MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama held a two-hour practice Wednesday morning as the Jaguars continued preparing for Saturday’s game at North Carolina State, and head coach Joey Jones said he liked what he saw.
Intensity in One-on-One Work
“We had real good intensity,” Jones said. “We had some real good one-on-one periods where the offense went against the defense. (We had) perfect intensity to the point where we’re not tackling but we’re playing hard to the point where we would tackle. That’s going to help us. As fast as they are on defense and as big as they are on defense, we’ve got to see that. As well as they execute on offense we’ve got to have the scout team showing good looks and they did that today.”
Red Zone and Third Downs
South Alabama reached the red zone five times in last week’s 9-3 win over Nicholls State but settled for three field goals. Improving in the red zone and on third down are priorities against the Wolfpack.
“We’ve got to control the ball,” Jones said. “We can’t go three-and-out and put our defense in a bind throughout the game. We’ve got to be able to control the ball and run the clock. We’ve got to be able to convert when we have the chance to make big plays. And that’s any game, but it’s more so when you are playing a team with a great defense like N.C. State.”
Metheny Familiar With Wolfpack
Quarterback Ross Metheny is expected to play Saturday, as he has in each of South Alabama’s previous two games. Metheny transferred to South Alabama from Virginia after graduating in three years, bringing two years of eligibility.
Metheny faced NC State once while at Virginia, when the Cavaliers hosted the Wolfpack last season. He knows some NC State players but has never played in Raleigh.
“Fortunately I have been in a couple of those big stadiums before,” Metheny said. “UVA is a pretty big stadium itself and I’ve been to Florida State and (Virginia) Tech and all those places. I have some experience going to those places. I got in a couple of game reps in an environment like that and that’s always useful to have. But it’s a new game and a new experience and a new team with these guys. I’m excited to get there.”
Metheny has completed 6 of 12 passes for 58 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions this season and has rushed 10 times for 14 yards. C.J. Bennett has taken more snaps, completing 26 of 44 passes for 293 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
“Anything I can do to help the team win is the main thing,” Metheny said. “It was good to get in there. I was telling someone those were the first meaningful snaps I’ve taken in three years. Anytime I got in at Virginia and got some experience, we were down big. It was that kind of situation. It was good to get in the game in that kind of environment and that stage and perform. I think it’s definitely useful going forward.”
“Anytime you get some reps it becomes more comfortable,” he added. “There’s definitely areas to improve on and that’s never going to change. I was comfortable (with the offense) coming out of camp, but anytime you get more reps and you’re preparing for a team and you get to practice, you get a lot more comfortable.”
Quarterbacks coach Bryant Vincent said Metheny has picked up the offense quickly and has pushed Bennett since camp.
“I think Ross has gotten better every day, every week, since he’s gotten here,” Vincent said. “He’s a very driven, hard-working guy that really pays attention to every minor detail. I think he’s been a good addition for C.J. and for our football team because he gives us depth at quarterback and he gives us competition at the quarterback position.”
Jereme Jones Chasing Record
Wide receiver Jereme Jones has caught a pass in 16 consecutive games and can tie the school record of 17 straight games with a reception, set by Courtney Smith, who caught a pass in every game he played for the Jaguars.
Injury Report and Kickoff
Tight end Greg Hollinger is listed as day-to-day with a sprained left thumb that has limited him in practice this week, but he is expected to play. He was the only injury reported by the South Alabama staff.
South Alabama and NC State kick off at 5 p.m. CDT Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C. The game will be streamed on ESPN3 and carried on radio by WNSP 105.5 FM.
