MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama football coach Joey Jones said Tuesday that he is very confident in kicker Lawson McGlon and that game video showed the Jaguars recovered a Henderson State fumble in the end zone that officials missed, as the unbeaten Jaguars prepared for their season finale against Arkansas-Monticello.
Jones and strength and conditioning coach Justin Schwind joined host Lee Shirvanian for the Joey Jones Show at Baumhower’s on Airport Boulevard.
Kicking Game and Henderson State Review
Jones said McGlon is the most accurate of the Jaguars’ kickers, though his range is about 42 yards. He said South Alabama has other kickers capable of making field goals of more than 50 yards.
Jones said South Alabama recovered a Henderson State fumble in the end zone, but the play was missed on the field, and the team’s video showed the Jaguars had the ball. He explained that the play was not a safety because the Henderson State player never had possession; had he controlled the ball, fumbled and then recovered in the end zone, it would have been a safety.
Jones said he did not think his players took him seriously when he warned them how good Henderson State was, suggesting that after hearing similar warnings all season, the message did not register this time.
Arkansas-Monticello Preview
Asked whether the Jaguars would generate more pass rush than they did against Henderson State, Jones said Arkansas-Monticello is a different team that is more balanced and leans more toward the run. He said the Boll Weevils can also run the option, so South Alabama must prepare for it. Jones said he believes the Jaguars match up better this week because they have smart linebackers who get into good position.
Jones cited the opponents’ third-down conversion rate of 26 percent among the season statistics he reviewed, though he said he is not a big numbers person.
Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Saturday, with the Jaguar Prowl at 3:45 p.m. Next week’s episode of the Joey Jones Show will be the last radio show of the season.
Ross Recovering After Surgery
Jones said running back Brandon Ross is doing well after surgery and has been texting him about his recovery. Jones said he looks forward to having Ross back and that South Alabama is fortunate to have two power backs in Ross and Kendall Houston.
Asked whether the two could share the field next season, Jones said they could line up on either side of the quarterback in the shotgun, adding that a team wants its best players on the field.
Transfer Window
Jones said players who transfer to South Alabama through next summer will be eligible to play immediately because of the program’s transition to Division I, but players who transfer after next fall will have to sit out a year.
Schwind’s Approach
Jones said Schwind worked with him at Birmingham-Southern before following him to South Alabama. He said Schwind paid his dues early in his career, traveling across the country for opportunities to improve as a strength coach even when he was barely making ends meet. Jones said a head coach must have a strength coach he trusts, because position coaches are limited in how much time they can spend with players during the year while the strength coach works with them year-round.
Schwind said the Jaguars lift two days a week during the season and work out five days a week in the offseason, though not every session involves weights. He said players must keep working without being run into the ground.
Schwind said he designs workouts by position rather than for each individual. Quarterbacks do no overhead lifts, and when they bench press, a board is placed on their chest to limit the range of motion and protect the shoulder. They also work on shoulder flexibility and strength throughout the year.
Schwind said Paul Bennett works the hardest and is the team’s best overall athlete, benching about 490 pounds, squatting about 650 and running the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds.
Asked about concussions, Schwind said research points to strengthening the muscles involved, and the Jaguars work on those muscles extensively so players are less likely to suffer a concussion or serious injury from a big hit.
