MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama head coach Joey Jones said Tuesday that the Jaguars will rotate quarterbacks again this week at Mississippi State, but a South Alabama quarterback must be named the starter after that game as the team prepares to open Sun Belt Conference play against Troy. Jones made the comments on his weekly coach’s show at Baumhower’s Restaurant on Airport Boulevard, where he and host Lee Shirvanian were joined by defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Brian Turner.
Quarterback Decision Ahead
Shirvanian opened the show by noting that the most common question he hears is who will start at quarterback for South Alabama. Jones recalled that during his playing days at Alabama, teams running the wishbone often rotated two or three quarterbacks because the position functioned much like a running back. Today, he said, teams generally stay with one quarterback for an entire game.
Jones said the goal is for one quarterback to separate himself so the Jaguars have a clear starter entering conference play. He said both quarterbacks played well in the loss to NC State and that he could not say one outperformed the other. According to Jones, both completed around 66 percent of their passes, but the offense struggled on third down.
Jones credited the NC State defense, particularly its pass rush, and said the Wolfpack’s defensive front was much improved from last season. Shirvanian noted that South Alabama ranks last in the Sun Belt in third-down offense while the Jaguars’ defense ranks first in the conference on third down. Jones said the offensive issue is something the team must correct.
Reviewing the NC State Game
Jones was blunt about the offense’s performance against NC State, saying third down was the main problem. He said the Jaguars played the way they wanted on first down, aiming for five or six yards per play, but the NC State front reached the quarterback at times and South Alabama could not run the ball effectively.
On defense, Jones said the Jaguars started well but surrendered big plays on post and wheel routes that went for touchdowns, including three touchdowns in quick succession. After that stretch, he said, the defense played well, particularly in the second half, when the offense also began to move the ball and score.
South Alabama trailed 28-0 at halftime. Jones said the Jaguars could have added points with field goals but elected to go for it on fourth down, and they also missed a field goal before halftime and had a bad snap on another attempt. He said the team could have finished with 13 points, as it did in last year’s meeting, but that the goal was to come back and win rather than simply put points on the board.
Asked how a team approaches the second half when trailing by four touchdowns against an opponent that is stronger on paper, Jones said the best approach is to be fundamentally sound and execute the game plan one play at a time without trying to do anything extra.
Jones said he was most pleased that his players kept fighting for the entire game after a difficult first half, and he said that effort will pay off in the future.
Turner said the defensive line played well overall against a skilled and experienced NC State offensive line, though he acknowledged there were moments when the line did not play well and those lapses led to touchdowns.
Preparing for Mississippi State
South Alabama travels to Starkville, Miss., on Saturday to face Mississippi State. Asked by restaurant owner Bo Bishop how the team will handle the cowbells at Davis Wade Stadium, Jones said the Jaguars have been practicing with speakers playing cowbell noise so they will be accustomed to it. He said the key is being able to communicate.
Turner said the Mississippi State offense starts with an offensive line that is big, athletic and effective in both pass protection and run blocking. He described the Bulldogs’ running back as very good and their quarterback as having a strong arm. Turner said the Mississippi State quarterback is more athletic than NC State’s Mike Glennon, though he does not have as strong an arm, presenting a different kind of challenge.
Jones said the Jaguars must play better offensively and noted that they will face a large Mississippi State defensive line.
Shirvanian asked Jones about the idea of playing a “perfect game” as an underdog. Jones said a perfect game is not possible, but a team can play mistake-free by avoiding turnovers and not allowing big plays. He used Louisiana-Monroe’s recent win over Arkansas as an example, saying an underdog has to keep the game close into the third quarter and then apply pressure. In last season’s game against Mississippi State, he said, the Jaguars kept the game close before a late Bulldogs touchdown made it 35-13, while this season against NC State they were unable to score early.
Travis Toth, South Alabama’s associate athletic director for marketing, said Mississippi State has promoted Saturday’s game as a “White-Out,” while the Bulldogs will wear their traditional maroon home uniforms. South Alabama is encouraging traveling fans to wear blue to stand out. The following week, the Jaguars will wear red for the Troy game, which will include a recognition of the 2012 Sun Belt champion Lady Jaguars softball team.
Injury Report
In the injury report sponsored by The Orthopaedic Group, Jones said the team came out of the NC State game in relatively good shape. Romelle Jones has a knee injury and will return this season, though a timetable has not been set. Corey Besteda rolled his ankle but is expected to be ready by Wednesday.
Turner called Romelle Jones a tremendous player who brings a great deal to the team. He said he was unsure whether Jones would be available this weekend but hoped he would return for the Troy game.
Turner said the Jaguars typically rotate fresh defensive linemen into the game every four or five plays, a practice he uses to keep linemen fresh, particularly against larger offensive lines.
Recruiting and Early Signing
Turner confirmed that South Alabama has 15 verbal commitments in its next recruiting class and said the staff is working to keep those prospects committed. He identified defensive linemen and defensive backs as the top needs, along with wide receivers and running backs.
Asked whether he would support an early signing period for football similar to basketball’s, Turner said he would like one before August, because larger programs such as Alabama and Auburn evaluate prospects at their summer camps, and an earlier period would give schools like South Alabama a better chance with those players.
Jones said an early signing period would be good for everyone, making it clearer for schools trying to fill needs and removing the burden of keeping a verbal commitment in place for six months. He acknowledged the drawback that a prospect could visit a school such as Alabama, sign early and close the door to other programs, but said he believes the benefits outweigh the negatives.
Building for FBS Play
Turner, a member of the original South Alabama staff, came to Mobile from Troy, where he was on staff during that program’s early years at the top level of college football. He recalled Troy entering a game at Nebraska as more than a 50-point underdog and trailing only 21-14 at halftime. Once the players realized they could compete with programs like Nebraska, he said, their confidence snowballed, and Troy went on to defeat Mississippi State, Oklahoma State and Missouri over the following years. He noted that Troy also suffered lopsided losses during that period, including a 50-0 defeat at Nebraska. Turner estimated that about 75 percent of that growth came from recruiting, as more players wanted to join the program after it began playing those opponents, and about 25 percent was mental.
Shirvanian cited a column by ESPN writer Ivan Maisel noting that Sun Belt teams are 2-1 in overtime games against SEC opponents this season and 2-5 overall against the SEC, after previously going 0-35 against the league with an average score of 40-11. Louisiana-Monroe and Western Kentucky have earned wins this season, and Troy played Mississippi State close last week. Jones said Louisiana-Monroe won only three or four games last season and credited Sun Belt programs’ investment in recruiting and facilities.
Jones said the Jaguars spent several years building a roster and are now essentially doing it again as they transition into Football Bowl Subdivision play, with a need to recruit more players to build depth. He said South Alabama will host high-level opponents at Ladd-Peebles Stadium, including NC State and Mississippi State in the coming years, along with Sun Belt schools such as Troy, Louisiana-Monroe and FIU, and he asked area fans to continue supporting the program.
