MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama will be without senior defensive lineman Anthony Taylor for the rest of the season after he broke his leg at Mississippi State, head coach Joey Jones said this week as the Jaguars prepare for Saturday’s Sun Belt Conference opener against Troy at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Jones discussed the injury, the quarterback situation and the Troy matchup on his weekly coach’s show Tuesday at Baumhower’s Restaurant on Airport Boulevard with host Lee Shirvanian and tight ends coach John Turner.
Taylor Out, Other Injury Updates
During the injury report sponsored by The Orthopaedic Group, Jones noted that the defense opened the Mississippi State game by forcing a three-and-out on the Bulldogs’ first possession, but the Jaguars lost Taylor to a broken leg. Jones said Taylor was a good player who was becoming a great one and that he was saddened his college career had ended.
Jones provided updates on several other players:
- Ceasare Johnson will not play this season because of a blood clot issue; doctors have not cleared him.
- Quadarius Ford is still recovering from knee surgery. Jones said the knee continues to bother him, but he is working out and the staff hopes he returns soon.
- Anthony Harris had surgery on an injured shoulder and will redshirt. Jones said Harris, a transfer, had three years to play two seasons.
- Montavious Williams was seen limping, but Jones said he is fine and will be ready Saturday.
- Corey Besteda did not play at Mississippi State because of an ankle injury but will be ready for Troy.
Without Taylor, Jones said, the rest of the defensive line must step up. The Jaguars were already rotating linemen, and no one new will be added to the rotation, but several players can play both inside and outside, and the staff will cross-train them more. Jones said Pat Moore will see more playing time. Shirvanian described Moore as a junior college transfer known for his pass rushing, and Jones said he expects Moore to become a tremendous player, adding that Moore grew up against Mississippi State and delivered the biggest hit of the game.
Quarterback Questions
Shirvanian asked about quarterbacks Ross Metheny and C.J. Bennett, noting that Bennett had the better statistical game at Mississippi State. Jones declined, in a joking tone, to say who would start against Troy or whether the rotation would continue.
Jones said each quarterback does certain things better than the other and both are working through mistakes. He said Bennett made some strong throws, but both threw costly interceptions. Metheny’s interception late in the first half was returned to set up a Mississippi State field goal before halftime. Bennett was intercepted inside the 10-yard line on a pass Jones described as a good throw, with the defender going over receiver Jereme Jones to take the ball away.
Reflecting on Mississippi State
Jones said it was gratifying to have Mississippi State coaches compliment his team’s heart and effort after the game despite being outmanned, but he said he was hurting after the loss, as he does after any defeat, as were his players.
Asked why the running game improved in the second half, Jones said part of it was adjustments, but the game plan called for tiring out the Bulldogs early with perimeter screens and passes to the edge before running at them, because of their size and speed. He credited the offensive line for its pass protection, noting that it allowed only one sack against an SEC defense, even though it was difficult to move the bigger Bulldogs off the ball.
Turner, who coached the offensive line before moving to tight ends this season, said offensive line coach Robert Matthews does a great job with the group and that the linemen were not intimidated in Starkville. Turner and his brother, defensive line coach Brian Turner, have both been with the program since its start.
Asked whether tight ends Greg Hollinger and Wes Saxton will be on the field together, Turner said the Jaguars have some packages that use both.
Jones said Mississippi State belongs in the SEC’s second tier, below Alabama and LSU, but capable of beating LSU. Turner said a friend who serves as Mississippi State’s defensive coordinator told him after the game that the Bulldogs build their roster and defense to handle the power running games of Alabama and LSU, which he said gives spread offenses a chance, as Troy showed in its game against Mississippi State the week before.
Scouting Troy
Jones said the Jaguars are now playing “real football” as they begin their Sun Belt schedule, and he pointed to Troy as the program that has set the standard in the league, winning the Sun Belt championship in five of the last six years and playing at programs such as Tennessee and Mississippi State.
Jones said Troy returns 14 senior starters, spread fairly evenly across offense and defense. He described the Trojans’ offense as explosive, with fast receivers and a quarterback who throws well, and said it puts pressure on opponents to score, something South Alabama has struggled to do since its season opener. He said Troy’s defense has long been tough and well coached, and that the Trojans appear to be blitzing less this season and playing better as a result. On special teams, he noted that Troy has one player who handles both punting and placekicking.
Jones said Troy runs and throws the ball well, so a defense that commits to stopping one leaves itself open to the other. He said the Jaguars must play smart against a balanced offense.
Shirvanian said Troy coach Larry Blakeney told the WNSP morning show that the Trojans ran about 100 offensive plays against Louisiana-Lafayette, and that Troy aims for 90 to 100 snaps a game. Jones said South Alabama’s defense should be prepared for the pace because it practiced against the Jaguars’ own up-tempo offense during the summer and has worked on communication and signals.
Turner said some of Troy’s formations and passing concepts resemble South Alabama’s, though the offenses are not identical. It was also noted that South Alabama recruited Troy’s record-setting running back heavily before he chose the Trojans.
Tempo and Recruiting
Jones said the Jaguars will use more of their offense but will not aim for as many snaps as Troy, targeting 70 to 80 plays per game. He said he and Turner discussed on the way to the show the need to avoid three-and-outs, which put the defense in a bind and wear it down, and to sustain drives and score touchdowns. Asked by a caller whether a fast tempo also tires the offense, Jones said it does, but having the ball keeps it away from the opponent.
Jones said South Alabama recruits against Troy, Southern Miss, Memphis and at times Central Florida, and that playing well in a televised game such as Saturday’s helps recruiting. Shirvanian noted that Williams considered Troy before choosing South Alabama.
Asked how Troy has produced the most NFL players in the Sun Belt, Turner credited the Trojans’ staff for its evaluation and development of players and said South Alabama works the same way. Jones added that championship rings help recruiting, and he cited Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Ware, who Jones said was 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds in high school before Troy projected him as a defensive end; Jones noted Ware has since become a six-time Pro Bowl selection.
Jones said South Alabama’s athletic facilities are a significant recruiting tool and that, without them, the new program would be further behind. He said staff would be available to show visitors around.
Game Day Plans
Lloyd Meyers said student interest is high, with all 250 student parking passes claimed within the first two hours they were available. The first 10,000 fans through the gates will receive red rally towels, and activities will be available for children. The Jaguars will wear their traditional red home uniforms, and fans are encouraged to wear red.
In response to a question about concessions, the university said it has coordinated with its concessions provider to have extra water and drinks available, with trucks on standby for a larger crowd.
Shirvanian said the Jaguars hope to set an attendance record for a Sun Belt game. Jones said his priority is an electric atmosphere and that a crowd of 33,000 to 35,000 in Mobile would be great.
Update: Taylor Broke Two Bones; Surgery Successful
Taylor, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound senior defensive end and outside linebacker, was injured early in the first quarter at Mississippi State. The injury was first reported as a fractured fibula, but doctors found during surgery that he had also fractured his tibia. Director of sports medicine Jinni Frisbey said Taylor’s surgery on Sunday went well.
Taylor has been with the Jaguars since the program’s first season in 2009. He entered this season with 49 career tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, an interception and four pass deflections, and had recorded eight tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks this season before the injury.
His loss comes as defensive lineman Romelle Jones is also expected to miss a couple of weeks with an injury.
