Jags Make Up Missed Practice From Saturday
South Alabama made up their lost practice Monday morning due to weather on Saturday. They hit the field even earlier than normal for the Jags. Their practice went from 5:30am – 7am as they wore shells for the first time.
They opened practice with work on the punt team. They then transitioned to working on the running game. After that, they worked on screens.
The offense and defense then came together to work on perimeter runs and passes. Following that, they went 7-on-7 passing drills.
Later the offense and defense came together once again to work on third-down scenerios, picking up blitzes before final drills to end practice.
After practice, Coach Jones spoke about practice. “This football team is hungry and they think they have a lot to prove. But on the flip side of that, we have a lot of work to do. Defensively right now, we are ahead of the offense and that’s fine. That’s what we want, a great defense. Offensively, we are still putting things in and trying to establish a running game, passing game and quick-tempo offense. Their heads are spinning, but I’m proud of where we are.”
Coach Jones continued speaking about the players progress. “It’s not going to happen overnight, we just have to keep working. And we have to keep in the back of our minds that our goal is to be great this fall. If we work every day and do what we’re supposed to do, then we’ll get there. We just have to keep that mindset.”
The Jags will have Tuesday and Wednesday off before hitting the practice field again on Thursday at 6:30am.
Coach Joey Jones Interviewed on ESPNU About Recruiting Class
Friend of Thunderjags.com and a fellow Jaguar supporter Jon Garcia recorded this segment and posted it on Youtube. Coach Jones talks with the hosts of ESPNU’s Recruiting Nation about the incoming recruiting class. They are quite impressed by the signing class that South Alabama was able to land not even being a full FBS member until 2013.
Rain Threat Does Not Deter Jags From Second Day Of Practice
Even though there were threats of rain, the Jags hit the practice field for their second session of spring practice. They were able to get in a two-hour practice despite the weather threat.
Most of the first half of practice was dedicated to individual work and position coaches.
Near the end of practice, the Jags had two 10-minute sessions of offense vs defense. The first session was a 7-on-7 skeleton passing drill and the second was full 11-on-11. Both sessions were focused on the defense with emphasis on the pass rush and blitz.
Before the offense versus defense session, the defense worked for about 20 minutes on formations and blitzes while the offense worked against the scout team for about 15 minutes.
Some of the challenges facing the players this spring as they go from the power offense the Jags ran previously to the spread offense by Coach Matthews is adjusting to new personnel and the increased tempo. “When you hurry a kid up on the second day of practice in a brand new offense, it multiplies the problems,” Coach Jones said. “I think they have handled it pretty well. The biggest thing is that day 15 has to be much better than day two, that’s what we are shooting for.”
One reason for spring football practice is to evaluate players and help to determine who will be on the field in the fall. With a daunting schedule ahead of them with a full Sun Belt schedule and a very tough non-conference schedule, every position will be observed. “You can’t tell much without pads on, we’re just trying to teach them and get them to learn what they are doing,” said Coach Jones. “Saturday when we put the shoulder pads on, we will be able to tell a lot more about our players.”
“We want to find out who our players are, who will be on the two-deep,” said Jones. “It’s really wide open. There are some spots that are obvious, but there are a lot that aren’t. We’ve got guys who have worked their way up in our program, who are going to be juniors, and have been No. 2 or No. 3 fighting for jobs, and we’ve brought in some new players who are fighting for those spots. I would say that 75 percent of our spots are wide open right now.”
Coach Jones indicated that he was comfortable the linebackers and noted their experience. Jake Johnson and Enrique Williams both started all 10 games last season at the inside positions. Clifton Crews also started all 10 games at outside linebacker while Logan Bennett and Bryson James have both lettered the last three years at the outside position. Plus Ben Giles and Desmond LaVelle both received playing time last season.
Overall, coach Jones thought it was a good day of practice and liked the effort put forth. “I thought it was a good day,” said Coach Jones. “The intensity was there, the kids were working hard. Offensively, we are a long way from being all together, but we were expecting that. The kids have really locked in, they are making some mistakes out there but we had some good things happen when they went against the defense too. It’s just a matter of being patient, of coming in every day and studying what we are doing and getting better. It’s just going to take some time.”
The team will take a day off on Friday before practicing in shells for the first time on Saturday. That practice will be held and the Jaguar Practice Facility and is scheduled to begin at 9am.
Jags Hire Jerry Mack As Wide Receivers Coach
South Alabama announced the hiring of Jerry Mack to be the wide receivers coach to fill the vacant position left when Coach Ron Antoine left for the same position at Fresno State.
Coach Mack played wide receiver for one season at Jackson State before transferring to Arkansas State. He received his bachelor’s degree from there in 2003. The then went on to have three internships in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets. The then came back to the college ranks to coach as an assistant at Delta State from 2004-2006, Jackson State (2006-2008) and Central Arkansas (2008-2010). Then in 2010 he served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Arkansas-Pine Bluff for a year. Last season he coached at Memphis, his hometown.
Mack joins an offensive staff undergoing a change from last season. Last year Coach Jones announced that former Offensive Coordinator Greg Gregory would not be returning and hired Robert Matthews from Southern Miss as his replacement. Matthews brings a spread offense he was a part of at Oklahoma State and Southern Miss.
He joins the staff just over a week before spring practice begins. “I’m just trying to get in here and learn as much as I can from coach Matthews,” he said. “They did a great job at Southern Miss and Oklahoma State where he came from. We played those guys when I was at Memphis, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to get on this staff and learn his system, which is one of the best systems in college football right now. It’s definitely exciting.”
As for his choice to come to South Alabama, the areas reputation was made the choice easy. “The ability to come into the Mobile area was a key,” Mack said. “I have always heard great things about it. I think it’s a great place to raise a family. As for South Alabama, I think it’s on the cutting edge of college football right now. It’s one of the top programs, I feel like, in the Southeastern region.”
Familiarity with the region and the teams in it were also a decision factor. He is familiar with Arkansas State and Middle Tennessee from the Sun Belt and Hawaii. But Mack is also familiar with the area in recruiting.
Mack spoke about what he would like to do with the receiver corps. “These guys had a good foundation (from Antoine),” Mack said. “I’m going to be able to help take what he had established and build on that. I’m a different style of coach than he is. I’m going to bring a different mentality to the receiver position; being more aggressive. Hopefully, we can improve on our guys’ blocking as well as catching passes and help them understand the new scheme. I’m just going to build on what the previous coach had established.”
Coach Mack was selected from a list of over 100 applicants.
South Alabama’s 2012 recuiting class breakdown
Incoming freshmen in Summer/fall:
- Daniel Aust, OL, 6’2″, 260lbs, Birmingham, AL, Hoover High
Two star OL from Scout and ESPN. Ranked 112th nationally among guards by ESPN. His measurables are listed as: 40 yard dash in 4.9 seconds, max benchpress 330, shuttle 4.6 and a 29″ vertical. He other offer was from Navy. - Caleb Autry, CB, 5’8″, 170lbs, Foley, AL, Foley High
44 total tackles, 8 pass deflections and 2 interceptions his senior year. - Cameron Broadnax, WR, 6’1″, 180, Hueytown, AL, Hueytown High
A 2 star recruit from Rivals. Caught 61 passes for 835 yards and 13 TDs his senior season. He is listed as having a 34 vertical. He was offered by MTSU, Samford and UAB. - Lawon Debardelaben, CB, 5’8″, 165, Prattville, AL, Prattville High
A 2 star CB by Rivals and ESPN. He ranked among the top 115 CBs in the country by ESPN. His measurables are listed as running a 4.52 in the 40 yard dash, shuttle 4.25 seconds, vertical of 38″. He was offered by Arkansas State and Rice. This kid really stood out with his vision and instincts for the ball. - Mike Dumas, S, 6’1″, 180lbs, Cape Coral, FL, Island Coast High
A 2 star S from Scout and ESPN. He was all-southwest Florida and all-county in Lee County as a senior. He was offered by UConn, FAU, FIU, Iowa, Iowa State, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, NC State, Purdue and Vanderbilt. - Steven Foster, OL, 6’3″, 305lbs, Demopolis, AL, Demopolis High
A 3 start OL from Scout and ESPN. He was a three-time all-county and Tuscaloosa News All-West Alabama honoree. His other offer was from UAB. - Ridge James, DE, 6’4″, 210lbs, Richardson, TX, Bakersfield (CA) CC, Berkner High
Only played in two games last season but collected 13 total stops, 11 unassisted. - Terrance Jones, DL, 6′, 290lbs, Prattville, AL, Prattville High
A 3 Star DL from ESPN and a 2 star from Scout. He was ranked the 43rd best DT nationally by ESPN. He also had offers from Arkansas State and Memphis. - Paul Kyles, TE, 6’3″, 255, Mobile AL, Vigor High
A 3 Star TE and wasranked among the top 60 TEs nationally by both ESPN and Scout. He also had an offer from Auburn. - Clay Machen, OL, 6’4″, 300lbs, Auburn, AL, Auburn High
A 3 Star OL. He wan ranked as the 13th best center in the nation and 40th overall best player in the state of Alabama. His listed measurables are a 5.32 in the 40 yard dash, a max bench of 315, max squat of 460, shuttle of 4.97, vertical of 25″, GPA 3.2 and ACT of 22. He also had offers from Chattanooga, Georgia State, Memphis and UAB. - Steve McKenzie OL, 6’1″ 320lbs, LIthonia GA, Stephenson High
A 3 Star recruit from Rivals and ESPN. A 2 star by Scout. Listed as having a 23″ vertical. He had offers from Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Marshall and Southern Miss. - Perry Meiklejohn OL, 6’3″, Miami FL, El Camino (CA) CC, Westminster Christian High
Selected to 2nd team all-National Northern Conference as a Sophomore. - Jay Minor DE, 6’1″, 240lbs, Prattville AL, Prattville High
A 3 Star recruit by ESPN and a 2 star by Scout. Listed as running the 40 in 4.89 seconds, a shuttle of 4.6 and a vertical of 33″. He had offers from Arkansas State and Memphis. - Tyrell Pearson CB, 5’8″, 150lbs, Greenville SC, Mesa (AZ) CC, Greenville Senior High
As a Sophomore he intercepted 8 passes and finished the season with 10 total passes defended. - Grant Powell QB, 6’2″, 200lbs, Germantown TN, Christian Brothers Academy
A 2 star QB from Scout and ESPN. Runs the 40 in 4.7 seconds, the shuttle in 4.4 seconds and has a 32″ vertical. - Joseph Scelfo OL, 6′, 280lbs, Bogart GA, North Oconee High
A 3 Star OL from Rivals and ESPN and a 2 star from Scout. Ranked as the top center in Georgia. Runs the 40 in 5.19 seconds and has a max bench of 315. He had a host of offers from Appalachian State, Army, Charlotte, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, Jacksonville State, Louisiana Tech, UL-Monroe, Presbyterian, Samford, Southern Miss, Syracuse, Tulane, UAB and Western Kentucky. - DeVonta Staples S, 6’1″, 190lbs, Lanett AL, Valley High
A 2 star from Scout. He was named first-team 5A all-State by the ASWA. Listed as running the 40 in 4.49 seconds. He also had offers from Illinois, Kentucky, Marshall, MTSU and UAB. - Sir’Vegias Steele CB, 5’8″, 170lbs, Mobile AL, LeFlore High
A four year letterman starter. He has 102 tackles and 16 interceptions during his career. He was also recruited by Auburn. - Davion Stuarts LB, 5’10”, 205lbs, Punta Gorda FL, Charlotte High
A 2 star from Rivals, Scout and ESPN. He was chosen district player of the year his final season. He was also offered by UCF and MTSU. - Aleem Suananon PK, 5’6″, 185lbs, Orland FL, Olympia High
A 2 star recruit from ESPN. He earned all-State and all-Metro honors his senior season.
Junior College Transfers who signed in December:
- Anthony Harris CB, 6’1″, 175lbs, Miami FL, El Camino (CA)CC, Southridge High
Credited with 20 tackles, 14 solo, and 2.5 for loss last season. - Pat Moore DE, 6’3″ 235lbs, Southhaven MS, Northeast Mississippi CC, Southaven High
Lead his team with 3.5 sacks and 43 total stops in 2010. He added 30 tackles in 2011. - Darrius Morrow CB, 5’10”, 170lbs, Memphis TN, Hutchinson (KS) CC, Germantown High
His team finished 9th in the final NJCAA rankings. Runs the 40 in 4.4 seconds, max bench of 265 and a 40″ vertical. He was also offered by Indiana State, Murray State, Southern Illinois and UT-San Antonio. - Wes Saxon TE, 6’4″, 225lbs, Hueytown AL, Itawamba (MS) CC, Jess Lanier High
Caught 10 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown last year as a freshman. He earned 2nd team all-State honors. - Charles Watson CB, 6’1″, 195lbs, Tylertown MS, Mississippi Gulf Coach CC, Ocean Springs High
In 9 games as a Sophomore, he totaled 46 tackles, 31 solo, and 6 for a loss.
Transfers who have enrolled in school prior to the spring 2012 semester:
- Brandon Bridge QB, 6’5″, 215lbs, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, Alcorn St, St. Marcellinus High
Played the last two season at Alcorn St. where he posted 2,687 total yards of offense as a freshman. - James Elliot OL, 6’2″ 300lbs, Pensacola FL, University of Kentucky, Pensacola Catholic High
A 3 Star recruit by ESPN, Rivals and Scout. He sat out last fall as a redshirt.
Coach Joey Jones Show Recap 2011-11-15
Coach Joey Jones and Lee Shirvanian are joined by Jinni Frisbey, Assistant Athletic Director of Sports Medicine.
The outgoing seniors will be missed, they came into this program and knew they would not be playing for bowl games or conference championships but still came in and worked hard. They showed the young players how to practice and how to prepare.
Orthopedic Group injury report: Jereme Jones has been recovering well and could be ready to play on Saturday. B.J. Scott injured his knee against Georgia State and will not play due to a partially torn ligament in his knee. Bryson James has a lower back injury from the weight room and the will miss the game due to precautionary reasons. Demetre Baker dislocated his shoulder against MVSU and has rehabbed very well and will be able to play some this weekend.
Lee asked if this has been a better than average year for injuries which she agreed with. The players have played through some injuries but overall the injury list has been shorter than others and they hope it will continue this way.
Fuego Restaurant’s Who’s Hot segment: Coach Jones was a little off guard by Lee’s question for a most valuable player on offense and defense for the Jags. He said that would be hard to say but he would have to go with the tight ends because their play is so critical for the offense. Defensively he mentioned team leader in tackles Jake Johnson and Romelle Jones as two players. He also mentioned Charles Harris but said that they have many possible MVP’s on both sides of the ball.
Caller asked about an update on Brandon Ross again and since Coach Jones said that the triple option is the best offense, why isn’t South Alabama running that offense. Jinni started with an update on Brandon and his ACL tear. He also had to have another surgery on his MCL which is unusual. He has been out practicing and is looking good but will not play this year.
As for the triple offense question, Coach Jones answered. He said it was the best designed offense because you don’t have to block two people and have double teams on some the other players. Coach Jones said they want to get to some of elements of that offense. Some teams have changed it up some to run it from the shotgun. Jones also said he has run the shotgun variation of it some at the high school level. But right now they have a throwing quarterback who can still run some but were scared to get him hurt this year and will look at adding some elements of it to the offense next year.
Another caller asked if Kendall Houston is a senior, which he is not. He is a redshirt freshman this year and will still has three years of eligibility left.
Jinni spoke on the radio show later that USA has 11 certified trainers which is the most in the conference. Plus they have five athletic training facilities where most schools only have one or two. Also Jinni spoke about what happens on gameday. When a player comes off the field and needs to see a trainer, she lets the position coach know and keeps them well informed about what is going on. If they are getting evaluated, taped or need to go to the locker room, she is finding the position coaches and letting them know the status of that player.
Jags face tough test in Cal Poly
Coach Turner with the offensive line, including several key seniors who will be graduating.
South Alabama’s second Senior Day will recognize 14 student-athletes playing in their final collegiate game on Saturday. The final regular season game for both schools.
But it will not be an easy contest for the Jaguars. While Cal Poly’s record is 5-5 on the season, with two of the losses against FBS (formerly Division I-A) schools and their most recent loss coming to Eastern Washington, the defending FCS (formerly Division I-AA) champion 53-51 in triple-overtime.
The Jaguar defense has not allowed a touchdown in the last eight quarters and currently ranks 20th in FCS by only allowing an average of 19.6 points per game and are among the top 12 nationally in pass (168.9 yards per game average) and total defense (302 yards per game on average).
Cal Poly will bring their unique mixture of triple and spread option attack to Ladd-Peebles Stadium. They average 257.7 rushing yards per game, which is 7th in FCS. They average 31.5 points per game as well.
The Cal Poly quarterback Andre Broadous has rushed for 617 yards and 17 touchdowns while also going 92-of-159 passing attempts for 1,085 yards and eight touchdowns. Jake Romanelli has gained 966 yards and seven touchdowns rushing as well. Mark Rodgers has rushed for another 468 yards and Deonte Williams has added 357 yards as well. All three are averaging over four yards per rush.
Defensively, Cal Poly is giving up an average of 415 yards per game and 32 points per game. They also give up an average of 279.8 yards per game passing.
Jordan Means is tied for 19th in the nation in FCS averaging 1.33 field goals per game and 65th in the nation in scoreing with 6.44 points per game. While Scott Garber is 13th in the nation with a 42 yards per punt average with two downed inside the 20 yard line in three of the last four games.
Kickoff at Ladd-Peebles Stadium is scheduled for 4 p.m. The Jaguar Prowl is scheduled for 1:40 p.m. at the south side of the stadium with the gates opening at 2 p.m.
The Jaguar Seniors will be recognized at 3:35 p.m., 25 minutes before kickoff.
Monday press conference November 15 2011
The Jaguar defense lines us against MVSU.
South Alabama head football coach Joey Jones is joined by cornerback Anton Graphenreed and tight end Kevin Helms for schools Monday press conference.
Coach Jones kicked it off with his opening statement. “We have a very good football team coming in this week, they might be the best team that’s played in Ladd-Peebles Stadium against us in my opinion. It’s a very disciplined team that runs the triple option, which always presents problems. To me, it’s still the best offense ever invented because basically — without getting too deep into it — at the side of attack there are two guys you don’t have to block, so you create double teams for everybody else. Thank goodness we’ve had some time to work on it over the last couple of weeks, I don’t know how you do it when you have just one week to prepare for an offense like this.”
“They run the football a lot, but they are very diverse in what they do running it, so it will be a big challenge for our defense. They are averaging 31.5 points and 257 yards rushing per game, so they are obviously very sound. Their quarterback [Andre] Broadus runs the ship very well, and he can also throw it which creates problems as well. [Jake] Romanelli is a big, imposing fullback and is their leading rusher averaging about 100 yard per game. Needless to say, we have a challenge defensively.”
“Offensively we are going up a very sound football team up and down the line of scrimmage, they are really coached well and have good football players. In the secondary they’ve got a start in Asa Jackson; a lot of NFL teams are looking hard at him, from what I hear he is going to be a draft pick.”
“Their kicker has most of his kickoffs go to the end zone, which creates problems when you start your offense on the 20-yard line every time; that’s a big weapon for them.”
When asked on whether Cal Poly is similar to anyone the Jags have faced this season, Coach Jones answered, “No, they are just totally different. The analogy would be to look at the service academies or Georgia Tech with what they do offensively. They are very disciplined an know what they are doing.”
The next question posed to Coach Jones was about the senior class. “The seniors, in my opinion, have been as crucial to the success of this football program as anything that you could think of. You can talk about facilities or a lot of different things that we’ve done to get this program going, but these seniors have come in and paid a dear price. They have done things the right way — we always talk about fundamentally building a strong foundation — and their leadership has been tremendous.
“I think we will go on for years and years because of what they have done the last three seasons, so my hat is off to them for what they have done for this program.”
Coach Jones then spoke about how important is is to end the season on a good note. “You always want to end the season on a good note, I think that is very important because I always think it kind of carries over to the next year. I don’t know if it’s any different than any other year, I just think the fact that these guys have been working their tails off and these seniors who have been around for three years — the guys who helped start this program — I’m sure they don’t want to leave on a bad note. And our younger guys want to send them off on a good note because they appreciate what those guys have done.”
“Our guys have been focused last week and this week, they understand we have a real good team coming in here and it’s going to take all we can do to beat them.”
Senior cornerback Anton Graphenreed spoke about playing his final collegiate game. “It really means a lot to me. I have put in a lot of time and my teammates have as well, especially the guys who came in with me. We worked really hard and tried to give our all this season. I just want to go out on a good note and leave one more lasting impression on the younger guys so they can carry that with them throughout their careers.”
Graphenreed spoke about the importance to him and the team about finishing undefeated at home in your career. “It’s extremely important because we work really hard to say that we never lost period. Things happen and that’s life, but we could always hang our hats on the fact that no one could say they came into our house and took it. When you say this is your home and you have great fans – we have awesome fans – you just don’t want to disappoint. I just want to continue that tradition, going out with another win at home and making sure that lasts for a very long time.”
Graphenreed next spoke about preparing for a run-oriented offense. “Our scout team is great. They prepare us for every game, and they work hard and keep bringing their all to practice. We need the closest thing to the real thing as possible before we get to the game. You don’t want to just go through the motions at practice and then you’re shocked when the game begins because you aren’t ready for it. But there is a lot of preparation that goes into it.”
Senior tight end Kevin Helms spoke about his final collegiate game as well. “It means a lot to me as well. When anything comes to an end in your life, you know you’re going to miss it no matter how hard it was. I am going to miss it every day, I’m sure. But all we can do is go out there and get this one last win to help the program out as much as we can before we are gone. I love my teammates, so of course I want to win.”
Helms also spoke about the importance of finishing undefeated at home in his career. “I like the streak of not being beaten at home. It makes you feel good – like no one can come into your house and mess around with you. You don’t like having that feeling that someone can come push you around. I would like to keep a goose egg in the loss column.”
Helms also spoke about the state of the program when he arrived. “When I got here it wasn’t much of anything. I came from a junior college that won a national championship my freshman year. I only lost two games in two years. Then when I came here in the beginning, you hardly had anyone who was going to be a college athlete. There were a few that were there and some are still here, but most of them are gone. I knew it was going to be better. But the first season we played, we were just a completely different team. We had a lot of good athletes, and we played good football. Then we got more transfers in the next year, and we had some freshmen come in and it was even better. We were just confident. And this third year, it has been even better. We have had some injuries along the way, but we have improved 100 percent every year, and I can only imagine that it will keep improving with the coaches recruiting and all of our facilities. It has been a fun experience. I love playing football, and I love playing here. It is a great place with great coaches who really do care about you. And we have great fans – people always show up to the games.”
South Alabama will host Cal Poly on Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium with kickoff set for 4 p.m. This Senior Day game will be aired locally on UTV44 and nationally on ESPN3.com depending on your ISP for access.
Monday press conference for November 7
Center Trey Clark and the offense make adjustments at the line of scrimmage.
Coach Jones was joined by offensive lineman Trey Clark for their Monday press conference. They reflected on the Jaguars win over Mississippi Valley State and previewed the Jags final game of the season against Cal Poly on November 19.
“I think it [the weekend] was a good break for our players and our staff to just get away from football for a couple of days,” said Coach Jones in his opening statement. “The players came back refreshed, and that was good. As far as the Mississippi Valley State game, I thought we played well. We had a really good first half, and we got a lot of guys playing time in the second half. We’re looking forward to (the) Cal Poly (game). We know they are a great football team, but one thing we are focusing on this week is fundamentals. We are going to practice for three days in pads, and have some physical practice and work fundamentals. We’ll also put the game plan in, but the big focus the next three days is getting better fundamentally. We’re excited about it. One thing our players have talked about is that we have had a good year, and we want to finish strong. The way you finish strong is by practicing hard and doing your part in practice, and then the games take care of themselves.”
In reply to a question about what Coach Jones would like to see after two consecutive wins, he answered. “We just want to finish strong, and that’s the biggest thing. We have played well all year. We had some issues in some games and some mistakes, but we played well all year. I want to finish on a good note. We have some seniors who came and started this program three years ago, and I want to send them off on a good note as well. They have done a lot for this program.”
Coach Jones then spoke about Cal Poly. “On the offensive side of the ball they run the triple option, which is what coach Bryant used to run in the 70s and 80s. It is a very good offense and very tough to defend. People have a hard time stopping it because it is the best offense put together in my opinion. On paper it is the very best one because you don’t have to block two people on the side of attack. If you read one and are pitching off of another, you’re basically double-teaming everywhere else. There’s just no other offense that can do that. It’s very tough to defend. Our kids don’t see it very much at all. I think it is hard to prepare for a game like that in one week, so us having two weeks to prepare helps. It gives us three extra days to work on that, and I am thankful that we do because they are very good offensively. Defensively, they are very sound and fundamental. They have strong guys up front. They don’t do a lot of things on the defensive side of the ball; they are just sound in what they do and are very well-coached.”
Coach Jones was then asked about remaining undefeated at home. “That’s always in the back of your mind, but we can’t get caught up in all of that. We know that what happens on the practice field creates success on Saturdays. We just worry about that. We have to do what is needed to get prepared for this team. It is a very good football team. UC-Davis beat them last week, and we know how good of a team they are. It took all we could do to beat them last year. They play very good football, so we just have to get ready.”
Coach Jones also spoke about Trey Clark’s importance to the program. “When you start on offense, you start with your center. Trey has been the core of our offensive line. He is very smart; he makes all of our checks and calls. He cares about it and is passionate about this team. He is a guy who has that much of what I call guts inside of him. He has the want-to to do it. He is a little undersized, but he plays big in the game and we can win with guys like Trey Clark – there’s no doubt in my mind.”
Clark spoke with the media about having another off week. “We will take this opportunity to go back and really work on our fundamentals. We’ll definitely take full advantage of this bye week in preparation of Cal Poly. We have started watching a little bit of film; they are very well-coached and a physical bunch. They have pretty good size up front, so I think this week will be great for us in terms of preparation.”
Clark then mentioned sending out the seniors on a winning note. “It is going to be a very emotional game for me playing with all of those guys for the last time. We want to do our best to send them off on a good note, and win it for the seniors.”
Finally Clark continued speaking about the emotions involved as the season finale approaches. “It’s definitely bittersweet. I thought we played well in the last two games, but at the same time you really don’t want it to end so soon because I have played with these boys for three seasons. Some of them are getting ready to go off and start the next chapter of their lives, and I’m going to miss so much being next to those guys. It’s one of those things where we just want to send them off on a good note and win it for the seniors.”
Jags down MVSU 35-3
A bad snap caused a big loss for the Delta Devils.
Thursday nights matchup against Mississippi Valley State was a bit of a mismatch. The short week didn’t make much difference as the they won 35-3 in a cold breezy game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
With injuries to Jereme Jones and B.J. Scott, J.J. Keels handled the lone kick return duties against the Delta Devils. Keels showed he was ready for this opportunity very quickly in the game. After forcing the Delta Devils to punt, Keels would take the punt off of a bounce and return it 45 yards to the two yard line. Keels would not be able to take it into the end zone on the first down play, but Houston would on the next play though.
He would also take the opening kickoff of the second half 100 yards for a touchdown to get his first touchdown as a Jaguar. Earlier in the second quarter, Keels would break a 25 yard run down to the Delta Devil one yard line, where he stepped out of bounds before scoring. Again Houston would put the ball in the end zone.
Every time the Delta Devils threatened to score, they would make a mental mistake and break their momentum, it would allow the Jaguars defense to stiffen and force a stop.
The defensive front, particularly the starting three, were in the backfield all night. Romelle Jones regularly beat his man but Delta Devils linemen did good to knock him off his rush from time to time. Ben Giles had a career night with nine tackles.
It was another game where the Jags could go deep into their bench and get other players some playing time and experience in game situations. But the Jags also tried out some new wrinkles in their goal line package and successfully scored a couple times in that situation.
Coach Jones commented after the game, “It was big for J.J. to come in there as a true freshman and make those types of plays. We lost B.J. and Jeremé, so we have gotten thin in our return game. I thought he stepped up and did really well. That [the kickoff return] was a big play in the game.”
“I thought we played really sound in the first half,” Coach Jones said. “The defense gave up a little yardage in between the 20s, but got stiff down there toward the goal line. The offense had a short field a couple of times, then we had an 80-plus yard drive in the first half, which is big. The special teams played well — the return game was good and we kicked the ball well. Overall I am real pleased with the game.”
“We are kind of a methodical football team, we don’t have big-play guys on offense,” he continued. “J.J. came in and sparked us in the return game, and he had a couple of good runs. But we are the kind of team that if we don’t make mistakes and have a lot of penalties, we have a chance to beat a lot of people. When we play like we did tonight then we end up on the winning side, so we just need to keep that up.”
The Jags have a week off before their final game of the season when they host Cal Poly on Saturday, November 19. The game can be seen locally on UTV44 and nationally on ESPN3.com and will kick off at 4pm.