MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama head coach Joey Jones said Tuesday that the Jaguars made real progress in last week’s seven-point loss at Arkansas State, and he said the team feels good about its chances heading into Saturday’s FAU homecoming game against Florida Atlantic. Jones appeared on his weekly radio show at Baumhower’s Restaurant on Airport Boulevard with host Lee Shirvanian and defensive backs coach Duwan Walker.
Looking Back at Jonesboro
Asked how he felt leaving the field in Jonesboro, Jones said, “I felt good deep down, but hurting just because we lost and because you never want to lose.”
Jones said the offense showed the improvement the staff had been seeking in recent weeks, picking up first downs, moving the ball and converting on third down. He also credited the defense and the special teams, which blocked a punt, produced good kickoff returns and covered kicks well.
South Alabama trailed by six points in the fourth quarter, and Jones said he believed the Jaguars could win before they lost by seven. He said he was proud the team took a good opponent down to the wire. Jones noted that Arkansas State won the Sun Belt Conference championship last season, returned several seniors and has the league’s reigning player of the year at quarterback, and he said his players were not fazed and were ready to play.
Shirvanian noted that South Alabama ran more than 80 plays to Arkansas State’s roughly 60 and led in nearly every statistical category except the final score. Jones said the most important development was that the offense controlled the ball, something it had not done before this game.
Jones praised quarterback Ross Metheny, saying he has strong leadership skills, players listen to him and he plays with confidence. Jones said Metheny did a good job extending plays: when a downfield throw was not open, he checked down to a running back or ran for positive yardage instead of forcing the ball, which helped the Jaguars pick up first downs.
Penalties a Point of Emphasis
Jones acknowledged that penalties hurt the Jaguars, noting that defenders jumped offside several times while blitzing or trying to get to the line. Shirvanian mentioned that broadcaster Rick Cleveland had pointed to the Arkansas State quarterback’s unusual cadence during the game, but Jones said that was no excuse and that defensive linemen need to watch the ball rather than listen to the cadence. Jones said that if the team reduces its penalties, it will have a chance to win.
Injuries and Demetre Baker’s Status
In the injury report sponsored by The Orthopaedic Group, Jones said offensive lineman Ucambre Williams will probably be out with a knee injury suffered on the second play of the game, an injury he said did not look good. Offensive lineman Shaun Artz hurt his back, and the staff is waiting for more information. Jones said everyone else came out of the game in good shape.
Chris May replaced Williams and played most of the game, and Jones said Drew Dearman could return to the lineup to fill in for Artz. Asked about depth on the line, Jones said the Jaguars have decent depth, though there is always concern about others being ready to step in. He said the staff pulled a couple of players from the scout team to prepare them to play.
Asked about Demetre Baker, who Shirvanian said was held out because of a violation of team rules, Jones said he thought Baker would be all right but that “the ball is in his court.” Pressed on whether Baker would play again for the Jaguars, Jones repeated that “it’s up to him.” He acknowledged that Baker was not on the depth chart for the Florida Atlantic game as of Tuesday.
The Secondary
Walker said the secondary played well at Arkansas State and, while it could have been better, it met its top priority of limiting big plays.
Asked how the staff addressed last season’s problems in the secondary, Walker said the coaches recruited heavily from junior colleges. He cited Tyrell Pearson, whom he described as short but mature and talented, and Darrius Morrow, another junior college addition who has played well. Walker also credited B.J. Scott with sparking the secondary, noting that Scott missed spring workouts but is now hitting his stride during the season.
Walker said the ideal profile for a defensive back changes from week to week; this week the Jaguars face receivers around 6-foot-4, so size will matter. He said the staff wants playmakers who are electric and smart, and that it must pursue both speed and size. Jones added that shorter defensive backs must rely on technique, noting that the staff targets players between 5-foot-10 and 6 feet with speed. A defensive back with good technique, he said, can break up a pass by getting his hands between the receiver’s hands.
Walker said mental errors and technique are the primary factors in grading defensive backs, and that coaches know immediately on the field who had coverage responsibility on any play.
Florida Atlantic Up Next
Florida Atlantic, like South Alabama, enters the game at 1-5, though Shirvanian noted that the Owls have played Alabama and Georgia. Jones said the Jaguars cannot overlook anyone but feel good about their chances, and must work to make the plays to win.
Walker said FAU’s receivers are athletic and resemble South Alabama’s on film, and that the Owls ran and threw the ball well against Georgia. Jones said Florida Atlantic runs a spread offense, though different from those of Troy and Arkansas State. He compared the FAU quarterback, at about 6-foot-6, to NC State’s Mike Glennon, saying he delivers the ball well and can throw high for his tall receivers.
Jones said homecoming is not a major distraction at the college level, unlike in high school, where many schoolwide events take place.
A caller asked whether the team might present a game ball to the family of the late coach Kurt Crain. Jones said the staff had not considered it, but noted that a plaque in his memory was recently placed in the football fieldhouse and the players wear a “KC” sticker on their helmets.
Measuring the Season
Shirvanian noted that South Alabama is ranked 111th in the BCS computer listings, one spot behind FAU and ahead of programs such as UNLV, Colorado, Colorado State and Akron. Jones said football in the Sun Belt is strong and that the Jaguars are improving but are not there yet.
Asked why South Alabama is not the team scheduled to play Alabama next season instead of Georgia State, Jones said the decision belongs to Alabama, but confirmed the two schools have discussed it. He also confirmed the Jaguars have gone head-to-head with Alabama and Auburn for recruits, though he could not name them.
Responding to an emailed question about how the program will define success this season, Jones said he typically sets a win goal, but this year is different because the Jaguars have fewer players than most opponents. He said the staff is evaluating improvement week to week and will know where the team stands in the conference at season’s end. Walker said success means progress, working each week to improve and earn the respect of opponents.
Update: Game Recap From Jonesboro
Arkansas State won the game 36-29 at Liberty Bank Stadium. The loss dropped South Alabama to 1-5 overall and 0-2 in the Sun Belt, while the Red Wolves improved to 4-3 and 2-1.
South Alabama opened the game with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, then recovered a fumble on Arkansas State’s first offensive snap. The Jaguars moved 16 yards in seven plays and added a Michel Chapuseaux field goal for a 10-0 lead with 7:52 left in the first quarter. Arkansas State led 14-13 at halftime.
In the fourth quarter, South Alabama penalties gave Arkansas State three tries at a two-point conversion, and the Red Wolves converted on the third attempt to go ahead by 14. The Jaguars scored a touchdown with 17 seconds remaining to make it 36-29 but did not recover the ensuing onside kick.
“You can see that this team is growing,” Jones said after the game. “I saw some great things out there tonight. We’re playing the Sun Belt champion from last year, they have a very good football team. We took them down to the wire and got to within six points in the fourth quarter, we were right where we wanted to be.”
“Offensively, we took care of the football and had 24 first downs, those were big positives,” Jones said. “There were a lot of improvements, the kids fought and were having fun. It still hurts, but it was a darn good game.”
Statistics
South Alabama led Arkansas State in first downs (24-23), rushing yards (132-113), passing yards (241-203), total offense (373-316), offensive plays (88-59) and time of possession (35:39 to 24:21).
- Ross Metheny: 24-of-38, 241 yards, three touchdowns, one interception; sacked once; 9 carries, 22 yards
- Terrance Timmons: 13 carries, 43 yards; 3 catches, 29 yards
- Kendall Houston: 18 carries, 36 yards
- Trey Fetner: 3 carries, 17 yards
- Corey Besteda: 5 catches, 45 yards
- Greg Hollinger: 5 catches, 30 yards
- T.J. Glover: 3 catches, 47 yards
- Jereme Jones: 3 catches, 44 yards
- Bryant Lavender: 3 catches, 31 yards
South Alabama’s defense held Arkansas State running back David Oku to 84 yards on 22 carries. Red Wolves quarterback Ryan Aplin completed 17 of 22 passes for 203 yards and three touchdowns and was sacked twice. McKissic caught seven passes for 41 yards and a touchdown, and Josh Jarboe had three catches for 34 yards and a touchdown.
Single Quarterback Approach
The Arkansas State game was South Alabama’s first this season with one quarterback taking the snaps, after the Jaguars used a two-quarterback system through their first five games. Metheny’s three touchdown passes in Jonesboro compared with four touchdown passes for the team over the previous five games combined.
After the game, Jones said the team’s response reflected its work in practice. “I think if we had come in here and had a tough game, I don’t know how our kids would have reacted and I don’t know how our coaches would have reacted,” he said. “I know how they’ve reacted all year long and they’ve fought every day at practice. They keep getting better and better, though I know nobody sees that.”
“Nobody sees the hard work these young men and staff are putting into it. That’s the reason we played good,” Jones said. “A lot of teams quit in this situation. We’re not going to do that so we’re getting better. It was awfully encouraging. But I still hate to lose.”
