MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama practiced in full pads for the first time this preseason on Tuesday morning, holding a session of nearly three hours in the Jaguars’ fifth practice of camp.
The team worked at the Jaguar Practice Facility behind the Football Fieldhouse on campus as it prepares for its 2012 season.
Situational Work
After warmups, the Jaguars opened with special teams and position drills before the offense and defense met in about 15 minutes of first- and third-down situational work.
Offensive highlights in that period included a 35-yard completion from Trey Fetner to Cameron Broadnax, a 15-yard run by quarterback Ross Metheny and 10-yard gains by T.J. Glover and Fetner. Defensively, Will Thompson recorded a sack and a fumble recovery, and Bryson James and Eddy Cabrera each broke up a pass.
7-on-7 and Midfield Drills
In roughly 15 plays of 7-on-7 work, C.J. Bennett completed 4 of 7 passes, including a 5-yard touchdown to Wes Saxton. Metheny completed three passes, one of them a 10-yard touchdown to Broadnax.
The final team period started with the ball at midfield. Kendall Houston broke a 15-yard run, and Bennett completed a 17-yard pass to Terrance Timmons. Thompson added a tackle for loss, and Cabrera and Jake Johnson each recorded a pass breakup.
What They Said
“I thought we had a good practice intensity-wise,” head coach Joey Jones said. “The defense is getting better in pass coverage. I’ve noticed that and talked with coach Walker about that during practice. We’re sticking much tighter to the receivers and the zone coverages are harder to find, so we’re getting better on defense. Offensively, it’s a continuation but I think we’ve made some progress.”
Senior linebacker Jake Johnson welcomed the return of contact. “It’s always good to get the pads back on,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for this season since I came here to play. It’s a great opportunity to really show what our team is made of. We have gotten bigger, faster and stronger, which is really key.”
“We had good weather and guys were flying around. We got better today,” B.J. Scott said. “We should be better off with the experience and leadership we have on defense this year.”
Up Next
The Jaguars return to the practice field at 7:15 a.m. Wednesday.
