MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama head coach Joey Jones announced Wednesday that Ross Metheny will be the Jaguars’ starting quarterback, moving away from the rotation Metheny had shared with C.J. Bennett through the first five games of the season.
The decision was first reported by AL.com, and Jones repeated it while taping the Joey Jones Show, which airs Saturdays on UTV44 in Mobile.
Evaluated Week to Week
Jones told the Press-Register that Metheny is the starter “right now” and that the position will be evaluated on a week-to-week basis, leaving open the possibility that Bennett could earn the job back. Metheny will take most of the first-team repetitions when the Jaguars return to practice next week following their open date.
Jones has said several times that the two quarterbacks were close in their play. He said he chose to go with one quarterback so that the starter receives the majority of practice repetitions, with the goal of improving the offense’s production.
Season Statistics
Metheny, a transfer from Virginia, has completed 34 of 59 passes (57.6 percent) for 354 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. He has run 25 times for 7 yards.
Bennett has completed 52 of 95 passes (54.7 percent) for 543 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions, and he has rushed 28 times for 134 yards. His 50-yard run last Saturday against Troy set up South Alabama’s only touchdown in a 31-10 loss in the Sun Belt Conference opener.
Bennett’s Run as Starter
Bennett had started 16 consecutive games for South Alabama: the final four games of the 2010 season, all 10 games in 2011 and the first two games of 2012.
The 2012 season is South Alabama’s first playing a Sun Belt Conference football schedule and the final year of its transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision.
