MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama football is preparing on a shortened week for Thursday night’s season finale against Huntingdon College, a team Jaguars coach Joey Jones called the best his team has faced in its inaugural season.
South Alabama is 6-0 and has scored 64 points in each of its last two games. The Jaguars play Huntingdon at 6 p.m. Thursday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium with a chance to finish their first season undefeated.
Huntingdon Leads Division III in Offense
Huntingdon, a Division III program from Montgomery, has a roster with experienced juniors and seniors. The Hawks are averaging about 550 yards and 44 points per game.
“When you look at Huntingdon you see a very good football team,” Jones said at Monday’s media day. “We may have played some other teams with better athletes, but this is by far the best team we’ve played. They’re extremely well coached, and they do all the right things.”
“They’re very good on offense, averaging 44 points per game, with 550 yards a game,” he said. “They’re leading the nation in Division III offensively. We realize they’re a very good football team, and we’re really looking forward to Thursday night.”
Ridgeway a Threat to Extend Plays
Jones said Huntingdon quarterback Justin Ridgeway is dangerous when plays break down.
“He’s very athletic. He has a good arm, is a big quarterback with size to him, and he rolls out of the pocket and throws the ball really well,” Jones said. “One thing I notice about him is he makes plays when things seem to go awry. If the protection breaks down he will scramble and make a throw.”
Two Fewer Days to Prepare
The Saturday-to-Thursday turnaround removes two days from South Alabama’s normal preparation schedule.
“It is different. We’ve cut back two days of preparation from the normal week to week cycle,” Jones said. “We came in on Sunday and worked, and the coaches have been here nonstop getting ready for this ballgame. The biggest thing is our coaching staff has to have time to put a game plan together, put it in a simple way for the kids to understand it, and we’ve done that.”
“We’ve only got two more practices left, and so we’ve got to get everything done,” he added. “I’ve challenged them to do that, and they’ve responded to it.”
White Out at Ladd-Peebles
South Alabama is promoting Thursday’s game as a white out. The Jaguars will wear white helmets, white jerseys and white pants, and fans are encouraged to wear white.
