threw for 233 yards and two touchdowns while Jordan Parker carried the ball 24 times for 154 yards to lead the Blue Raiders over the Jaguars on Senior Day.
The Jaguars turned the ball over four times in the game while Middle Tennessee did not commit a single turnover. The conference win moved the Blue Raiders into a tie atop the Sun Belt Conference standings with Arkansas State (6-1 SBC) with a 5-1 conference record.
Jake Johnson had 15 total tackles while B.J. Scott added 11 tackles in their final home game in a Jaguar uniform. Johnson equaled his highest total of the season while Scott tied his career best. Terrell Brigham and Alex Page both added 10 tackles each in the game as well.
“We can’t do that and win,” Jag head coach Joey Jones said of the turnovers. “We talk about it and work on it. It’s just part of the game that happens sometimes. But the bottom line is if we don’t take care of the ball, we’re not going to win. That’s very simple. We have to do that to have a chance to beat these teams.”
“I’m awful proud of the way our kids fight,” Jones continued. They continue to do that. We’re just not quite finishing games and making plays at the end. But I’m real proud of our young men. That is a team that’s probably going to play for the conference championship. The positive is that we’re close to playing with those teams. The negative is we’re not making enough plays in games to win, and we have to do that. I’m proud of the way they’re fighting. They certainly aren’t giving up, and are representing the University of South Alabama in a positive way.”
This was the fourth consecutive game that the Jags got on the scoreboard first with a 19 yard field goal after they drove 74 yards in 14 plays on their opening possession. Metheny connected with Jereme Jones for an eight yard gain on third and two to get the first first down of the drive. The reception also extended Jones’ streak of consecutive games with a reception.
But the Blue Raiders would take the lead shortly afterwards. They used three plays of 20-plus yards in a four-snap sequence to take the lead with just over five minutes left in the first quarter. The previous week against North Texas, the Jaguar defense only allowed two plays of 20-plus yards.
South Alabama had two drives end in the second quarter with interceptions within the opponents 10 yard line by Harley and T.T. Barber.
MTSU would drive for a field goal with just over two minutes remaining before halftime to extend their lead to 10-3. But the Jags would mount a drive of their own at the end of the half. The Blue Raiders would force what they thought was a three and out, but a penalty for running into the kicker would give the Jags the yardage they needed for a first down. On the first down play, Metheny would find Lavender open down the left sideline for 22 yards to start moving the ball. Chapuseaux would hit a 45 yard field goal with seconds remaining to cut the MTSU lead to 10-6 at halftime.
South Alabama would control the ball for over 18 minutes in the first half, but would only control the ball for eight minutes in the second half.
MTSU would extend their lead on the opening drive of the second half when Kilgore would find his receiver open on a slant pattern from the six yard line to cap off a 10 play, 75 yard drive that spanned over five minutes. That would extend their lead to 17-6.
After a forced fumble at the Jaguar 41, the Blue Raiders had a great opportunity to add to their lead, but the Jaguar defense held firm and forced a field goal attempt from 35 yards that would sail wide left.
The Jags would open the next possession with pass completions from Metheny to Jones for 12 yards. Jones would leave the game after the reception due to a concussion. After the injury time out, Metheny would hit Gabe Loper down the left sideline for a 45 yard completion to the Blue Raider 20 yard line. Metheny would cap off the drive with an 18 yard touchdown pass to Corey Besteda. The two point conversion would fail to lead the Blue Raider lead at 17-12 with under four mintues left in the third quarter.
MTSu would add another field goal but the Jaguars would not be able to put together another scoring drive against the Blue Raider defense for the final score of 20-12.
The Blue Raiders would outgain the Jags 445 to 338 overall including 212 to 149 rushing and 233 to 189 passing. Both teams would run 70 plays on offense in the game. MTSU would end up holding a 33:31 to 26:29 time of possession edge over the Jags.
Terrance Timmons would lead the Jaguar rushing attack with 76 yards on 18 carries, Metheny would gain 32 yards on 11 carries. Kendall Houston would add 22 yards on 7 carries before injuring his ankle and being held out of the remainder of the game. Glover would rush four times for 19 yards as well.
Metheny would go 17-of-30 for 189 yards with three interceptions and a touchdown. Jereme Jones would lead the receiver corps with six receptions for 53 yards in the game. Lavender would catch three for 41 yards, Besteda would add two for 29 and Timmons would catch two for -1 yards. Loper would catch one for 45, Saxton caught one for 11 yards, Glover caught one for 8 yards and Houston caught one for 3 yards.
“I told our players before the game and told them at half time that nobody should be surprised by the score of the game. We knew it was going to be a 60-minute game,” Blue Raider head coach Rick Stockstill said. “We knew that South Alabama was good on defense and that nobody had really run past them or blown them out. All of their games had been close, so we knew it was going to be this type of game. We practiced for this type of game and we got exactly what we thought we would get.”
South Alabama will play their final two games of the season on the road starting this weekend with a trip to Louisiana-Lafayette. The game will be aired on ESPN3 with a 4pm kickoff.
Jags Name Permanant Team Captains For 2012 Team
Clifton Crews and Gabe Loper leap in an attempt to block a field goal against Florida Atlantic.
The South Alabama Jaguar football team took a vote of its players and selected the 2012 season’s four permanent captains. The players selected and were announced at the end of Thursday’s practice. The players selected were: Center Trey Clark, linebacker Jake Johnson, defensive back B.J. Scott and defensive end Anthony Taylor.
Each of the four players have contributed heavily to the Jaguars success on the field. Clark has started every single game in the program’s history so far.
Also, each of the players selected are seniors who will be recognized prior to kickoff against Middle Tennessee on Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Saturday’s game is the Jaguars final home game of the 2012 campaign and thus is Senior Day.
“It means a lot, especially coming from my peers,” Mobile native B.J. Scott said. “It means that I have the respect of my teammates and it lets me know that they believe in me and they think highly of me. I’m just going to go out there and lead them and be the guy that they chose.”
“To me, that’ the highest honor you get,” Jags head coach Joey Jones said. “Your stats and leading tackler in conference is big, being able to have tackles and catch passes and whatever you do stat-wise, that’s something you’ll remember. But you’ll always remember being a captain. It’s the biggest honor on the team because thats what everybody else on the team thinks of you. They think you’re the guy to put in front of them.”
“These four guys have been great examples of leadership on our team” Jones continued. “We have others certainly on this team, but those four guys were picked by their teammates.”
Another Good Practice On Thursday Prior To MTSU
Jaguar Head Coach Joey Jones was pleased once again with the Jaguars final practice prior to the game against Middle Tennessee on Thursday.
“It was really good,” Jones said. “I think they understand how good Middle Tennessee is and because of that our preparation has been better. Now we’ve got to carry that to the game. We practiced well, now we’ve got to go out there and play well.
The Jags will have a brief walk-through session on Friday.
Earlier this week Jones noted that the offensive preparation and work for MTSU has been very good. He also mentioned that the team was adding a new wrinkle or two to the offense.
“I feel good about the plan,” Jones said. “They run around and do a lot of different things defensively and we’ll have to make some checks and some good calls during the game. I think we’ve got that planned out. The coaching staff has done a great job of preparing the players for those checks during the game because they do so many multiple things.”
Good news for the Jaguar defense who has suffered several injuries this season. Linebacker Clifton Crews has been given medical clearance to play against MTSU. He suffered a concussion in the second quarter of the Jaguars game against North Texas when he took a knee to his helmet. He practiced with the team on Thursday but his progress will continue to be monitored closely and a final decision will be made on game day.
Coach Jones Pleased With Wednesday’s Practice
The Jaguar offense looks to the sideline for play adjustments against UTSA.
The Jags hit the practice field for a two-hour practice on Wednesday in what head coach Joey Jones said was a “good day” of work. As the Jags continue to prepare for Middle Tennessee State, coach Jones commended the work that his team produced on Wednesday. He also commended them for their hard work and determination that they approach preparing for each and every game this season.
“It was a good day,” Jones said. “I just want to commend our young men. They just have a great attitude and they’re really working hard through this situation where people are looking at our record and tend to think that things are not going well. But they’re working hard through it.”
“They really have a great attitude, a winning attitude,” Jones continued. “I talked with them today and I said, ‘Guys, y’all are winners in my book’ and I firmly believe that. They’ve had a great attitude about what they’re doing and they’re working hard and getting better.”
Coach Jones felt that the execution of the offense was better during practice on Wednesday. “We put some new wrinkles in and they were executing those new wrinkles pretty well,” he said. “And our offensive line, to me, has really come a long way. They’re becoming cohesive. We’ve had to move some guys from tackle to guard and guard to tackle and making those moves it doesn’t seem like we’ve missed a beat. That means we’re starting to mature as a line to be able to do that.”
“Defensively, I thought we were flying around and doing a good job of understanding that (Middle Tennessee has) some great skill players. They have a couple of great receivers and a great running back. If we don’t contain those guys and get in the right position we won’t stop those guys. I thought today we worked on that and did a very good job.”
South Alabama and Middle Tennessee kick off at 2:30pm on Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The Jaguar Seniors will be honored in a pre-game ceremony for Senior Day.