MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama football coach Joey Jones said Tuesday that his program is ready for week-to-week competition at the Football Bowl Subdivision level, despite back-to-back losses at NC State and Kent State, and that he takes the blame for a poor first half in Ohio.
Jones and running backs and special teams coach Tommy Perry discussed the Kent State game and the Jaguars’ open week on the Joey Jones Show with host Lee Shirvanian at Baumhower’s on Airport Boulevard.
Two Halves at Kent State
Jones said many observers had simply hoped the NC State and Kent State games would not be embarrassing. Instead, he said, South Alabama played NC State closer than the final score suggested and had a chance to score the tying points late against Kent State, a game he said the Jaguars could and probably should have won.
Jones called the Jaguars’ first-half performance at Kent State “pitiful,” saying the team played hard but made critical mistakes and did not play smart. He said he takes responsibility because the team was not as focused as usual before the game. South Alabama fell behind 16-0, the first time an opponent had jumped on the Jaguars that way, and Jones said the team appeared stunned until a big play in the third quarter got it going. In the second half, South Alabama gained 330 yards and held Kent State to about 80.
Jones said the program, about two and a half years old, is still growing but is ready for FBS play. He said South Alabama may not be ready for Alabama or Auburn but can compete with lower-level FBS teams.
Running Into the Nation’s Top Rush Defense
Jones said Kent State, which led the nation in rushing defense last season, is by far the best defense South Alabama has faced, with well-coached linebackers. He said the staff worked all week on schemes to run the ball and may have overdone it, adding that against a defense that strong, a team hopes to run for 120 to 130 yards and pass for more than 200.
Perry credited Kent State’s aggressive front seven, saying its movement confused and slowed the Jaguars’ blockers. He said the running backs played tough and physical but made errors in alignment and blitz pickup, and that the team must learn to keep working and ignore the scoreboard rather than wait for a big play.
Jones said running back Kendall Houston had a tight lower back before the game and the coaches could tell in warmups that he was not himself. Perry said Houston took hits at NC State the previous week that he was amazed Houston withstood.
Jones said he was pleased that the offensive line blocked well against a Kent State defensive lineman who had given Alabama trouble.
Bennett’s Development
Jones said the biggest focus for quarterback C.J. Bennett, a redshirt freshman who has started seven games, is sticking with his progressions rather than anticipating. He said Bennett knows the offense and coverages so well that he believes he can make every throw, and sometimes needs to throw the ball away. Jones called Bennett a good quarterback who will become a great one, saying the staff wants a game manager who is not afraid to make plays.
Clarifying a published quote that losses would make the team better, Jones said it is the reaction to losses that matters. He said complacency is hard to fight after a 19-game winning streak, and the way the team responds to the two losses will define it.
Open Week and Injuries
South Alabama had been scheduled to host UC Davis this week before the Aggies bought out the game. Jones said he would have liked to face UC Davis again but that the open week came at a good time. Players will have three days off at the end of the week while coaches recruit, and the team returns Sunday to begin preparing for its trip to San Antonio to face UTSA.
Receiver Corey Waldon has a sprained knee and is expected back no later than Monday. Receiver Corey Besteda had a minor procedure to remove a loose body from his knee and should return by the middle of next week. Jones said the team was slightly more banged up after facing two FBS opponents but held up well.
Perry said punt returner Jereme Jones has matured. Shirvanian noted occasions when Jones returned punts to around the 30-yard line that would have been downed between the 15 and 20 on a fair catch, and both coaches said that difference in field position is significant. Perry said returners must be aggressive but smart.
Homecoming and Tickets
Travis Toth said the Oct. 15 homecoming game against Tennessee-Martin will kick off at 2:30 p.m. and be televised on UTV44 and ESPN3. A pep rally at the Bell Tower is set for 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13. The homecoming parade begins at 6 p.m. Friday, followed by Moonlight Madness, the start of basketball practice, at 7 p.m.
Toth said South Alabama returned the rest of its ticket allotment for the UTSA game but still has tickets for the game against Georgia State at the Georgia Dome, available until Oct. 7.
Jones said recruiting priorities remain offensive linemen, with several graduating, and depth in the secondary. He said next season will be tough, with consecutive games against Mississippi State and NC State along with Troy and Middle Tennessee.
