Preview: South Alabama vs Texas State – Claws Out
South Alabama enters Saturday night’s game against Texas State backed into a corner. And when you back a wounded animal into a corner, they become very dangerous.
The Jags know they need this game most of all, it will put them at six wins on the season and get them bowl eligible for the second consecutive season. But it could very well be for an actual bowl slot. You might as well call this a ‘winner take bowl’ game.
Beginning this season, the Sun Belt Conference has automatic ties with three bowl games up from the two bowl tie-in’s they had in previous seasons. The addition of the Camellia Bowl in Montgomery is to thank for that. Georgia Southern is one win away from an undefeated SBC record, but they are ineligible to go to a bowl game barring there not being enough bowl eligible teams to fill all the bowl slots. I have not gone back through all of the caveats to that rule change, but if memory serves me right, they would be among the top choices to fill a slot.
Louisiana-Lafayette, also currently undefeated in conference play, could still get a share of SBC title if they win out. But it’s pretty much a lock that, if they keep playing at the level that they have the past couple of weeks, Lafayette and Arkansas State are going to be the top two teams filling the New Orleans and GoDaddy bowl slots. Which leaves South Alabama and Texas State fighting for that last slot.
This is the Jaguars final conference game while Texas State still has two more after the Jaguars. The Bobcats will face a red hot Arkansas State team, where they will be underdogs, and then wrap up the season against Georgia State where they will be favored (has GaSt been favored in any game this year??). If the bobcats only win at Georgia State (which they should) then USA and TXST will have the same record, but (not so fast) USA will hold the tiebreaker due to winning the head-to-head match-up.
Over recent weeks the Jaguars have been been beat up. Last week they had eight starters out against Arkansas State and it showed. They have lost Jay Jones and most recently Marvin Shinn to season ending injuries.
The big question is: “Have they been able to mend their wounds enough to win this week?” and “Have the reserves stepped up their game to fill those empty cleats?”
So after all that, what does South Alabama need to do to win?
Jaguar Soccer Travels to FSU for the First Round of the NCAA Tournament
The South Alabama soccer team makes their second-consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament with a familiar opponent waiting for them. The #1 seeded Florida State Seminoles.
South Alabama (19-2-1) will meet the Seminoles (18-1-1) in Tallahassee in a rematch of last year’s NCAA Tournament appearance where FSU won 5-0. But the Jaguars look avenge that loss.
The two schools have a history that dates back to 1996 where they have met on the pitch in Tallahassee four out of six times, with the ‘Noles holding a dominant 6-0 record.
Both teams enter the match with impressive unbeaten streaks. The Jags enter with an 18 match unbeaten streak dating back to an August 31 loss to Kennesaw State while the Seminoles are undefeated in their last 15 matches dating back to a 2-1 loss to #5 Florida on September 5.
FSU has some impressive wins under their belt this season. They defeated #10 Notre Dame 3-1 and #4 Virginia 1-0 to claim the ACC title as they went 9-0-1 in conferece play as they try to win their first National Championship.
Seven Seminoles earned All-ACC honors including offensive player of the year.
South Alabama earned the SBC’s automatic berth by winning the conference tournament with most outstanding player Charde Hannah. They outscored their three opponents in the tournament 6-1 with freshmen Hannah and Rio Hardy accounting for all the goals en route to joining three teammates on the All-Tournament team.
“We’re absolutely buzzing,” Jaguar head coach Graham Winkworth said. “I’m not sure many people believed when my staff and I arrived that we could go from 217 (in the RPI) in the nation to a team that’s being considered for at-large bids now. It’s a huge accomplishment for the girls and I’m really excited.
“One of the things that gets me most excited is that we’ve done it with two different squads. We inherited a good bunch of girls that just needed to be shown a few things and they worked extremely hard to get to the NCAA Tournament. In the meantime we had to recruit a new team as well, with a few of the older girls remaining. We managed to repeat and take another step forward. It’s a great feeling and we’re excited to have another crack at one of the best, if not the best, team in the nation.”
“It’s more of an experience thing. Last year we went in there starry-eyed,” Winkworth said about the difference between last year and this year. “We need to show respect to our opponents, but at the same time, we need to play without fear. We need to understand that we’re here because we’ve earned it. We deserve to be here and I’m really proud of the girls. What an opportunity to play one of the best teams in the country.”
“They’re very similar to last year,” Winkworth noted. “They’ve returned most of those players from last year. They lost a couple of key ones, but they’ve been replaced with excellent players. To be honest, they have so many talented players, they can only play 11 at one time, so it’s OK for them to have 16 or 17 top stars. We understand they have a lot of threats, not only in open play, but also from set pieces too. We have to do our very best to prepare for those as well as we can.”
“We’ve gone quite a few games without a defeat now and that’s going to breed confidence through the team,” Winkworth said. “During that period we’ve played some very good opponents, including a much-improved Sun Belt Conference. The conference ranking nationally is much higher than this time last year. For us to beat teams of that caliber before the NCAA Tournament is a big momentum builder for us, as well as a confidence boost. We’ve done it with such a young team as well; the future of this program is very bright.”
South Alabama and Florida State get underway at 6pm CST at the Seminole Soccer Complex.
Jags Announce Baseball Schedule, Will Host Alabama, Auburn, Miss. State
The University of South Alabama baseball program released their 2015 schedule which includes nine NCAA Regional and two Super Regional participants from last season.
A whopping 16 of the first 17 games of the season will be played at Eddie Stanky Field which begins with a three-game season-opening series against New Orleans February 13-15. On February 17 the Jaguars will host Auburn. They will then host Maryland, a 2014 Super Regional participant, and Arkansas who advanced to the championship game of the NCAA Charlottesville Regional last year as well as Central Florida for a weekend tournament February 20-22.
Their only road game in February will be on February 24 when they travel to Montgomery to play Alabama State in a midweek game. USA returns home to host Brown (February 27-March 1) in four games over three days. Then they host Southerm Miss on March 3 before hosing Arkansas-Little Rock on March 6-8 to open their Sun Belt conference schedule.
Other games of note throughout the season are Southeastern Louisiana on March 10 and Alabama State March 17 in Mobile. The Jags will also host Lafayette runner-up Mississippi State on March 31 and Jackson State on April 1.
The full schedule can be found here.
“You obviously want to try to put together the best schedule you can,” South Alabama head baseball coach Mark Calvi said. “It used to be that 40 wins was the benchmark to get into the Regionals, but now there are teams with 40 or more wins that get left out because their RPI is lower than a team with fewer wins. We definitely don’t want to be left out. It’s RPI-driven first and foremost. We have our sights set on winning the league every year, and we want our guys ready for the competition they will play in the postseason so they will have seen that caliber of a team consistently throughout the year. It’s a tough schedule, but we feel good with it. There’s not a lot of wiggle room, but it creates excitement within our program and with the fans. It’s a great home slate; we’re excited about it.”
“I think the conference is very strong,” Calvi said about the Sun Belt. “We played Georgia Southern back when I was at South Carolina. They are a pretty consistent Regional team, and they were in a tough league in the Southern Conference. They are a very good team, and they have an experienced coaching staff. They definitely add some strength to the league. Those (GSU and Appalachain State) are two very competitive programs. I like the league. We want to make this a three or four-team league in regard to the postseason. I think it is as competitive as ever, but we’ll see.”
The 2015 Sun Belt Conference Championship will be held May 20-24 in Troy, Alabama.
Jags and Gamecocks to Play in Regionally Televised Game on November 22
It was announced on Monday that South Alabama’s game against South Carolina will be regionally televised.
The Jaguars will face the Gamecocks on Saturday, November 22 with an 11am CST kickoff. The game will be broadcast live on FOX Sports South.
USC will be the second Southeastern Conference opponent on the Jaguars’ schedule this season. They were defeated by current #1 Mississippi State in the home opener at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
This will be the Jaguars first non-conference game after playing eight-consecutive conference games since September.
Monday Press Conference – Texas State Edition
Colby Sawyer with South Alabama student-athletes during his visit with coach Jones and and the team prior to the Monday press conference. | Photo: al.com usajaguars.com
The University of South Alabama head football coach Joey Jones met with the media on Monday for his weekly press conference where he and two Jaguar student-athletes reflect on their previous game and look ahead at their upcoming match up.
This week Coach Jones was joined by defensive lineman Jesse Kelley and offensive lineman Joseph Scelfo. Below are highlights from that press conference.
Head coach Joey Jones’ opening statement. “Obviously last week was disappointing. We had eight starters out, and we didn’t play as well as we could have without those guys. But I’m looking forward to this week. It’s a big week for our football program. Our players understand what’s at stake here, but this biggest thing for me was a real-life example of what you need to do when you get kicked in the gut. I’ve watched our players the past couple of days, and I know how we will respond. I’m looking forward to this ballgame.”
Jones on what the team is doing to move forward after the loss to Arkansas State. “We didn’t do much Sunday on the previous game; we started on this week’s game. It doesn’t happen many times in your coaching career, but that is one of those games you just put away and move on. Our guys are doing that. They’ve been challenged, but they have good character and understand what we’re talking about here. The way they respond is what’s most important to me – not so much the win as how they respond this week and how they go out there and get after it.”
Jones on the importance of this week’s game in the scope of the team’s goals this season. “On the positive side, here we are in a game that’s going to determine whether or not we can go to a bowl. We’ve put ourselves in a position to do that. Had we lost some other games earlier in the year, we might be out of the race. But we’re in the race right now to get into a bowl game, and exciting to know that we can win this one and get to our first-ever bowl game.”
Jones on what he wants to see this week from his team as they prepare for Texas State. “First of all I want to see those (injured) guys back out there. We’re missing five starters on the offensive side and two or three on defense, so getting those guys back out there in practice is going to be big this week. It’s just one of those deals where they weren’t ready to go on Saturday. We thought they might be able to go, but we got to the game and they just weren’t able and it was disappointing at that time. They’ll be ready to go this week, and I think we’ll be back to full strength other than the fact that we lost (wide receiver) Marvin Shinn for the season and Jay Jones earlier in the year.”
Jones on Texas State. “They are a much-improved team. (Head) Coach (Dennis) Franchione has done a great job with them. Offensively they can run it and throw it. They have a quarterback who can do both; he was a freshman last year and he didn’t throw quite as much. But now that he has a year of experience, he is throwing the ball more and they can trust him doing it. They are very effective on offense. Defensively, Coach John Thompson has been around a long time. He coached at Alabama and Arkansas State, and he knows what he’s doing. I have coached against him for about three years now, so we know what we’re getting into there. They are very well-coached, so it’s going to be a good ballgame. It’s two very similar teams, and I think it’s going to be a knock-down, drag-out.”
Defensive lineman Jesse Kelley on this weekend’s game against Texas State. “Both teams have a common goal coming into this game – get a sixth win and get into a bowl game. So I expect this will be the most physical game we will have played this year. We know that on the defensive side of the ball that they are very physical. They ran the ball downhill, and I expect the same thing this year. The quarterback has started to throw the ball a little more, but if we have to stop the run game. This is our Super Bowl. If we don’t win this game, we’re not going to a bowl game. Win and we’re going to a bowl game – it’s that simple. We have to prepare this week like we never have before, and go in with the mindset that we must win.”
Kelley on the importance of playing in front of a hometown crowd. “I think it makes a real difference. We need all of our fan support this Saturday. This game makes our season. I know all of our fans want to make a bowl game, so we really need them to come out and support us.”
Offensive lineman Joseph Scelfo on this weekends game against Texas State. “It’s definitely going to be a physical game judging by last year. It came down to the wire, and they beat us late in the game so we still have that taste in our mouth. They bring some blitzes defensively, and are strong up front. It’s going to be a really physical game, but we’re physical on the offensive line and we have some skill guys who can go up and make some plays. We just have to create the holes up front and protect for (Brandon) Bridge and give him time.”
Scelfo on last week’s game. “We just had to be able to flush it out of our system and move on. Coach Jones challenged us yesterday in the team meeting to be all-in with this team and completely buy in. I think we are, so we just have to continue to get better this week and take every opportunity we can to improve and be ready for Saturday.”
Scelfo on the importance of playing in front of a hometown crowd. “When you step out onto the field and there’s a packed crowd like there was against Mississippi State, it’s electric out there. I know the fans want it for the city, and we want it for the fans. We’re going to give the fans our all out there. We’re going to leave it all on the field because we know how big this game is for not only the team but our fans. We have great fans; they’re loud and are proud to be a part of Jag Nation and we’re proud to play in front of them. We really need them to be loud this weekend.”
Scelfo on playing with a sense of urgency. “If we don’t win, then we don’t go to a bowl game. Last year they took it away from us, so this year we want to take it away from them and get into a bowl game. This win is crucial; we need this sixth win.”
Coach Jones and the players had a very special guest for the press conference on Monday. 11-year old Colby Sawyer signed his National Letter of Intent with South Alabama. Colby is a leukemia patient at USA Children’s and Women’s Hospital.
Colby also had a few words to say. Colby on signing his NLI with USA. “I was a little nervous for the press conference, but I got through it. I’m excited about the game Saturday, and I really want us to win. I’m happy about being on the sideline, and I’m looking forward to a win. It feels really good to be a part of the team.”
Colby talking about meeting Coach Jones and the team. “It was really cool because Coach Jones is letting me come to the game and watch on the sidelines. They gave me a locker; that’s my favorite thing. I’m going to keep my jersey and football stuff in it.”
South Alabama and Texas State is scheduled for a 6:30pm kickoff at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
Jags Travel To Face #1 Seed Florida State Friday in First Round of NCAA Championships
The South Alabama soccer team celebrates their second-consecutive SBC Tournament championship after defeating Troy 1-0. | Photo: usajaguars.com
The University of South Alabama found out that they will be traveling to Tallahassee to face Florida State in the first round of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Championships.
With the Jaguars Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship, they knew they had an automatic bid to the tournament, but they didn’t know which way they were going. Now that they know, they can begin preparation to face one of the four #1 seeds.
The Seminoles (18-1-1) will host the Jaguars (19-2-1) on Friday, November 14 at Seminole Soccer Complex. The Noles received an automatic invitation and a #1 seed.
Last year, the Jaguars season ended with a 5-0 loss to the Seminoles in Tallahassee in the first round of the NCAA Championships. The winner of this match will face the winner between Northeastern and Boston University on November 21 on the campus of one of the participants.
The First, Second, Third and Quarterfinals will all be held on campus sites. The National Championship match will be held at FAU stadium in Boca Raton, Florida and will be broadcast live on December 7 at 1pm ET on ESPNU.
The release by the NCAA can be read here. The NCAA has an interactive and printable bracket here.
Hassell Sets New Dig Record as Jags Fall To UT Arlington 3-1
Senior Jenna Hassell earns her place in school history as she sets a new record for career digs. | Photo by John Adams, usajaguars.com
South Alabama senior libero Jenna Hassell earned her spot in Jaguar volleyball history Sunday as she passed for Jaguar Keturah Carter to become the school’s all-time career digs leader. Though the Jaguars lost the match 3-1 (25-21, 19-25, 18-25, 21-25).
Texas-Arlington improved to 22-7 overall and 12-5 in conference play.
Hassell’s story began as a walk on for the Jaguars but then a few years later she earned her 1,510th dig of her career to move into first place. She would end the match with 19 digs, her third time this season and 73rd time in her career that she recorded double-digit digs in a match.
Mechell Daniel led the Jags offensively with 12 kills while Nikki Gitten added 10 of her own. Freshman Setter Emma Anderson had her second-career double-double with 39 assists and a caree best 17 digs.
South Alabama (10-16, 5-11) will return home to face Appalachian State as the Jags look to snap their five-match losing streak. In the last nine matches the Jags have lost eight of them.
USA vs TXST Kickoff Time Announced
The Sun Belt Conference office and the University of South Alabama announced the kickoff time for the Jaguars final Sun Belt Conference game of the season.
South Alabama and Texas State will kickoff at 6:30pm on Saturday, November 15 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
The Jaguars (5-4, 4-3 SBC) will try to earn bowl eligibility against Texas State (5-4, 3-2 SBC).
Soccer Successfully Defends SBC Tournament Title, Earn Bid to NCAA Tournament
The South Alabama soccer team celebrates their second-consecutive SBC Tournament championship after defeating Troy 1-0. | Photo: usajaguars.com
The University of South Alabama women’s soccer team only needed one goal to defeat Troy 1-0 and successfully defend their Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship on Sunday.
Freshman Charde Hannah put the ball in the net in the 22nd minute of the match when she deflected a long free kick from sophomore Nikki Shirtcliffe. It was all the Jags needed to defeat Troy.
Hannah was named the most outstanding player for her three goals scored in the tournament and her 20th of the season, only one shy of the school’s single season record of 21 set in 1999.
South Alabama sets a new school record for wins in a season as they are 19-2-1 and is unbeaten in their last 18 games. They will have an opportunity to add to that total. The winner of the SBC Tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Troy entered the match on Sunday with a six-match winning streak and Hannah’s goal was the first one allowed by the Trojans in over 600 minutes of play.
Sophomore Sarah Hay had five saves total, four in the second half, as Troy turned up the pressure after halftime outshooting USA 7-3.
The Jaguars had five named to the All-Tournament team: Nini Rabsatt-Smith, Sarah Hay, Rio Hardy, Nikki Shirtcliffe and Charde Hannah, who was also named the Most Outstanding Player.
“My girls were fantastic,” South Alabama head coach Graham Winkworth said. “They battled. It wasn’t always pretty but sometimes teams have to win with hard work alone. We played some nice stuff, particularly in the first half, moving the ball around, but in the second half, we just had to grind it out. I’m really proud of their efforts; they’re phenomenal group and a young group, and it’s going to be a nice future for the program.
“If they’re good enough, they’re old enough, so it doesn’t matter what grade they’re in,” Winkworth said. “We’ve got good players in every age category. It’s a squad effort; they push each other all day long to get better and from one to 23, they’re a good group of girls and I couldn’t be more proud of them. This year I just sat back and watched their smiles and it’s just a great feeling as a coach.”
The only thing left is to find out where they will be playing next. And you can join them at Heroes Sports Bar & Grille on Hillcrest Road to find out where they will be playing at 2:30pm when the NCAA Tournament announcement is made.
South Alabama Soccer Plays Troy at 1pm for SBC Tournament Championship
The University of South Alabama women’s soccer team will host Troy today at 1pm in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament Championship match at The Cage.
The Jags defeated Georgia Southern 3-0 on Friday night to earn their spot in the finals. Nini Rabsatt-Smith put the Jags on the board first with a header. Then freshman Rio Hardy scored two goals in the second half as USA cruised to the victory.
The Jags (18-2-1 and undefeated in Sun Belt play) looks to defeat the Trojans for the second time this season to successfully defend their 2013 tournament title.
Come out to The Cage to cheer on the Jaguars!