MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama football coach Joey Jones said Monday that Cal Poly may be the best team to play the Jaguars at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, as South Alabama prepares for Saturday’s Senior Day finale.
Jones was joined at the weekly press conference by senior cornerback Anton Graphenreed and senior tight end Kevin Helms. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Saturday, with the game airing locally on UTV44 and on ESPN3.com.
A Disciplined Option Attack
Jones said the Mustangs’ triple-option offense presents a different challenge from anything South Alabama has seen this season, comparing it to the attacks used by the service academies and Georgia Tech.
“It’s a very disciplined team that runs the triple option, which always presents problems,” Jones said. “Thank goodness we’ve had some time to work on it over the last couple of weeks, I don’t know how you do it when you have just one week to prepare for an offense like this.”
Jones said Cal Poly averages 31.5 points and 257 rushing yards per game. He singled out quarterback Andre Broadous, who can also throw, and fullback Jake Romanelli, the team’s leading rusher at roughly 100 yards per game.
“They run the football a lot, but they are very diverse in what they do running it, so it will be a big challenge for our defense,” he said.
On the other side of the ball, Jones described Cal Poly as sound along both lines and said cornerback Asa Jackson is drawing attention from NFL teams. He also noted that the Mustangs’ kicker drives most kickoffs into the end zone, forcing opponents to start drives at the 20-yard line.
Praise for the Seniors
The seniors who will be honored Saturday arrived before the program played its first game and have been part of all three seasons of South Alabama football. Jones said their role in building the program cannot be overstated.
“The seniors, in my opinion, have been as crucial to the success of this football program as anything that you could think of,” Jones said. “These seniors have come in and paid a dear price.”
Jones added that the class has “done things the right way” and that “their leadership has been tremendous.”
He said ending the season with a win matters because it carries over into the following year, and that the younger players want to send the seniors off well.
“Our guys have been focused last week and this week, they understand we have a real good team coming in here and it’s going to take all we can do to beat them,” he said.
Graphenreed Focused on Home Record
South Alabama has not lost at home, and Graphenreed said keeping that record intact through his final game is a priority.
“It’s extremely important because we work really hard to say that we never lost period,” Graphenreed said. “When you say this is your home and you have great fans – we have awesome fans – you just don’t want to disappoint.”
He credited the scout team with simulating Cal Poly’s run-heavy attack in practice.
“We need the closest thing to the real thing as possible before we get to the game,” he said.
Helms Reflects on Program’s Growth
Helms, who transferred to South Alabama from a junior college that won a national championship during his freshman year, said he wants to finish his career with a win and keep the home record unblemished.
“I like the streak of not being beaten at home,” Helms said. “I would like to keep a goose egg in the loss column.”
He described the program’s progression from its first season, saying the roster grew stronger each year with transfers and freshmen.
“We have had some injuries along the way, but we have improved 100 percent every year,” Helms said. “It is a great place with great coaches who really do care about you. And we have great fans – people always show up to the games.”
South Alabama hosts Cal Poly at 4 p.m. Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
