MOBILE, Ala. — The South Alabama defense set the tone in the Jaguars’ first scrimmage of 2013 preseason camp, held Saturday morning at the Jaguar Practice Facility on campus, while the competition at quarterback between Ross Metheny and Brandon Bridge remained unsettled.
Metheny, the returning starter, and Bridge, a transfer from Alcorn State, are competing for the starting job, with Trey Fetner established as the third quarterback.
Quarterback Race Still Open
Head coach Joey Jones did not single out either Metheny or Bridge as the scrimmage’s top performer. He said both are good quarterbacks and that the offensive line must improve to give them time to throw.
Jones pointed to Bridge’s athleticism and ability to tuck the ball and run, and he praised Metheny’s intelligence and command of the offense. Jones said he is comfortable with either quarterback taking snaps.
Asked whether South Alabama might again use two quarterbacks, as it did last season, Jones said, “that all remains to be seen.”
In the scrimmage, Bridge threw for 67 yards and broke off a 27-yard run. Metheny passed for 29 yards. Fetner, who was used in short-yardage and goal-line situations, completed 7 of 10 passes for 51 yards and ran for 19 yards. Fetner led the offense down the field for the first score of the scrimmage.
Redshirt freshman Grant Powell and true freshman Brett Sheehan are also on the roster at quarterback. Two quarterbacks from last year’s team have left the program: C.J. Bennett transferred to Murray State after last season, and Kolt Peavey recently transferred to Rhode Island.
Defensive Leaders
Alex Page and Maleki Harris led the defense with six tackles apiece, and Page was credited with 1.5 tackles for loss. Desmond LaVelle finished with five tackles. Antonio Carter, Clifton Crews, E.J. May and Pat Moore each recorded four tackles.
Steffon Fuller produced the scrimmage’s only takeaway, intercepting a deflected pass late in the session.
The defense also broke up six passes and recorded two quarterback hurries.
Special Teams
The defense blocked three field goal attempts by Aleem Sunanon, with Romelle Jones, Pat Moore and Byron Sneed each credited with a block.
Zac Henry made field goals of 28 and 30 yards and converted several extra points.
Offensive Numbers
The South Alabama offense ran 97 plays for 405 total yards, with 225 yards rushing and 180 yards passing.
Terrance Timmons led the running backs with 66 yards on five carries. Most of that came on a 53-yard touchdown run that capped a three-play, 65-yard drive.
Kendall Houston scored on a 3-yard run and finished with 38 yards on 10 carries. Jay Jones added a 2-yard touchdown run, and Julien Valentin ran eight times for 35 yards. Powell scored on a 13-yard run.
Jereme Jones, T.J. Glover and Kyle Sappington each caught three passes to lead the receivers. Jereme Jones had 26 receiving yards, Glover 23 and Sappington 21. Danny Woodson Jr. had the longest reception of the day, a 29-yard catch. Four other Jaguars caught multiple passes.
The offense worked at an up-tempo pace on several occasions.
Work To Do Up Front
Metheny said the offense has things to correct and that injuries affected pass protection. He said the coming week will be important for the team.
Jones told AL.com that the staff rotated players in because several were banged up. He said the team must continue working to settle on its starting five offensive linemen and get them back to full speed for the season. Jones added that the scrimmage was designed to evaluate a large number of players.
Looking Ahead
South Alabama’s season opener against Southern Utah on Aug. 29 is less than three weeks away. The staff plans to settle the starting lineup over the next week before directing most practice repetitions to the first and second teams.
South Alabama is a member of the Sun Belt Conference and plays its home games at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
