MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama went through its third practice of preseason camp Saturday morning, an early session of nearly two and a half hours in shells that centered on the inside running game.
The South Alabama preseason camp workout started early to get ahead of possible rain, and the Jaguars completed their full schedule under overcast, humid conditions. Hydration staff circulated throughout the morning to help players avoid overheating and cramping.
Run Game Emphasis
Practicing in helmets and shoulder pads, the offense ran more than 100 plays against the defense across inside run drills, 7-on-7 skeleton passing and full-team periods.
“We wanted to concentrate on running the football and stopping the run when you put shoulder pads on for the first time,” head coach Joey Jones said. “The inside drill went really well, I thought the defense got after it while the offense hit a few plays. It was good to see the intensity. I’m not worried about results right now, I’m concerned with the process. It’s not going to be perfect now, we know that, but if we continue to work on the process we’ll have a chance to be good later on.”
Individual Work
The first half of practice was devoted to individual drills and fundamentals. Quarterbacks worked with running backs and receivers in 10-minute periods, while the offensive line worked with offensive coordinator Robert Matthews. Receivers and defensive backs went one-on-one as other position groups ran inside drills.
Defensive linemen and outside linebackers worked on the sleds early, while the secondary and inside linebackers drilled with defensive coordinator Bill Clark and walked through formations before facing the offense.
Skeleton and Team Highlights
- Quarterback C.J. Bennett opened the skeleton drill with consecutive completions to Jereme Jones and Bryant Lavender.
- Transfer quarterback Ross Metheny threw a touchdown pass to Jared Palmer in the back corner of the end zone.
- Tyrell Pearson broke up one pass and intercepted another after it was tipped by linebacker Jake Johnson.
- Darrius Morrow broke up a pass.
- Lavender caught three passes in the final team drills, and Corey Besteda made several catches, including one at full extension.
Leadership and Conditioning
Four or five players cramped during the first practice of camp, and afterward the staff reminded players to eat well, with an emphasis on protein, and to drink plenty of fluids.
In his post-practice remarks, Jones said he is seeing the benefits of the offseason strength and conditioning program, both physically and in leadership.
“We’ve got more leadership on this football team,” Jones said. “What I am hearing is guys leading others, which hasn’t happened as much in the past. That’s going to make things better as we go through this football season.”
“I was happy with the effort, they came out ready to go and their minds were on it,” he said. “Obviously we have some things that need to be sharpened up, but this was really just our second day of practice. We have a way to go, but I was real proud of the effort.”
Injury Notes and Schedule
Running back Brandon Ross dressed but did not take part in contact drills, though he held pads for some drills. Quadarius Ford iced his knee late in practice.
The Jaguars are off Sunday and return to the practice field Monday at 7:15 a.m. South Alabama is preparing for its 2012 season, the program’s first as a football member of the Sun Belt Conference.
