MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama football practiced in full pads for the first time this preseason Tuesday, adding contact to camp work though the Jaguars have not yet begun tackling.
With the extra equipment came added heat, and the staff emphasized keeping players hydrated throughout the session.
Defense Expands Packages
Head coach Joey Jones said the defense, in its first season under coordinator Kevin Sherrer, is adding complexity to its coverages and expanding its packages.
Practice Breakdown
The Jaguars opened with 15 minutes of team drills in which three groups combined for 30 first- and second-down snaps. A 10-minute team period devoted to third-down situations followed, with the first- and second-team units combining for about 16 plays.
The final 50 minutes consisted of team and group work pitting the offense against the defense. That included about 20 snaps of inside run work, and two groups combined for about 30 snaps of 7-on-7 skeleton passing.
Special teams worked in two sessions. The early period covered punts and punt coverage, and the later period focused on kickoff returns.
Jones Wants Cleaner Offense
Jones said the offense needs to sharpen its assignments.
“I think that we’ve got to get better on offense as far as knowing our assignments. There were some busts out there that we can fix, and that’s something that we can do something about,” Jones said. “You can’t do anything about your athletic ability, but you can do something about what you’re supposed to do and that’s one thing we’ve got to get cleaned up on offense.”
Hospital Visit
After practice, Jones and several players visited patients at USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital, including a former Murphy High School football player.
Up Next
South Alabama holds its first two-a-day of camp Wednesday, with sessions at 7:15 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Rain and thunderstorms are possible in the afternoon.
