Jordan Means - Photo from usajaguars.com

Last year South Alabama was celebrating their first participant in the Senior Bowl by Courtney Smith. This year, the Jags have announced another first in the program. Senior placekicker Jordan Means was selected as an honorable mention to the NCAA FCS All-America team by Beyond Sports College Network.

Means, from Hoover, Alabama lead the Jags with 62 points last season. He became the first placekicker to lead the team in scoring in their short, three year history. He was 13-of-15 in field goal attempts and 23-of-26 on PATs. Means also set records of consecutive attempts made (7), most field goals in a season (13) and longest field goal in school history (48 yards).

Congratulations Jordan! Go Jags!

Coach Matthews photo from southernmiss.com

Reports are going around that the University of South Alabama will announce the hiring of Robert Matthews as it’s next offensive coordinator. This announcement could come as soon as Wednesday.

Matthews was formerly the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator for Southern Miss. He was also the recruiting coordinator under Coach Fedora in Hattisburg. In 2010, he helped the Golden Eagles offensive line which gained a school record 5,894 yards and averaged over 200 yards per game both rushing and passing.

He played three seasons at the University of Georgia from 1996-1998 while being a member of the Outback and Peach Bowl teams. He then went to Oconee County high school as tight ends and special teams coordinator in 1990, Camden County as Wide receivers and special teams coordinator in 2000, and North Gwinnett as offensive coordinator in 2001-2002.

Matthews was the head coach at Shiloh High for three seasons where he guided his team to playoff runs in Georgia’s largest classification while also leading a facility upgrade which included a new strength center, locker room and coaches offices.

After his stint in the high school ranks, he went to Oklahoma State for four seasons. In 2006 he was the coordinator of football operations then promoted to director of recruiting for the 2007-2008 seasons. Then in 2009 he joined the full-time staff as quarterbacks coach. While at OSU, the Cowboys went to three bowl games and a top-25 recruiting ranking in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

He also oversaw the walk-on program and other internal operations within the program while serving as the director of recruiting.

His addition should help to improve the Jaguar offense and recruiting with his ties in Georgia.

Greg Gregory

According to Pete Roussel at CoachingSearch.com he found out that offensive coordinator Greg Gregory will not return next season. As soon as we learn more we will update you with further information.

Link to post here.

Update 12/5/2011 7:30 a.m.: Official announcement from South Alabama later today.

In Mobile: Buffalo Wild Wings, Hooters of Mobile, Hooters of Tillman’s Corner, BoJangles and Jags Grill will be showing the game. A manager at Baumhower’s could not be reached to determine if they will be showing the game. Jags Grill will have food and drink specials for the game as well.

For those of you across the bay, it’s a little more sketchy right now. Baumhowers, Beef O’Brady’s and Hooters in Daphne are all unsure if they will be showing the game.

If you know of a location showing the game, please let us know and we will add them to the list.

Go Jags!

The South Alabama athletics ticket and marketing offices have free yard signs available. They are free and available for pick up right now. Show your support of the Jaguars as they begin their two year transition to full FBS membership.

They are available for pick-up on the USA campus in the HPELS building, which is adjacent to the Mitchell Center in room 1151 (Ticket Office) and 1105 (Marketing Office). Go get them and show your support today!

The first reports of Courtney’s signing came on his Facebook page but now multiple websites also report the was signed by the Jets. The website NYJetsDraft.com wrote,

“Smith is a super rangy player with absolutely massive upside at the next level. He has good hands and the athletic ability to stretch the field. Smith is a bit of a project, but he could pay off in a big way down the road.”

Many friends and family have posted congratulations on his Facebook wall throughout the day.

The New York Jets was one game away from the Super Bowl last season, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-19 in Pittsburgh. Also former University of Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy was drafted by the Jets in the NFL Draft. McElroy worked with Smith at the Senior Bowl and made light that he enjoyed throwing to a big target.

Smith also participated in the University of Alabama Pro Day but only participated in agility drills and none of the receiver drills. However he did have a Pro Day at the University of South Alabama which showcased his receiver skills for pro scouts.

I’m quite sure that there will be several South Alabama fans who will be watching the Jets season closely with an eye on Courtney.

According to multiple sites including Yahoo! Sports, former Jaguar wide-out Courtney Smith will be making an official visit to the New York Jets on Tuesday.

The Players Association and the Owners have accepted an agreement that will have the NFL season starting on time. Teams can now begin signing their own free-agents and begin negotiating with other free-agents, however they cannot sign unrestricted free-agents until noon ET on Tuesday. Any contract would not take effect until Tuesday, August 2nd however.

Link to article here.

Currently they are only available to Jaguar Athletic Fund members renewed for 2011 season only as a “pre-sale” through July 15th. On  July 18th they will then be available to non-donor season ticket holders and the general public.

Ticket prices are:

North Carolina State (Sep. 17) = $39
Kent State (Sep. 24) = $10
UTSA (Oct. 8) = $17

Ticket pricing/allotment for the October 22, 2011 road game vs. Georgia State has not been finalized.  Please check www.usajaguars.com for updated information as it becomes available.

Seating assignments/preference of location of tickets for road games are based upon the priority point system of the Jaguar Athletic Fund.

Also available for Jaguar away games this fall are “Runnin’ with the Jags” travel packages through Springdale Travel!  For more information on how you can join the Jags on the road through Springdale Travel, please contact Debra Smith at (251) 414-4663 or go online at www.SpringdaleTravel.com/JAGS.

To purchase your 2011 Away Game Tickets, please call the USA Ticket Office at (251) 461-1USA (1872).

South Alabama Athletic Director Joel Erdmann announced on Wednesday that the Jaguars will round out the 2012 football season with a trip to Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on December 1. While the team will not be bowl eligible until the 2013 season, this is a great winter trip that they can treat as a bowl-like game.

The 2012 season will be the Jaguars first season playing a Sun Belt schedule with additional games against Mississippi State, North Carolina State and now Hawaii as well.

Dr. Erdmann said, “We are tremendously excited about this game, as it will be the last in our journey to full NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision and Sun Belt Conference membership. We are fortunate that the trip will be financed by the University of Hawaii, as it is a single game at their stadium and not a home-and-home series. We encourage our fans to clear their calendars and join us for this memorable trip.”

The 2012 season will feature eight games against Sun Belt Conference opponents. Additionally with NCAA bylaws that allow programs that play outside of the continental United States, the Jaguars will be able to add a 13th game to the schedule since they can exclude the game against the Rainbow Warriors from the maximum number allowed.

Other opponents already lined up to round out the schedule are road games against Mississippi State, North Carolina State and a vist by Texas-San Antonio.

Head coach Joey Jones commented by saying, “That will be our first year playing a Sun Belt Conference schedule, we’ll also face Mississippi State and North Carolina State and now we have Hawaii at the end of the year. We’re not bowl eligible that year, so for us it’s like a bowl that’s been built into the schedule. Our players, as well as everyone else in the program, are very excited to play that game at their place at the end of the season. Most of them haven’t been there, so I think it will be exciting for us to play a quality program like Hawai’i and have a fun trip as well.”

Go Jags!