MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama head coach Joey Jones said Tuesday at the Jaguars’ annual media day that his team has better players than a year ago as it prepares for its first season playing a Sun Belt Conference schedule.
Jones, defensive coordinator Bill Clark and first-year offensive coordinator Robert Matthews took questions at the football fieldhouse on campus, along with seniors Jake Johnson, B.J. Scott and Trey Clark and sophomore Jereme Jones.
Jones: “There’s a Different Look”
“We’re very excited about this season. Our kids have worked their tails off to get here,” Jones said in his opening statement. “There’s a different look in their eyes right now, they understand the challenges we have ahead of us.”
Asked how the Jaguars will measure up in the Sun Belt, Jones said, “There’s no doubt that we’re better. We have better players. It’s going to be a year where we kind of feel our way through as far as knowing how good these teams are.”
“We want to make a good representation for South Alabama,” he said. “I want the other teams to respect us when they walk off the field. You certainly want to get to the point where you win a lot of games, but you can’t focus on that. We have to focus on the process of it.”
Linebackers a Strength
Jones identified the linebackers as a strength, starting with Johnson. “He’s a great football player who I think will play in the NFL next year,” Jones said. “He’s smart, can run and is a good tackler, he can do it all.” He also cited Enrique Williams and Clifton Crews. “I think those guys can compete with just about anybody,” he said.
Special Teams Emphasis
Jones said special teams coach Perry visited a couple of NFL teams during the offseason and brought back ideas the Jaguars are implementing. “We’ve emphasized the importance of it,” Jones said. “I feel really good about where we are.”
Run Game Still the Foundation
With a new offensive coordinator, Jones said the philosophy remains balance built on the run. “If you can’t run the football then you can’t win in my opinion,” he said. “You can throw the ball and win games, but you have to run the ball to be able to win championships.” He said players have “really bought in” to the new offense.
Two Quarterbacks Who Can Win
Jones said the quarterback competition between Ross Metheny and C.J. Bennett has made both players better. “I think both Ross Metheny and C.J. Bennett can win for us right now,” he said. “They both fit this offense really well, and are both very similar in their traits.”
Clark: “A Whole Different Set of Guys”
Clark said the defense will look different as South Alabama’s recruiting options expand with its move to Division I. “You’re going to see a whole different set of guys on defense,” he said. “When you go out recruiting, those big defensive linemen go first, they are hard to find. We’ve got some guys who are undersized, but are the type of guys who play their butts off. We have to keep those guys healthy.”
Clark said practicing against an up-tempo spread offense similar to those in the Sun Belt will help. “We want to be high-energy, highly-motored and we want to get off the field and get our offense the ball,” he said. “We’re glad we get to practice against them. It makes us a lot better.”
He praised Johnson and Scott as leaders who have played in big stadiums, citing last season’s game at N.C. State. “They lead by example, and they’re good people,” Clark said. “We’ve got a lot of juniors that are like seniors since they’ve been with us when we started.”
Clark, who came to South Alabama from the high school ranks, recalled Jones calling while his team was in the second week of the playoffs. “We were sitting here on a cement slab (four years ago) telling people what it was going to look like,” Clark said. “To see the football facility, to see where we’re headed, changes at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, watching our guys grow, to finally be Division I, is pretty neat.”
He said he feels he represents high school coaches “who teach class in the day and coach because they’re doing what they love.”
Matthews: “A Lot of First Downs and a Lot of Points”
Matthews, in his first season as offensive coordinator, said the goal is “a lot of first downs and a lot of points.” He said the staff is running two team periods and two 7-on-7 periods at the same time in practice to build depth on both sides of the ball.
“We’re in this for the long haul, not a one season and out kind of deal,” Matthews said. “Coach Jones is a Mobile native and we want this to be a proud program.”
Matthews said the offense will rotate receivers, tight ends and running backs, snap the ball quickly and spread touches among playmakers. He said work since spring practice has made camp “more refining as opposed to re-teaching.”
Matthews said his first coaching job was at a high school in Georgia that ran the Wing-T, and that South Alabama will use a one-back spread. “Coach Jones has been involved in some good offensive schemes himself,” he said. “I think we’ve done a really good job of meshing those ideas together.”
On the quarterbacks, Matthews said Bennett, Metheny, Trey Fetner and Kolt Peavy have all improved with plenty of practice repetitions. “I’m not worried about C.J. from last year. I’m worried about C.J. and how the rest of the guys are doing right now,” he said. “He comes to work every day and he’s being a good leader.”
Players on Camp Progress
Johnson said the defense is further along than at the same point a year ago and more complex in its schemes. He singled out 19-year-old nose tackle Jesse Kelley and cornerback Alonzo Long. “We’re really looking good halfway through camp,” he said.
Johnson said seeing the spread offense daily in practice will help with conditioning and preparation for Sun Belt opponents. “The spread attack is what a majority of the teams in the Sun Belt are running,” he said.
Scott said some players are banged up at midway through camp but the defense is “looking good.” He said the cornerbacks are more athletic, citing Long and Tyrell Pearson, and that facing a hurry-up offense forces the secondary to line up and call coverages faster.
Trey Clark, the senior center, said the fast-paced offense demands strong conditioning. He said the offensive line’s strengths are speed and athleticism, while pass protection and cohesion need work. He credited Drew Dearman, Shaun Artz, Chris May and transfer Perry Meiklejohn for stepping up during camp.
Jereme Jones said the receivers had to study the playbook heavily in the spring but entered fall camp ready to execute. He said conditioning is built into practice through up-tempo drills rather than sprints. “Instead of having to learn, we just executed,” he said.
Of the quarterbacks, Jones said Bennett is “throwing the ball the way he’s supposed to” and that Metheny “does a good job of running the offense.” He added, “There’s going to be some competition this year.”
