MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama football coach Joey Jones said Monday that his team’s readiness and ball control carried it past UT-Martin in its homecoming game, and he described the challenge of preparing for three Georgia State quarterbacks as the Jaguars head to the Georgia Dome on Saturday.
Jones was joined by cornerback Anton Graphenreed at the weekly press conference at the South Alabama Football Fieldhouse.
Controlling the Clock Against UT-Martin
South Alabama beat UT-Martin 33-30 on Saturday. Jones said his players were “mentally, physically and emotionally ready to go” from the first snap after two weeks of preparation.
He said the Jaguars ran 48 offensive plays to the Skyhawks’ 20 in the first half, keeping the ball away from a strong UT-Martin offense. UT-Martin scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to make the game close.
“I was real proud of our guys, I thought we played the game very well,” Jones said. “We could’ve wrapped it up a little better, but as far as the way we played, I was extremely proud of that.”
Jones said the defense took away the stretch play, which he called UT-Martin’s best play, and that the offense moved methodically and converted short third downs. He also noted the Jaguars did not commit a turnover.
“If we don’t have any, we have a chance to play with anybody,” he said.
Homecoming Crowd
Jones said the crowd for the pregame Jaguar Prowl was probably the largest since he became coach.
“They’re shaking hands and hugging little girls and having a good time walking through, it’s been a great tradition for us that I think will only get better and better as time goes on,” he said of his players.
Scouting Georgia State
Jones praised Georgia State coach Bill Curry and said the Panthers, like South Alabama, are building a new program and have recruited athletic players.
“Bill Curry is a great football coach and a great man,” Jones said. “I have all the respect in the world for their coaching staff.”
Jones said quarterback Drew Little, whom he described as 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, completed many passes against South Alabama last season. Georgia State has also used Kelton Hill, whom Jones described as a strong runner and good passer, and Schlechter, whom he called a combination of the two.
“The difficulty is being able to have plans when those guys come in the game, and our guys realizing when they come in and making adjustments accordingly,” Jones said.
He said Georgia State’s defense is more athletic than a year ago and shows many different looks, so the Jaguars will trim their offensive game plan.
Back Under a Dome
South Alabama won its only previous game in a dome this season, a double-overtime victory at UTSA. Jones said crowd noise made communication difficult in San Antonio but that his players enjoyed the atmosphere.
“I think they are very excited about going to the Georgia Dome, a lot of them haven’t been there,” he said, noting that the game is Georgia State’s homecoming.
Graphenreed Returns to Georgia
Graphenreed said the defense stuck to its fundamentals against UT-Martin, particularly in the first half.
“Everything was just dominant from the snap of the ball,” he said. “I just wish we could have come out in the fourth quarter and put the nail in the coffin, but that’s something that we just have to work on and stay on each other about not letting up because no one is going to let up on us.”
Graphenreed, a Georgia native, said many family members and friends will attend Saturday’s game. He played in the Georgia Dome twice in high school. He said last season’s meeting with Georgia State unfolded much like the UT-Martin game, with South Alabama starting fast but not finishing well.
South Alabama plays Georgia State on Saturday at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
