MOBILE, Ala. — Ross Metheny will take every snap with the first team this week as South Alabama’s starting quarterback, and head coach Joey Jones said Tuesday the extra practice repetitions should help him on Saturday when the Jaguars visit Arkansas State for their first Sun Belt Conference road game. Jones discussed the quarterback change, the injury report and the challenge of facing the Red Wolves on his weekly coach’s show with host Lee Shirvanian. Linebackers coach Brendt Bedsole and Lloyd Meyers of South Alabama’s marketing staff also joined the program.
Metheny Named the Starter
Jones said the benefit of naming Metheny the starter without a rotation is that he will receive more practice reps, which should translate to better play on game day. Jones said Metheny had a good week of practice so far and has shown how much he cares by studying film and working to understand everything required of him.
Asked about Metheny’s leadership, Jones said players are responding to him in the huddle and that he corrects teammates without jumping on them.
Shirvanian noted that C.J. Bennett started all of last season and into the previous year. Jones said Bennett is handling the change well and working hard. He said players compete for their positions every week and Bennett knows he can earn his way back, adding that Bennett must be ready to go in at any moment.
Practice and Injury Report
Jones said the Jaguars, who had Thursday through Sunday off last week, held two of their best practices of the season, describing them as spirited sessions similar to a strong spring practice, with a couple of scuffles that had to be broken up. He said the team holds one physical practice each week, usually on Tuesday, and then works in shells on Thursday so players are fresh for the game.
In the injury report sponsored by The Orthopaedic Group, Jones said all of the defensive linemen practiced Tuesday. Randon Carnathan wore a gold non-contact jersey but is about 90 percent healthy. Montavious Williams is still feeling some effects of the high ankle sprain he suffered at Mississippi State but will play Saturday. B.J. Scott is also cleared. Jones said he expects everyone on the report to play.
Asked about the program’s concussion protocol, Jones said it is a detailed process that includes a battery of tests both at rest and after exertion. If a player develops a headache after exercise, he is not allowed to play. Jones said the staff is careful with concussions because the health of the players matters more than football.
Scouting Arkansas State
Jones said Arkansas State is among the top two or three teams in the Sun Belt, with a roster full of juniors and seniors and a quarterback, Ryan Aplin, who was the conference’s player of the year. Jones said Aplin is big, has a strong arm, runs well and could be an NFL quarterback, and that an offense like Arkansas State’s requires a quarterback who can run and make the right decisions on when to run or pass.
The Red Wolves are coached by Gus Malzahn, formerly Auburn’s offensive coordinator. Jones said Arkansas State does an excellent job of self-scouting, running a scheme for a couple of weeks and then changing it just as opponents believe they have it figured out. He said the Red Wolves spread the ball and use the whole field. Bedsole added that Arkansas State uses every yard of the field, in width and length, and runs many base plays with a great deal of “window dressing,” in many ways the same offense Auburn used to win the national championship against Oregon.
Jones identified receiver Josh Jarboe as a quick player capable of scoring whenever he has the ball, and said Aplin is equally dangerous with the ball in his hands on every play.
On defense, Jones said Arkansas State does not present anything entirely new. He said the defensive coordinator, who came from Georgia State, likes to blitz and bring pressure off the edge, and the defensive linemen are athletic and shed blocks well.
Bedsole said the keys for the defense are lining up correctly, being disciplined in reading their keys and believing what they see.
Travel to Jonesboro
Shirvanian said an Ole Miss assistant who previously worked under Hugh Freeze at Arkansas State told him the toughest part of playing in Jonesboro is getting there. Jones said the staff accounts for travel every week to avoid lost time, but the trip requires flying into Memphis followed by a roughly 90-minute bus ride. With a walk-through at the stadium, he said, the trip will take about six hours.
Jones said he did a radio interview in Arkansas this week in which he was asked about South Alabama’s first Sun Belt schedule, including a game against Hawaii. He said every week brings something new for this team, and that this will be the Jaguars’ first Sun Belt road game, so they will be learning.
Offensive Adjustments
Jones said he believes the offensive changes the staff has made will make the Jaguars more competitive, saying the team is close and needs to get over the hump. He noted that the offense began the season starting two freshmen and five sophomores.
Shirvanian asked whether moving Tremain Smith to left guard has improved the offensive line’s cohesiveness. Jones said it has, and that the line is better than last season’s group and continues to improve, even if that is not obvious from the outside.
T.J. Glover, who played running back in his first season, has moved back to running back, and Jones said the staff hopes he can produce big plays there.
Jones said tight end Jaret Palmer, a former receiver, has earned playing time with his work, after Shirvanian noted his extended action against Troy. Jones also said transfer James Elliot was cleared by the NCAA about a week ago and is getting more repetitions.
Jones praised linebacker Jake Johnson, who leads the Sun Belt in tackles per game. Johnson weighs 240 pounds and has run the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds, and the staff has used him on the edge to rush the quarterback in recent games.
Coaching Roles and Game Day Notes
Bedsole, who has moved from director of operations to an on-field coaching role, said he hopes his players describe him as a teacher. He and offensive coordinator Robert Matthews work from the press box, where Matthews calls plays. Jones explained that defensive coordinators tend to coach from the sideline because defenses react to what the offense does and need to relay adjustments quickly, while offenses dictate the action.
Jones said he has input on play calls but lets Matthews call the game, while he decides on fourth-down attempts and any deep shots the team may want to take. He described himself as an offense-minded coach, saying most head coaches lean toward one side of the ball. He also said the Jaguars have separate late-game plans: a four-minute offense to run the clock when ahead and a two-minute offense to speed up and get out of bounds when behind. Asked whether college football should adopt a two-minute warning, he said there are positives and negatives and it would not matter much.
Responding to a caller about the spread offense, Jones said it requires a quarterback who can distribute the ball and an effective running game, and that South Alabama has not yet reached the maturity of teams that have run the system longer. When an offense can apply that pressure, he said, it can wear down a defense.
Asked about Auburn coach Gene Chizik’s apology to fans regarding comments about fans leaving a game early, Jones said coaches sometimes say things out of frustration that they later reconsider, and that he has learned to hold his tongue at times because a coach never wants to let anyone down.
Meyers said the stadium in Jonesboro seats about 35,000 and asked traveling South Alabama fans to wear white. He also announced that homecoming is next week against FAU. A free Fun Fest carnival, open to the public, will be held Thursday night, and Friday’s schedule includes a Moulton Tower mural dedication, the unveiling of a Wall of Honor, the homecoming parade and a pep rally. The kickoff time had not been set because of possible television interest, though Jones said he believes it will be 2:30 p.m., with an announcement expected this week.
