Keys For South Alabama vs Tulane

September 6, 2013 · By · Filed Under Football 

Coach_Jones_Scrimmage

A win for South Alabama depends on a few key players on the other side of the ball from them.

Defensively, South Alabama’s defensive line and linebackers will need get pressure on Nick Montana while playing their gap assignments to stop Orleans Darkwa on the ground. The secondary will have to keep tabs on wide receiver Ryan Grant, but they cannot do so at the expense of letting another receiver get wide open.

Their balanced offense will force the Jaguar defense to play smart and play disciplined.  They will also try to mix it up and try to confuse the defense.

The offensive line may have their hands full with two LSU transfers on the defensive line in Jeremy Peeples and Chris Davenport along with another SEC transfer. Darion Monroe, a safety, leads the defense which is bolstered with several sophomores who all played as true freshmen.

Last week the Green Wave forced six turnovers in route to their 34-7 win over Jackson State. South Alabama will have to continue to protect the ball as they did in the first game. The only Jaguar turnover was an interception in the fourth quarter, which was costly nonetheless.

This year is already much calmer than last season as they had a player paralyzed after breaking his neck on September 8. The team evacuated to Birmingham for Hurricane Isaac and some players and coaches returned to home damage after the storm. Their conference USA Defensive Player of the year was arrested for armed robbery prior to fall camp.

Their final practice prior to the game on Saturday was a physical one to cap off a week of very determined practices. Their two hour practice focused on their game plan for Saturday.

Friday, the Jags will have a short walk-through practice in shorts prior to leaving for New Orleans. They will then stop by the Superdome for a walk-through.

Coach Jones liked what he saw, but he was quick to say that the team has to take what they have done on the practice field and apply it on the field on gameday.

Coach Jones believes his message to his team after the opening game loss that they must improve play was understood. “I think it has. I know it has,” Jones told AL.com. “I know our seniors have taken it to heart and the biggest thing is we want to earn some respect and just get out there and just play well and let the scoreboard take care of itself.”

South Alabama takes on the Tulane Green Wave in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans with kickoff set for 2:30pm. The game can be heard live in the Mobile area on 105.5FM WNSP or worldwide online at www.wnsp.com. A live video stream should be available through the Tulane sports website.

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