South Alabama vs Kent State Preview
Running back Jay Jones diving in for a Jaguar touchdown against Kent State in 2013.
After sitting out the first weekend of the college football season, the Jaguars are ready to start their 2014 campaign in Kent, Ohio.
The Jags ended their 2013 season with three-consecutive wins by double-digit margins including a 30-8 win in the season finale against Sun Belt Conference co-champion Louisiana-Lafayette. Now they hope to carry over that momentum into the 2014 season.
USA enters the final game of a three-game series against Kent State with an even record at 1-1. The Jags dropped their first meeting 33-25 in 2011 in Ohio, then picked up a 38-21 win last season in Mobile.
Head coach Joey Jones enters his sixth season leading the program he started from scratch during which he has earned a career mark of 31-21. With his most talented team to date, the Jaguars had nine student-athletes earning preseason All-Conference honors over the summer as voted by SBC head coaches and media. Five of those honorees came from the offensive unit which averaged 425 yards and nearly 30 points per game last season.
Senior tight end Wes Saxton, who has been named to preseason watch lists for the 2015 Senior Bowl as well as the John Mackey and Biletnikoff Awards, was one of three first-team All-SBC selections. Junior Chris May and senior Ucambre Williams are two of five lineman to be named to the first-team as well.
Senior wide receivers Shavarez Smith and Jereme Jones were both named to the second-team All-SBC team. Danny Woodson returns to the lineup after catching 26 passes for 439 yards and four touchdowns last season before missing the remainder of the season due to an Achilles injury. Braedon Bowman, Tony Ray Parnell, Claude Garrett and Alabama transfer Marvin Shinn will add depth to the Jaguars receiving corps this season.
Senior Jay Jones returns after receiving an honorable mention All-Conference selection after leading the Jags with 737 yards on 143 rushes with five touchdowns. He is joined by Kendall Houston and Terrance Timmons and adding redshirt freshman Xavier Johnson and T.J. Glover makes the move back to running back.
Senior Drew Dearman starts at left guard and helps lead a large, experienced offensive line. Melvin Meggs returns from a knee injury to start at right guard. Sophomore Joseph Scelfo takes over the starting reins at center for the Jaguars.
Ross Metheny exhausted his eligibility last season where he earned second-team All-SBC honors and led the conference in total offense per game. Senior Brandon Bridge looks to take over for Metheny and help lead the Jaguars to their first bowl game and potentially their first conference championship. Matt Floyd transferred in from South Florida and Hunter Vaughn came in from Butler (Kansas) CC to provide more depth at quarterback.
The Jaguar graduated several seniors from the defensive front seven, but return several experienced lineman who saw lots of action last season. Also returning are two seniors who were among the team leaders in tackles last season. Cornerback Qudarius Ford and linebacker Maleki Harris, both voted second-team All-SBC last season. Ford’s 76 tackles are the most among returning Jaguars but he also had six pass breakups and two interceptions. Harris added 63 tackles, 8.5 of them for loss, with a team-best seven passes defended.
Kent State dropped their first game of the season last Saturday on a last-second field goal. Quarterback Reardon showed promise after going 30-of-41 for 264 yards and two touchdowns. Ernest Calhoun led the team with 11 catches for 62 yards while Chris Humphrey led the receivers in yardage with 91 yards on six catches. But the team struggled on the ground as they only gained 31 yards on 22 carries as a team.
Nate Holley led the Golden Flashes defesne with 18 stops, 12 solo and forced two fumbles to earn MAC East Division Player of the Week honors. As a team the defense forced four fumbles on four-consecutive possessions in the second half.
The game can be heard on the Jaguar radio network locally on 99.9 FM WMXC (Lite Mix 99.9) and world wide through the iHeartRadio app. You can view the game on ESPN3. The Jags and Golden Flashes kickoff is scheduled for 1pm on Saturday, September 6.
South Alabama Sports Weekend Roundup
Men’s Basketball
The Men’s team defeated UT-Arlington behind the leadership of the teams two seniors, Augustine Rubit and Antoine Allen, who combined to score 42 points to end their Jaguar careers on a high note with a 78-73 win.
Rubit earned his 54th career double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds, with 14 points and 10 reboudns coming in the second half alone. Allen scored 24 points with 16 of them coming in the first half. Allen nailed five three-pointers and a season-high seven rebounds.
Rubit’s Jaguar historic career ends with him in 2nd place in points, 5th place in field goals made, 3rd place in field goals attempted, 1st in free throws made and attempted, 1st in rebounds, 3rd in rebounding average, 3rd in blocks, 1st in double-doubles, and tied for 2nd in games played. He recoreded a double-double in his first game as a Jaguar and the final game as a Jaguar.
“Well first and foremost, congratulations to our two seniors, Antoine Allen and Augustine Rubit,” head coach Matthew Graves said. “Even though we didn’t play in the conference tournament, they hung tough and we finished the season with two wins. What a way to go out.”
“I think this is arguably Antoine’s best game that he has played all season,” Graves noted. “I was really proud of his effort. I thought he played more within himself tonight than he did the entire season so that’s a really big positive.”
Ken Williams and Mychal Ammons both scored 13 points each with Ammons recorded three blocks. Barrington Stevens III had five assits with only one turnover. The Jags held the Sun Belt’s leading scorer to 11 points on 2-of-17 shooting and 1-of-11 from 3-point range. He entered the game averaging 20.5 points per game.
Women’s basketball
The South Alabama women’s basketball team finished out the season with a 60-57 win over UT-Arlington as Meghan Dunn scored a career-high 23 points, including four pivotal free throws in overtime to give USA the win.
The team said farewell to seniors: Dunn, Jennifer Johnson, Olivia Mohler and Ronneka Robertson.
Softball
The Jaguar softball team won four of their five games over the weekend at the Parents’ Weekend Invitational in Boca Raton, Florida. The Jags opened the weekend with a 1-0 win over Marshall. Then came back in the nightcap and lost 1-0 to Virginia Tech.
Against Marshall Farish Beard was on top of her game and retired 19 consecutive batters to give the Jaguars a chance to win the game.
In the bottom of the sixth inning Amanda Minahan led off the inning with a single, then Gwen Jones replaced her to pinch run. Then Junior shortstop Kaitlyn Griffith delivered a two-out RBI triple to being Jones home and provide the winning margin for USA.
Against Virginia Tech the Jaguars leadoff hitter got on base in five of the seven innings but none of them could get home. The Jags left seven runners on base in the game with Stephanie Pilkington being the only Jaguar to record a hit by going 2-for-3. Emily Messer, Amanda Minahan and Taylor Rodgers all drew walks.
Hannah Campbell retired 18 consecutive batters to start the the game. In the bottom of the seventh Hokie Kylie McGOldrick led off the inning with a double to the left center gap. Katey Smith would single to center field to drive McGoldrick in for the winning run.
USA had an opportunity in the second inning after Griffith and Minahan were hit by pitches in back-to-back at-bats, then Rodgers would draw a walk but back-to-back strikeouts would end the Jaguars’ threat.
Campbell finished with five strikeouts and only one walk.
On Saturday they defeated Illinois 5-3 in an afternoon game then turned around and defeated host Florida Atlantic 7-1 in the nightcap.
The Illini jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first, then doubled it with a leadoff solo homerun in the second inning. But the Jags would respond in the bottom of the second when Chloe Rathburn delivered her own solo leadoff homer to cut the lead to 2-1.
Down 3-1 in the top of the third, Amanda Minahan got the first of her three RBI ont he day with a single that scored Rodgers. Pilkington then scored on a fielders choice to tie the game at 3-3.
Illinois threatened in the top of the fifth after back-to-back hits, but Campbell retired consecutive batters to end the threat.
In the bottom of the sixth with Kaitlyn Griffith on base after being hit by a pitch, Alex Breeden belted her fourth homer of the season for the winning margin, 5-3.
On Sunday they defeated Illinois again 5-2 in eight innings.
Baseball
The Jaguars sweeped the weekend series from Southern Illinois to improve to 8-7 on the season.
On Friday night, second baseman Matt Bolger delivered a walk-off RBI in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Jags the first game 4-3.
In game two on Saturday, Locke St. John struck out a career-high five batters in eight innings to lead the Jags to a 4-1 win to clinch the series. He only allowed one run and five hits for the game.
St. John threw eight consecutive scoreless innings before surrendering a solo home run in the top of the ninth inning. James Traylor pitched one scoreless inning to earn his first save of the season. He walked two and struck out one in the one inning of relief.
Not content on just clinching the series, the Jags returned on Sunday to finish off SIU, but it would go into an extra inning to do so.
Hayden Jones delivered a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th for the Jaguars to secure the 5-4 win and the sweep.
Jaguar Davis Knapp got on base by being hit by a pitch. He would then move to third on a one-out single to left-center field by Bud Collura. Then Jones would fly a 0-1 pitch to left field allowing Knapp to tag up and score the winning run.
SIU fell to 8-6 on the season while the Jags got above .500 at 8-7.
USA Women Drop Fourth Straight Game On Last Second Shot
The Jaguar Women’s basketball team battled back from a 12-point deficit at halftime only to lose 63-61 on a shot at the buzzer that would not fall.
Meghan Dunn led all scorers with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor and a perfect 5-for-5 at the free throw line. This was her eighth straight double-digit scoring game and her 17th of the season. She scored 13 of her 18 in the final 20 minutes of the game.
Johnson added 12 points off the bench with a game-high eight rebounds as she went 5-of-10 from the field and 2-of-2 from outside the arc. She also added three blocks which was just one shy of tying her career high.
Ronneka Robertson was also in double figures with 10 points.
Texas State improved to 12-12 overall, 9-4 in Conference play. This was their sixth win in their last seven games.
The Jags fall to 7-16 overall and 5-8 in Conference play as they have lost their fourth consecutive game. They will return to action on Saturday night at the Mitchell Center against Troy in their “Pink Zone” game. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:05pm.
Happy New Years Eve
This is the last day of 2013 as we get ready to ring in 2014. This is a good time to reflect back on this year in South Alabama Sports.
Some of our favorite moments of 2013 where: USA Softball winning their second consecutive SBC title, hosting an NCAA Regional and having seven named to the All-America List; USA Baseball making the NCAA Starkville Regional; USA Volleyball second half of the season to make the SBC Tournament, Freshman Mechell Daniel, Jessica Lewis and Mallory Moore weekly honors down the stretch of the season; USA Football’s thrilling wins over Tulane and Western Kentucky, how close they were to potentially beating Tennessee in Knoxville, their domination in their final three games of the season against Louisiana-Monroe, Georgia State and Louisiana-Lafayette to earn bowl eligibility in their first season eligible; USA Basketball’s Augustine Rubit’s being named Player of the Year and his year of breaking both school and conference records.
Even with all of these moments we mentioned, we know there are plenty that we have not mentioned. What were your favorite moments of 2013? Share here, on twitter or on our Facebook page.
Merry Christmas!
From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!
2013 Sportsman of the Year Poll (AL.com)
AL.com has a poll posted asking “Who should be the 2013 Coastal Alabama Sportsman of the Year?” An argument could be made for every person in the poll as to why they should be Sportsman of the Year.
Augustine Rubit – University of South Alabama Forward, two-time SBC Player of the Year, USA all-time leader in rebounds, 2 rebounds away from a new conference record in rebounds
Archie Bradley – Pitcher Mobile BayBears
Carmen Carlos – Vanderbilt Cross Country former McGill-Toolen star
DeMarcus Cousins – NBA’s Sacramento Kings
Josh Donaldson – Oakland A’s 3rd baseman, former Faith Academy star
Rodney Hudson – Kansas City Chiefs center, Former B.C. Rain star
AJ McCarron – University of Alabama quarterback, former St. Pauls Star
CJ Mosley – University of Alabama linebacker, former Theodore Star
Captain Munnerlyn – Carolina Panthers cornerback, former Murphy High Star
Jake Peavy – Boston Red Sox pitcher, former St. Paul’s Star
Phil Savage – Senior Bowl Executive Director
Ann Schilling – Bayside Academy Girls’ Volleyball coach
Darrel “Bubba” Wallace Jr. – NASCAR Truck Series driver
Tre Williams – St. Paul’s Linebacker, Auburn University commit
Bobby Wyatt – University of Alabama golfer, former UMS-Wright Star
Go vote!
Happy Thanksgiving #JagNation
From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.
A Challenge To #JagNation
Jaguar Nation, I have a challenge for you.
I challenge you to send this to your friends and family. Tell them to read this and take it to heart. I also want you to be an example at home games. Encourage those around you to stand up, make noise and help make Ladd-Peebles Stadium one of the most feared stadiums in the Sun Belt.
If you went to the game last Saturday in New Orleans at the Superdome, you were part of something very special. You may have noticed how loud we were during the game. This was not the first time the Jaguar Nation “road crew” was impressive on the road.
Back in 2010 when South Alabama traveled to Lamar, we got loud. Really loud. Lamar fans knew where we were and that we were excited. Then the following week in Davis, California the fans were loud and well known again when the Jags came from behind to defeat UC Davis.
During the 2011 season when the Jags faced their first FBS school, in a game I refer to as USA vs NC State 1, the Jaguar fans who made that trip really let them know that we were there and proud of our team. In a stadium with a capacity of 60,000 our small group gave their rabid fans an impression. Way up in the pressbox, the broadcasters could hear Jag Nation getting rowdy and letting everyone know about it.
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Always remember 9/11
Remember the innocent that perished this day 12 years ago. Remember those who selflessly went into those buildings to help evacuate and save so many lives. Remember those who gave their lives to serve and protect us.
Today is a day of remembrance and reflection.
A Very Merry Christmas From The Thunderjags Crew
From our families to your, we hope you have a very Merry Christmas from all of us at Thunderjags.com!
Also, be safe and pay attention to the weather reports on Christmas day. Severe weather will be threatening many areas in the South.