Jay Jones, Pat Moore Named Sun Belt Players of the Week After South Alabama Beats Louisiana-Lafayette

MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama swept the Sun Belt Conference’s offensive and defensive player of the week awards after the final week of the regular season. The conference office announced Monday that Jay Jones is the Offensive Player of the Week and Pat Moore is the Defensive Player of the Week.

Both players helped the Jaguars beat Sun Belt co-champion Louisiana-Lafayette 30-8 on Saturday. Jones ran for a career-high 105 yards on 19 carries, and Moore made a career-high seven tackles.

Jones Tops 100 Yards Again

Jones, a 5-foot-9, 190-pound junior from Horn Lake, Miss., ran for more than 100 yards for the second straight game. It was the fifth time this season he led South Alabama in rushing.

He finished the regular season with 737 rushing yards, second on the school’s single-season list. He ranks sixth in the Sun Belt in rushing at 61.4 yards per game.

Jones gained 53 yards in the first quarter as South Alabama built a 17-0 lead, including runs of 27 and 28 yards on the Jaguars’ first touchdown drive. South Alabama finished with 363 yards of total offense and held the ball for almost 36 minutes.

Moore Leads Defensive Effort

Moore, a 6-foot-3, 260-pound native of Southaven, Miss., had seven tackles, including two tackles for loss. South Alabama held Louisiana-Lafayette to a season-low 212 yards of total offense, the fewest the Jaguars allowed all season.

Moore had five tackles through the first three quarters, when the Ragin’ Cajuns managed only 95 total yards.

It is Moore’s second weekly honor from the conference. He was named Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Week on Oct. 22, 2012. He finished the regular season tied for third in the Sun Belt with 13.5 tackles for loss and tied for fifth with 5.5 sacks.

Season Complete

South Alabama finished its first season as a full member of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision with a 6-6 overall record and a 4-3 mark in conference play, good for a tie for third place in the Sun Belt.

The Jaguars’ record made them eligible for postseason play, but they were among several bowl-eligible Sun Belt teams that were not selected for bowl games.