MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama head coach Joey Jones said Monday that the way his players have responded to a series of narrow defeats speaks to their character, two days after a 17-16 loss to two-time defending Sun Belt Conference champion Arkansas State dropped the Jaguars to 3-5.
Jones was joined at his weekly press conference by quarterback Ross Metheny and defensive lineman Romelle Jones. South Alabama has an open date this weekend before traveling to Navy on Saturday, Nov. 16.
‘A Play or Two Short’
Jones said the Jaguars outplayed Arkansas State physically for much of the game. “I thought we played a very good game but were a play or two short,” he said.
He said the program is improving and taking every opponent down to the wire, but must find a way to close out games. Jones said he has been asked about the close losses many times, and that the team will keep working and fighting.
“How you compete when the going gets tough is how you find out about people,” Jones said. “The one thing I’ve found out about this team and our staff is they are competing every minute of every day.”
Disappointed for the Players
Jones said his main goal is for his players to succeed, and that it hurts to see close games slip away for a team few expected to win many games this year. He said he told the players Sunday that they have been successful in his eyes because of how they have responded instead of giving up.
“You see a lot of teams experience defeat like that early and fall apart, so I think it has a lot to do with the character of our young men,” Jones said. He said this team has improved significantly over last year’s.
Bye Week Focus: Fundamentals
Jones said the staff will use the open week to work on fundamentals. He said the Navy game will come down to blocking and tackling, particularly against the Midshipmen’s offense, which is unlike anything else South Alabama faces.
Metheny: ‘No Quit in Us’
Metheny said the bye week comes at a good time for the team to regroup and put the past behind it. He acknowledged that so many close losses in a row have taken an emotional toll.
“You’re a crazy man if you think we aren’t going to put our heart and soul into these last four games and try to win them,” Metheny said. He said the players can take some satisfaction from building a solid foundation for the program.
Romelle Jones Played Through Injury
Romelle Jones, who sprained the MCL in his knee against Texas State, returned to play against Arkansas State. He said he was determined to be on the field for a conference game unless there was structural damage. He said he and several teammates will use the open week to get healthy.
The defensive lineman said the close losses are especially frustrating because the team can “just taste it” before the result slips away, but that being only a play or two from winning motivates the players to work harder.
South Alabama plays at Navy on Saturday, Nov. 16.
