MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama football coach Joey Jones said Monday that the biggest adjustment in Saturday’s game at NC State will be playing before a crowd that could reach 60,000 to 70,000, as the Jaguars prepare to face a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent for the first time.
Jones was joined by tight end Kevin Helms and linebacker Jake Johnson at the weekly press conference, where they reviewed Saturday’s win over Lamar and looked ahead to the trip to Raleigh, N.C.
Clean Game Against Lamar
Jones said the Jaguars played well overall against Lamar, with intensity and physical play, though there are always areas to improve. He was pleased that South Alabama did not turn the ball over, one week after committing four turnovers in the first half of its previous game.
Scouting the Wolfpack
Jones described NC State as a well-coached team on both sides of the ball. He said the Wolfpack’s quarterback is 6-foot-6 with a strong arm, and that NC State has capable playmakers at receiver, a good running back and a large offensive line.
Simulating the Noise
Jones said the Jaguars will play crowd noise during practice this week, but otherwise will prepare as they would for any other opponent.
“I think the biggest difference is that we’re going into a stadium that will probably have 60- to 70,000 people at the game,” Jones said. “Obviously we have never been in front of a crowd the size of the one that could end up being at the game. We’re going to make sure we get the crowd noise playing during practice to try and mimic that as much as we can so we’ll be used to it.”
He said the emotional level for such a game will naturally be high.
“Our goal each week is to gain the respect of our opponents by how hard and smart we play, and by the discipline with which we play,” he said.
Players Expect Sharp Execution
Helms and Johnson both said the team will not change its approach for NC State.
Helms said the game will reveal the character of the roster.
“It will show us who we really are and what kind of teammates we have on our team. We’ll see who has the heart and who is really a football player,” Helms said. “Coach Jones preaches ‘be physical, be tough and be nasty,’ and hopefully we can go out and show everybody what kind of team we are.”
Helms, who came to South Alabama from a junior college, said he has never played before a large crowd outside of Mobile. “Noise really makes a difference, you can have stupid penalties if it’s real loud,” he said.
Johnson said the biggest difference against an FBS opponent is the precision of its execution.
“When you play a team like North Carolina State, their execution is going to be perfect,” Johnson said. “I like that better because I can read their linemen better. Everything is smoother because they’re so well coached.”
He said he looks forward to the atmosphere. “It will be nice playing in front of a huge crowd. I haven’t played in front of 60- or 70,000 people in awhile,” Johnson said.
Game Information
South Alabama and NC State kick off Saturday at 5 p.m. Central time at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. The game will be streamed on ESPN3.com, and WNSP 105.5 FM will carry the radio broadcast.
