JONESBORO, Ark. — South Alabama, in its first season of Sun Belt Conference football, faces defending league champion Arkansas State on Saturday evening in Jonesboro.
The Jaguars will be without Demetre Baker, who is suspended for the game.
Jaguars Defense Draws Notice
In the program’s fourth season of football, South Alabama’s defense ranks second in the Sun Belt and 38th nationally. The offense ranks among the lowest-producing units in the country.
Arkansas State offensive line coach J.B. Grimes praised the Jaguars in comments to the Arkansas State student newspaper.
“They’re really, really far along as a defensive football team (and) as a football team overall,” Grimes said. “They’re much further along than I think what a lot of people in this league anticipated. I’ve been very impressed watching these guys on tape.”
Grimes described the Jaguars’ defensive line as “very, very well coached” and “very sound.”
Malzahn on the South Alabama Offense
First-year Arkansas State head coach Gus Malzahn noted that South Alabama is working under a new offensive coordinator.
“They have a new coordinator, and you can see they are getting better with what they are doing,” Malzahn said. “Their quarterbacks stand out to me, they look very solid to me. Their offensive line is a very solid line, and they have a big athletic running back.”
Red Wolves Offense
Arkansas State ranks third in the Sun Belt in total offense at 470.8 yards per game and leads the conference in rushing offense at 232.2 yards per game. The Red Wolves are also third in the league in passing offense, averaging 238.7 yards per game.
Red Wolves Defense
Arkansas State’s rushing defense ranks 113th nationally, and the Red Wolves spent the week preparing for the multiple formations South Alabama uses.
Sophomore linebacker Qushaun Lee returned last week after serving a suspension for the Western Kentucky game. In his return against FIU, Lee recorded 12 tackles, an interception and a pass breakup and was named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week.
Update: Baker Suspension Details
South Alabama’s athletics department announced that Baker, a 6-foot-1, 230-pound sophomore running back, was suspended for the Arkansas State game for a violation of team rules.
Baker is the Jaguars’ leading rusher with 294 yards and one touchdown on 67 carries this season. He has also caught six passes for 55 yards, and his 349 all-purpose yards rank second on the team behind T.J. Glover’s 375.
Head coach Joey Jones was not available for comment on the suspension on Friday, according to the Press-Register.
Update: Final Week of Preparation
During the week, South Alabama’s first-team offense and defense each worked against scout team units simulating what the Jaguars will see in Jonesboro. The staff has emphasized cutting down on mistakes and penalties, which have been a problem for much of the season.
“It was pretty good,” Jones said after one of the week’s sessions. “I thought we were a little bit tired this morning. We fought through it and I thought had a good practice, but we’ve got to sharpen up the things that are going to happen in the game and sharpen up the gameplan. We’ve got another day to work on it and hopefully we can get that done.”
Arkansas State’s roster includes 14 players from Alabama, three of them from Mobile. South Alabama running back Kendall Houston took part in spring practice at Arkansas State before transferring to South Alabama.
Two of South Alabama’s previous opponents, Texas-San Antonio and Mississippi State, remain unbeaten at 5-0. NC State is 4-2 after upsetting Florida State.
Update: Records, Statistics and Jones on the Off Week
South Alabama (1-4, 0-1 Sun Belt) enters the game on a three-game losing streak after an open week. Arkansas State (3-3, 1-1) is coming off a Thursday night road win over FIU, the Sun Belt’s preseason favorite. The Red Wolves trailed FIU 10-7 with about four and a half minutes left in the first half before scoring 27 of the game’s next 30 points. David Oku ran for three touchdowns, Ryan Aplin accounted for another, and Arkansas State gained 421 total yards at seven yards per play. The Red Wolves’ losses have come against Oregon and Nebraska.
Jones said the off week came at the right time. “It couldn’t have come at a better time. We were beat up,” he said. “Being nine-and-a-half weeks into it, counting fall camp, it came at a great time for our players and coaches after an emotional three games of playing N.C. State, Mississippi State and Troy.”
Arkansas State by the Numbers
- Aplin, the Sun Belt’s preseason offensive player of the year, has completed 119 of 194 passes for 1,388 yards and eight touchdowns and has run for 243 yards and two scores. He ranks third in the league in passing and total offense.
- Oku ranks fourth in the conference at nearly 77 rushing yards per game.
- J.D. McKissic leads the team with 39 catches for 452 yards, and Josh Jarboe has 28 receptions for 287 yards; each has two touchdown catches.
- The Red Wolves average 30.5 points per game.
- Nathan Herrold leads the defense with 52 tackles, four for loss, and Tim Starson has a team-high 6.5 tackles for loss. Arkansas State allows 158.2 passing yards per game and ranks last in the league against the run at 218.7 yards allowed per game.
South Alabama by the Numbers
- The Jaguars ran for a season-high 193 yards in their Sun Belt debut against Troy, with Demetre Baker gaining 62 yards on 16 carries.
- Five receivers have at least 10 catches: Bryant Lavender (13 for 122 yards), Jereme Jones (12 for a team-high 160 yards), Corey Besteda (10 for 144) and Greg Hollinger (10 for 135).
- Ross Metheny, a junior transfer named the starter last week, has completed 34 of 59 passes for 354 yards and one touchdown.
- Senior linebacker Jake Johnson leads the Sun Belt at more than 10 tackles per game and anchors the linebacker group with Enrique Williams.
- The defense ranks second in the league at 350.2 yards allowed per game and fourth at 25.6 points allowed per game.
“We have not put a complete game together,” Jones said. “We have a young offense. We started the season with two freshmen and five sophomores on the offensive unit. … We’re a better team than we were last year, but we’re playing much better competition right now and it just isn’t showing.”
“Defense and special teams are playing good enough to win, so if we can get that part going on offense then we’re going to get this thing rolling,” he said.
Kickoff in Jonesboro is set for 6 p.m., with the game airing on 105.5 WNSP.
Update: Program Firsts and Statistical Matchup
Saturday’s 6 p.m. kickoff in Jonesboro is South Alabama’s first Sun Belt Conference road game. The Jaguars (1-4, 0-1 Sun Belt) are 0-2 on the road this season and are seeking their first conference victory. South Alabama’s current three-game losing streak is the longest in program history, and a loss would be the program’s first four-game skid. Arkansas State is 3-3 overall and 1-1 in league play.
Arkansas State quarterback Ryan Aplin, the Sun Belt’s player of the year last season, has thrown for 1,388 yards and eight touchdowns with two interceptions. The Red Wolves lead the conference in passing efficiency.
“He was the player of the year in the conference last year and deservedly so. He runs the team,” Jones said. “You can tell he’s a great leader.”
Jones also praised Arkansas State defensive coordinator John Thompson, whom South Alabama faced when he was at Georgia State. “They don’t get the publicity that they do on offense, but the bottom line is they’re very good,” Jones said of the Red Wolves’ defense.
South Alabama has converted 28 percent of its third-down attempts (20 of 72) and has scored on 10 of 15 trips inside the red zone, six of them touchdowns. Ross Metheny will start at quarterback after the Jaguars ended their two-quarterback rotation.
