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.
Coach Jones Pleased With Tuesday’s Practice
2012 South Alabama Football Senior class. – Photo from USAJaguars.com
South Alabama returned to the practice field on Tuesday to continue preparation for Saturday’s game against Middle Tennessee State.
“We had a pretty good day today,” head coach Joey Jones said. “I think we had a good one from the standpoint that they were paying attention and they had a good inside drill today, running the football on both sides of the ball, offense and defense. I thought we had a goods crisp period where they got after it and on Tuesday’s you’ve got to have a good physical practice because you’ve got to carry it over to the game.”
Similar to last week, the Jags practiced in shells and will most likely do it again on Wednesday as well. As they are in the midst of a long stretch of games with three more to go the staff does not want to over extend the players while still working on keeping them sharp and implementing the game plan for their next opponent.
Coach Jones also said in his weekly radio show that Demetre Baker was doubtful for the Jags game this weekend. This will likely put Kendall Houston as the starter against the Blue Raiders on Saturday. Baker missed the second half against North Texas with an ankle sprain suffered in the second quarter.
Houston has 185 yards on 71 carries this season and has made appearances in all 10 games. Baker is the teams leading rusher with 595 yards on the season.
Clifton Crews, who suffered a concussion in the second quarter against North Texas, is probable for this weekends game. He will still have to pass a battery of tests to make sure there are no lingering affects from the concussion before that decision is finalized.
Prior to this Saturday’s game, the University will honor 15 seniors in a pre-game ceremony. Trey Clark, B.J. Scott and Jake Johnson have started all 10 games this season. Cori Barnett and Brandon Ross have not seen the playing field this season due to injuries.
Ryne Baxter, Jonathan Cameron, Michel Chapuseaux, Andy Dalgleish, Kennedy Helms, Ellis Hill, Gabe Loper, Chris Rivers, Tremain Smith and Anthony Taylor will all join the previously mentioned players to be honored as the 2012 senior class.
“I want to thank our seniors for all they have done and committed to this football program, for what they have meant not only to this university but to our team,” said Coach Jones. “They are great leaders and great young men, they care about this team and have done all the right things to build this program from the ground up. Some of the guys have been here the whole time, some have transferred in, but the bottom line is that they have all contributed in great ways. They will be forever missed because they have done a good job here, they have created an atmosphere of hard work and character. We will be indebted to them forever.”
“I think this is a special day, it really is, because you almost treat it a little differently since it is your last day to play at home,” he continued. “Not that you are going to go out and play any harder, because those guys are going to play hard anyway, but you look at it with a little different perspective because you realize this is your last one. There are not many things in life that you know are going to end, maybe retirement.”
The parking lot at Ladd-Peebles Stadium will open at 8am for tailgating and gates to the stadium will open at 12:30pm. The Jaguar Prowl will take place around 12:10pm in the South parking lot. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30pm.
Replay Official Reprimanded By Conference Officials For Blown Call In USA – UNT Game
South Alabama received some news on Tuesday from the Sun Belt Conference office concerning the Jaguars game against North Texas last weekend. The Sun Belt Conference issued a formal reprimand of two of the Conference’s replay officials, including the replay official working the South Alabama vs North Texas game.
With the Jags trailing North Texas 24-14, Jaguar defensive back Tyrell Pearson picked off a pass and returned it down the left sideline. He was then knocked out of bounds near the goal line and officials on the field ruled that he had fumbled the ball and it had hit the pylon before going out of bounds. That ruling meant that the ball was a touchback, giving the Mean Green the ball back at their own 20 yard line.
It went to a review and the play was upheld.
However, the video clearly shows the fumble going out of bound around the 1 yard line and that the ball did not the pylon. The correct ruling should have been that it was the Jaguars ball with a first and goal at the 1 yard line.
In the press release the Conference recognized the blown call in announcing the reprimand. Additionally the replay officials involved have been placed on probation and will be removed from consideration to work a post-season bowl game.
Another replay official working the Arkansas State vs Louisiana-Monroe game from last Thursday night were also reprimanded, placed on probation and will not be considered for a postseason bowl game.
“Instant replay was established to ‘get calls right’ that are questionable on the field,” said Sun Belt Conference commissioner Karl Benson. “Our coaches, student athletes and fans deserve quality performance in the instant replay booth just like they do from the officials on the field. South Alabama and ULM have received apologies and the two instant replay officials are hereby reprimanded.”
As mentioned above, the Jags were trailing 24-14 with 2:40 left in the third quarter. If the Jags had retained possession they were poised to score a touchdown from the one yard line to cut the Mean Green lead to three points heading into the fourth quarter.
“It is unfortunate, but it definitely had a major impact on the game,” head coach Joey Jones said. “It would have made it a three-point game and it would have changed our whole offense philosophy in the fourth quarter. But I admire the Sun Belt Conference and the commissioner for admitting to (the mistake) and being completely honest about it.”
South Alabama Athletics Director Joel Erdmann told the Press Register that he appreciates what the Conference did in this instance. “I’d like to commend the commissioner and the conference’s actions in our specific instance,” Erdmann said. “It reinforces the stakes that are at play within the game of FBS football. Often times, a game’s outcome hangs in the balance of a hand full of plays. Thus, the increased importance on accuracy.”
“We deeply appreciate the conference and the officials and the coordinator of officials because we know that they work hard every day to prepare themselves to make the best decisions and call the best games that they can.”
Jags Looking To Keep Pushing For Wins In Final Three Games Of The Season
Bryant Lavender hauls in the pass from Ross Metheny at the goal line against FIU, but would be called down inside the one yard line.
South Alabama has been so close to chalking up several wins this season. Even the players can see themselves winning. They can feel themselves getting closer to breaking through even though they are currently in a three-game skid coming into this weekends final home game of the season.
But they know that it’s a matter of time before they come. It’s only a matter of getting a couple of offensive or defensive plays to go their way.
“The good teams learn from the losses, watch film, make corrections and move forward,” said Jaguar quarterback Ross Metheny. “That’s what we have to do. We have to put (Saturday’s 24-14 loss at North Texas) behind us. It’s tough. There comes a point where being so close is not enough. We’re so close in so many games, and hopefully we’ll put it all together. We have three more chances to win football games, and that’s what we’re looking to do.”
The Jags are now 2-8 overall and 1-5 in the Sun Belt. But they will face the number two team in the conference this weekend when they host Middle Tennessee State. MTSU enters the game 6-3 overall and 4-1 in Conference play.
This is the Jags next chance to win a Sun Belt game. It’s their chance to end the latest losing streak and make another big statement in the conference. But it’s not their last chance. After MTSU, the Jags will visit Louisiana-Lafayette for their final Sun Belt game of the season then they will close out the season with a trip to Hawaii.
Clifton Crews sufferred a concussion in the second quarter against North Texas on Saturday. That was why he did not play any in the second half against the Mean Green. His status is undetermined right now, he will have to clear several medical tests before he will be allowed to return to the playing field.
Demetre Baker also suffered an injury against North Texas. Baker sprained his ankle and is currently considered doubtful for Saturday’s game against MTSU. Baker is Jaguars leading rusher with 595 yards on 118 carries with three touchdowns. He is averaging 5 yards per carry and has a 410 yard advantage over Kendall Houston, the Jaguars second leading rusher.
Head coach Joey Jones mentioned in his Monday press conference that no one was more frustrated than he was after the North Texas loss. “I don’t know that there is anyone more frustrated than I was after the (North Texas) game,” Jones said. “I didn’t talk to my wife, I didn’t talk to anyone on the plane coming back. I’m just that way. The next day I wake up and the sun comes up.”
“It has been difficult,” Jones continued. “One of the things we showed our players today is video of all the plays that had we made we would have won the ballgame the opportunities missed. Not that you are going to make every play every game, but there are certainly 12 to 15 plays in a game that if we make them the game is close and we win. That’s the difficult thing, leaving plays on the field. You’ve got to make those plays. You hear coaches say it all the time, you have three to five plays a game that make the difference.”
The Jags will have an opportunity to make a big statement win this weekend against the number 2 team in the Sun Belt. “I told our players this morning that they are growing up at this point. You’ve got to take the responsibility to look ahead of time and see yourself making those plays. It’s not good enough to just get to the fourth quarter, we have to make those plays in the fourth quarter. We have to coach better, everybody’s unit has to do better.”
South Alabama and Middle Tennessee are scheduled to kick off at 2:30pm at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
Monday Press Conference
Defensive coordinator Bill Clark working with Jake Johnson and the linebackers during individual drills on Saturday morning.
The University of South Alabama held their weekly media day on Monday with head coach Joey Jones along with seniors Trey Clark and Jake Johnson. They reflected on the teams loss at North Texas and previewed this weekend’s game against Middle Tennessee State.
Below are highlights from the press conference.
Head coach Joey Jones opened the press conference with his opening statement. “I want to thank our seniors for all they have done and committed to this football program, for what they have meant not only to this university but to our team. They are great leaders and great young men, they care about this team and have done all the right things to build this program from the ground up. Some of the guys have been here the whole time, some have transferred in, but the bottom line is that they have all contributed in great ways. They will be forever missed because they have done a good job here, they have created an atmosphere of hard work and character. We will be indebted to them forever.”
He then spoke about Senior Day this weekend. “I think this is a special day, it really is, because you almost treat it a little differently since it is your last day to play [at home]. Not that you are going to go out and play any harder, because those guys are going to play hard anyway, but you look at it with a little different perspective because you realize this is your last one. There are not many things in life that you know are going to end, maybe retirement. They [the seniors] plan for it a little bit and react in a great way but if they come out with the same attitude that they have all year long then they will enjoy the day very much and take it all in.”
Jones then fielded a question about frustration at being close to winning several games without actually getting the win. “I don’t know that there is anyone more frustrated than I was after the game. I didn’t talk to my wife, I didn’t talk to anyone on the plane coming back, I’m just that way. The next day I wake up and the sun comes up.”
“It has been difficult,” he continued. “One of the things we showed our players today is video of all the plays that had we made we would have won the ballgame the opportunities missed. Not that you are going to make every play every game, but there are certainly 12 to 15 plays in a game that if we make them the game is close and we win. That’s the difficult thing, leaving plays on the field. You’ve got to make those plays. You hear coaches say it all the time, you have three to five plays a game that make the difference.”
“Unfortunately — and fortunately — we are in Division I football right now, and the margin of winning in this conference are about that much [fingers held approximately an inch apart]. Right now we are not making those plays to win the ballgame at the end. Against FAU we did, we made a bunch of plays in the end. They are not difficult, astronomical diving catches, you just have to make simple plays and execute, throw it, catch it, tackle somebody. That’s the negative side of it.”
“The positive side of it is that we are putting ourselves in a position to win games in our first year [in the league]. But all of that doesn’t matter because we are here to win ballgames. We’re not young anymore, we’re 10 games into the season, so we have got to develop and be able to make those plays in games to be successful. I told our players this morning that they are growing up at this point, you’ve got to take the responsibility to look ahead of time and see yourself making those plays. It’s not good enough to just get to the fourth quarter, we have to make those plays in the fourth quarter. We have to coach better, everybody’s unit has to do better.”
“We’ve learned a lot from this season. We’ve learned how tough it is in the Sun Belt Conference. You look at Louisiana-Lafayette take Florida to the wire and Middle Tennessee beating Georgia Tech, it’s a tough league. Florida Atlantic beat Western Kentucky this past weekend, and we beat Florida Atlantic. It isn’t very far from the top to the bottom of the conference. I think in years past it has been a big gap, but right now there’s not a big gap at all between the top and bottom. We had to step in during a year when the Sun Belt is very good, but it has helped us learn a lot about what we have to do as a program to get better and be able to beat some of those teams. We are in that learning stage right now.”
Jones then spokes about Middle Tennessee State, who visits Mobile this weekend. “Middle Tennessee and Arkansas State are probably the two hottest teams in the league right now, they beat Western Kentucky a couple of weeks ago and beat Georgia Tech, they know how to win. The only loss they have in the conference was to ULM when ULM still had their [starting] quarterback. They are playing very good football.”
“They’re running backs are very deep, they have a great offensive line, a good quarterback and a couple of stud receivers on offense” Jones explained. “You can’t just say that you are going to take away the run or take away the pass, they can do both very well. They are very balanced on offense.”
“Defensively, they are very athletic. Tyrone Nix, their defensive coordinator, has been all over the place coaching, he is a very knowledgeable guy who understands the game and how to get those kids to play hard for him. They are a very well-coached team, and that’s why they are in the position they are right now, they’re very good.”
“I know if they win the next couple of weeks they’ve got a chance to play for the [conference] championship with Arkansas State being their last game. I’m sure that’s what their eyes are on right now.”
Senior Offensive lineman Trey Clark, the only player to start all 37 games in the programs history. He began by talking about Senior Day this weekend. “I’m sure with it being our last game as seniors at Ladd-Peebles Stadium that it is going to be emotional with a lot of energy. It’s important for us to stay focused on playing well and trying to get a win. It’s going to be emotional, but we have to stay focused on Middle Tennessee.”
Clark then spoke about what his time at South Alabama has meant to him. “It means a great deal. I’m so fortunate to have been given such a great opportunity to come and play. I have made so many friends and memories along the way, I’m just so thankful and grateful for the opportunities I have been given. I’m looking forward to Saturday and getting a win for our last home game.”
Next he spoke about the Jaguars overall record. “It can be very frustrating, especially the way we have lost these past several weeks. But I’m so proud of my teammates and the coaches because we haven’t given up. We come to practice every day with the attitude that we are going to improve and win. I’m so proud of our attitude and willingness to keep going despite the adversity.”
Clark then spoke about the development of the offense this season. “It helps any time you have players stepping into a role and actually getting game experience, and it certainly helps once you get a few games under your belt. We were still really close the first couple of games. Here of late, we have made strides and put it together more. The young guys have done a great job, and have improved all season.”
Senior Linebacker Jake Johnson also spoke about Senior Day this weekend. “It’s going to be emotional for all of the seniors heading into our last game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, the last game here in Mobile in front of our fans – it’s going to be hard. But once that game is over you get over it. We have to stay focused on Middle Tennessee and what our opponent does.”
Johnson also spoke about what his time at South Alabama has meant to him. “It means a lot to me. I transferred here [from Virginia Tech], I just wanted to play again. I didn’t want to play a position that I knew I wasn’t going to play. I wanted to play a position that I could excel at and make it to the next level. I found my home here at South Alabama, and I have had a great experience my first two years along with this year. I wouldn’t change anything for the world. We have played tough every single game this year, there have just been a few bumps in the road each game but we’re right there. My experience has been great here, and I can’t wait to continue it with these next three games.”
He also spoke about the Jaguars overall record this season. “It’s disappointing after the game. Nobody wants to lose. But it does give you the hope being that we are in just about every game. We’re right there every game, right down to the fourth quarter. It gives me the hope that we can get it done and put it all together.”
Johnson then previewed Middle Tennessee State this weekend. “They are a good offense. They have a great quarterback, and a good athletic offensive line. They come off the ball probably faster than anybody we will play this year. They have a good running back and good receivers, they are a good all-around team. We just have to eliminate the big plays. Doing the little things in practice this week are what is going to help us get over that hump.”
South Alabama and Middle Tennessee State kick off at 2:30pm at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
Jags Look For Complete Game Against Mean Green
As the remaining games dwindle down this season the Jags continue to work hard to add more wins to their season total. A few weeks ago South Alabama notched their first win against an FBS team and a Sun Belt team when they defeated Florida Atlantic in double overtime.
While the Jags record is 2-7 (1-4 SBC) it does not show how close they are to a much better record. In recent weeks they have dropped games by a margin of one possession to FIU last weekend and Arkansas State a few weeks back. They also dropped the season opening game to UTSA by a field goal in the final minute of the game. If those game swing the Jags way the record would be 5-4 overall.
But those games did not go the Jags way and the team is eager to add more to the win column.
“We’ve played some good games, but I don’t know that we have played a four-quarter game yet, I really don’t,” Jones said. “I think we have played three quarters, we have played two, we have played three-and-a-half against Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas State. We are doing some good things. For where we are in our program, we have to play four quarters to have a chance to win.”
“I think we have gained some respect from the other coaches and the teams we have played against,” Jones continued. “That’s gratifying in some ways because when you walk across the field and shake a guy’s hand, you can tell that they respect what you are doing. But it still wasn’t a win on the scoreboard, and until we start getting some of those it’s going to sting.”
While the totals in the Win and Loss columns may not show it, but the Jags have improved from game one through game nine this season. Yes they have had letdowns in certain facets of their game from week to week, but they still improve from week to week.
South Alabama dug themselves a big hole against FIU, yet put up attention-grabbing numbers on both sides of the ball against FIU, the preseason pick to win the Sun Belt title. The Jags posted a season-best 458 yards of total offense and averaged six yards per play. Defensively the Jags held FIU to a mere 31 yards of offense in the second half with only two first downs.
The Jags also scored 13 unanswered points in the second half including a 75 yard touchdown pass to open the half from Ross Metheny to Corey Besteda. They also had three drives that crossed midfield in the fourth quarter and had a third and goal from inside the one yard line in the fourth quarter but could not get in the endzone after a false start penalty back them up five yards.
“We’re a much better football team now than we were the first year,” Jones said. “It’s probably the biggest improvement that any team we have had these first four years has made within the season. Is it showing up in the conference standings? No, because we still see some L’s over there on our side. Did we play really well? Yes, but this game is all about winning.”
South Alabama will be looking to put together a complete, four quarter game against North Texas this weekend.
The Jags gave up 334 yards of offense to FIU to rank second in the Sun Belt with an average of 364.7 yards per game. Metheny put up a game-record of 326 yards of total offense against FIU as he threw for 270 yards and rushing for 56 more yards.
North Texas enters the game averaging 405.8 yards per game including an average of 175 yards rushing per game. The Mean Green ranks fourth in the conference in rushing with two backs in the top 10 individually. Brandin Byrd has 572 yards on 152 carries with two touchdowns while Antoinne Jimmerson has 522 yards on 105 carries with five touchdowns.
UNT quarterback Derek Thompson has thrown for over 200 yards in seven consecutive games with a 316 yard game against Arkansas State last weekend. He averages 229.3 yards per game passing for the season to rank fifth in the conference.
However the Mean Green is missing Breland Chancellor to a season-ending injury. He had 966 all-purpose yards including 25 catches for 450 yards and five touchdowns.
“The thing that is dangerous about them is that they will run, run, run, run and all of a sudden run play action and throw it deep over the top,” Jones explained. “We have to be smart and not give up the big throw. Our cornerbacks and safeties are really going to have to do a good job this week. We have to be disciplined in the secondary, especially this week.”
UNT has allowed an average of 410 yards per game and over 250 yards per game passing. In the last four games opponents are averaging over 315 yards per game through the air.
“North Texas is a very physical team, they play power football offensively,” Jones said. “Defensively they don’t run a lot of things, but they do them extremely well. They have big guys up front who are 330 and 300 pounds inside. They play very good fundamental football and are very well coached. They beat Louisiana-Lafayette on TV three weeks ago, they got after them. They play with a physical nature that they bring to every game.”
The Jags will kickoff against North Texas in Denton, Texas at 4pm. The game can be heard on WNSP and viewed through the University of North Texas’ online video service.
Jags Practice In Shells On Tuesday
Enrique Williams combines with another Jaguar to tackle a FIU runner.
South Alabama deviated from their usual schedule on Tuesday morning by practicing in shells rather than full pads. Coach Joey Jones mentioned conserving energy in a long season as a reason for doing that. Though the intensity and work was the same as if the team had actually wore full pads.
“We just felt like we’re at least 13 or 14 weeks into practice, and this just gives them a little (break),” Jones said. “We didn’t practice any different, we just took the pads off. A lot of teams go to that late in the year to just give them a little mental break.”
One area of concentration was to make sure to get reps for backup players in every phase of the game. Jones noted that it was very important for those players who don’t get to see as many reps in practice as the starters to be ready in a moment’s notice.
“I thought we had pretty good focus,” he said of the practice. “We’ve got to make sure that our back-up guys, guys that are on our second string, are ready to go too. I think that sometimes you lose focus as a back-up but you’re one injury away from playing. We’ve got to get with those guys and make sure that they’re ready to go. Other than that, I think we had a good practice.”
Linebacker Jake Johnson did not practice on Tuesday as his right arm is in a sling. Though the injury is not serious and is expected to be back at practice on Wednesday. Johnson continues to be the leading tackler in the conference with 92 as he collected 15 total against FIU, 12 of them solo. He average 10.2 tackles per game.
Randon Carnathan’s season is over as Coach Jones said during his radio show that he had a torn ACL.
Linebacker Enrique Williams ranks 4th in the conference with 82 tackles and averagind 9 tackles per game. Alex Page is ranked #2 in the conference with five sacks. Pat Moore is tied for 4th in the same category with four in eight games.
Moore also ranks #7 in the conference in tackles for loss while Page ranks 8th in the same category.
Monday Press Conference
Head coach Joey Jones speaks with Pat Greenwood as the team heads into the locker room for halftime against Florida International on Saturday, November 3, 2012.
South Alabama held it’s weekly press conference on Monday with head coach Joey Jones, offensive lineman Chris May and defensive back Charles Watson. They spoke about the Jaguars game against Florida International on Saturday and previewed their trip to Denton, Texas to face the Mean Green of the University of North Texas.
Below are some highlights from the press conference.
Coach Joey Jones began with his opening statement. “North Texas is a very physical team, they play power football offensively. Defensively they don’t run a lot of things, but they do them extremely well. They have big guys up front who are 330 and 300 pounds inside. They play very good fundamental football and are very well coached.”
“They beat Louisiana-Lafayette on TV three weeks ago, they got after them. They play with a physical nature that they bring to every game.”
Jones then spoke about the Florida International game. “I walked into the locker room and for the first time I felt like we weren’t ready to play. I don’t mean that they didn’t care, they weren’t emotionally into the game. They were prepared mentally as far as X’s and O’s went, but when you play the game of football you have to bring some passion to it and I don’t think we did that early.”
“We gave up 303 yards of offense to them in the first half and in the second half they got two first downs, I think that tells you something,” Jones continued. “We brought our focus back in the second half and played defense the way we are supposed to play it. Offensively, we scored one touchdown in the first half as we sputtered around a little bit. We played much better in the second half, and had 460 yards of offense, the most we have had in the Sun Belt [Conference]. Offensively I thought we played well other than when we got down in the red zone. We got on the one-foot line, jumped offsides and didn’t get a play call in and had to call timeout, that was frustrating. Ross played well, he scrambled around and made some runs, he did some good things.”
“When you get behind 28-7, you better do everything perfect to have a chance to win and we didn’t. I think if we played the first half maybe the score is tied and it isn’t so critical that you have to make every play. We made a ton of plays to get into the game, people forget about those. Third-and-longs, throws across the middle. But when we got down on the goal line we really didn’t do well.”
On the subject of matching up with a physical team like North Texas, coach Jones had the following to say. “I don’t know which one I would choose, but I know that most of the conference are spread teams and this is one of the first teams we’ll play that I would call a power football team. It will be interesting to see how the kids match up against it.”
“The thing that is dangerous about them is that they will run, run, run, run and all of a sudden run play action and throw it deep over the top,” Jones explained. “We have to be smart and not give up the big throw. Our cornerbacks and safeties are really going to have to do a good job this week. We have to be disciplined in the secondary, especially this week.”
Jones commented about North Texas’ offensive style. “They are much like us last year, they run power and run zone and play action. They do a lot of different things with their sets and formations, but they are basically trying to set up the run. It’s not simple, they do a lot of different things, but their belief is that they are going to run the football and play-action pass.”
Jones then answered a question about how the Jaguar defense reacts to the style of play used by North Texas. “You would think looking at us that we would react pretty well to that, our defensive linemen are big guys on the inside with some size to them and they are pretty strong. But until you go out there and play a team that is this physical play after play after play, you don’t know. I don’t know that we have played against a team that is going to be this physical running the football.”
“We’re going to see how we match up this week for sure because they are going to pound you every play.”
He then spoke about how the team reacted to the loss to Florida International. “We met this morning, and the thing that was disappointing was the first half. Overall, we didn’t come to play and were down 28-7.”
“I asked them to tell me the difference between the team in the first half and the second half, and of course they didn’t have an answer for that. I don’t either, other than the fact that we weren’t ready to play, and we do that at this level we’ll get beat.”
“We’ve played some good games, but I don’t know that we have played a four-quarter game yet, I really don’t. I think we have played three quarters, we have played two, we have played three-and-a-half against Louisiana-Monroe and Arkansas State. We are doing some good things. For us where we are in our program, we have to play four quarters to have a chance to win. I thought our kids understood that going into this game, and they didn’t, if that’s not getting across to them, that’s my fault.”
Jones also answered a question about how the team’s improvement not being reflected in the overall record this season. “We have played some really good games, I think we have gained some respect from the other coaches and the teams we have played against. That’s gratifying in some ways because when you walk across the field and shake a guy’s hand, you can tell that they respect what you are doing. But it still wasn’t a win on the scoreboard, and until we start getting some of those it’s going to sting.”
“We’re a much better football team now than we were the first year. It’s probably the biggest improvement that any team we have had these first four years has made within the season. You look at the games against Nicholls and UTSA and N.C. State, we are a way better football team, especially on offense, than we were back then.”
“Is it showing up in the conference standings? No, because we still see some L’s over there on our side. Did we play really well? Yes, but this game is all about winning.”
Offensive lineman Chris May spoke about his progression this season. “Coming into the season, Ucambre Williams and I were rotating out the first couple of games. Then he went down in the Arkansas State game, and I had to step up and fill in. That’s some pretty big shoes to fill. He was playing really well before he went down. We’ve improved a lot as an offensive line, as a unit, since the beginning of the season.”
May, speaking about the FIU game, echoed coach Jones’ talk about how the Jags have not put together a full game effort. “We really haven’t played all four quarters in a game. We came really close against Arkansas State and Louisiana-Monroe. If we would have come out with higher intensity in the first half than we did Saturday, then we would have had a better chance of pulling a ‘W’ out. We just have to learn as a team to come out and play all four quarters instead of just two or three.”
He then spoke about how the team measured up against Sun Belt opposition. “All of our conference games, except for Troy, we were right there in them until the end. I feel like that’s making a statement as what we’re going to do in the Sun Belt in the next few years. Those losses at the end [of the game] do sting, but it’s a statement for us as well.”
When asked about the offensive line play so far this year May said, “We’ve improved a lot from the beginning [of the season]. We’re so much better now than we were in the UTSA [Texas-San Antonio] game. We’re a little banged up right now, and have had people step up to fill in. As a unit, I feel like we’ve played pretty well this year.”
May then spoke about going from playing minimal snaps to starting. “I started cramping up at halftime of the Arkansas State game. I was only expecting to play a few plays, then Ucambre [Williams] goes down and I had to step in. You have to prepare a lot differently from the mental aspect of the game as a starter, compared to when you are just rotating in.”
Finally, May spoke about their opponent this weekend in North Texas. “They have some pretty big guys up front, and have a couple of good safeties. Their outside rushers are good, but I feel like we match-up with them athletically.”
Defensive back Charles Watson spoke about the defense’s halftime adjustments in the game against FIU. “We were open to a challenge. [Defensive coordinator] Coach [Bill] Clark told us that we could either get embarrassed or we could come back, play our ball and do what we normally do. If we start fast, then the sky’s the limit for us. And that’s the same for the offense. As long as we get them [offense] the ball, I have faith in them. I feel like we’ll have a better finish to the season than how we started, and we’ll finish strong.”
“We just had to go back to the basics,” Watson also stated about the second half performance against FIU. “We started off slow, but once we got things going we started playing our ball. We pretty much just preached shutout from then, and that’s what gave us the momentum from then on.”
Watson also spoke about North Texas. “Our coaches know what they [North Texas] like to do in certain situations. The coaches have a great plan for everything. We have a good defensive line and good linebackers. Our coaches want us to be able to stop the run. We have a good scheme [for this weekend], and as long as we [defense] pull together then we’ll be alright.”
South Alabama and North Texas kickoff in Denton, Texas at 4pm according to the UNT Football website. Video will be available through their website for a one month access fee of $10.95.