MOBILE, Ala. — Deonte McDuffy and Maleki Harris each returned an interception for a touchdown as the South Alabama defense stood out in the Jaguars’ second scrimmage of spring practice Thursday morning.
Jake Johnson returned to action after missing the first spring scrimmage because of illness and led the defense with seven tackles.
Defense Scores Twice
The scrimmage’s first points came on the third series, the first possession for the second-team offense, which started at its own 2-yard line. McDuffy intercepted a deflected pass and returned it 12 yards for a touchdown.
In the second half, Charles Watson intercepted a pass. Two plays later, Harris picked off another throw and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown.
The defense held the offense to 142 rushing yards on 69 carries, an average of just over 2 yards per attempt.
Behind Johnson’s seven tackles, Jesse Kelley added six, and Terrell Brigham, Cordivido Grice and Davin Hawkings had five each. Kelley was credited with 3.5 tackles for loss. Jake Johnson and Ceasare Johnson each made two tackles for loss, and Pat Moore added 1.5.
First-Team Offense Finds The End Zone
Quarterback C.J. Bennett led the offense’s first scoring drive on the fifth possession of the scrimmage, the third series for the first-team offense. Bennett connected with freshman walk-on Terrance Timmons in the flat for a 7-yard gain, and Timmons followed with a 6-yard run for a first down. Demetre Baker picked up another first down on two 5-yard carries, and Timmons converted a third-and-1 with a 9-yard run. Michel Chapuseaux finished the 11-play, 47-yard drive with a 45-yard field goal.
On the first team’s next series, Bennett hit Corey Besteda for a 30-yard gain on third-and-8 from the USA 42, the longest play of the scrimmage. Two plays later Bennett completed a 20-yard pass to Corey Waldon to move the ball to the 2. Baker scored from the 3 on third down.
Logan Rogers later threw a 3-yard touchdown pass. Trey Fetner directed the second-team offense to two touchdowns on red-zone drives at the end of the scrimmage, first with a 20-yard pass to Waldon and then on an 8-yard quarterback draw.
Offensive Statistics
Six South Alabama quarterbacks combined to complete 18 of 27 passes for 180 yards, and the offense totaled 322 yards. Bennett, the first-team quarterback, went 7 of 10 for 81 yards. Myles Gibbon was 3 of 3 for 56 yards, and Rogers was 4 of 4 for 56 yards.
Waldon led the receivers with three catches for 44 yards. Akeem Appleton had one reception for 34 yards, and Bryant Lavender caught one pass for 14 yards.
Baker led the rushers with 32 yards, followed by Timmons with 30 and J.J. Keels with 25. Chapuseaux made field goals of 45 and 37 yards in the first half.
The scrimmage produced only one penalty, a false start late in the session.
Jones On Depth And Discipline
Head coach Joey Jones said the scrimmage resembled the first one, with the first-team units trading success.
“When you look at the ones on offense and the ones on defense, they both look pretty good. They went back and forth a good bit,” Jones said. “Offensively when you start getting down to the twos and threes, they didn’t move the ball very well. We just have to find more players.”
Jones said depth on offense is a concern, “especially at the lineman position.”
He said discipline has been an emphasis this spring, and players ran sprints after practice for turnovers. “We preach that if we stay away from mistakes, we have a chance to win ball games,” Jones said. “But they have to learn to practice like that every day, and I think they are getting it a little bit.”
Jones said the team has made progress. “I’m proud of the players, they have really worked hard,” he said. “The biggest thing is that they are watching film on their own, they are meeting on their own. That’s when you know you’ve got a team.”
Spring Break, Then Spring Game
The Jaguars now break for a week for spring break. Jones said the timing works for a team that is somewhat banged up. “My challenge to them is to make sure that we don’t waste any time when we get back, we have to work those last three days and get something out of it,” he said.
South Alabama returns to practice at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 20, and will begin preparing for the Spring Game on Saturday, March 24.
