2012 Football Fan Day Will Be Held On Sunday From 5-7pm
South Alabama “Fan Day” will be held on Sunday, August 26, 2012.
South Alabama’s “Fan Day” will be held Sunday, August 26th from 5-7pm at the Mitchell Center on the campus of the University of South Alabama.
The fans will be able to meet Head coach Joey Jones, his staff and the 2012 Jaguar football team. It will take place on the mail floor of the Mitchell Center and will feature an autograph session with the coaches and players. Fans are encouraged to bring memorabilia to be signed and cameras for pictures.
This event is free and open to the public. Parking is also free and available at the Mitchell Center in the south lot off of Old Shell Road.
Additionally, fans will have the chance to “select your seats” for the 2012 football season as the Athletic Ticket Office will be on-site with information on season tickets, flex plan tickets and individual game tickets. You can also find out how to purchase parking passes or away game tickets.
The USA Bookstore will be set up and selling official JagWear merchandise and tailgating supplies.
Overview Of 2012 Football Rules Changes
Review of the 2012 football rules changes.
Kickoff and touchback starting line
Most football fans have already heard the news that kickoffs have been moved from the 30 yard line up to the 35 yard line. Also the kicking team’s players cannot line up any further than five yards away from the 35 yard line at the kick. The NCAA rules committee adopted this change in order to limit the running start kicking teams have during the play. They also voted to move the starting yard line for a touchback to the 25 yard line instead of the 20 yard line, which had been the starting spot for a very, very long time. This rules change was adopted to encourage more touchbacks.
Loss of Helmet During Play
The rules committee voted to treat the loss of a helmet during play, unless it was the result of a foul by the opponent, like an injury. If a player loses their helmet during the game, they will not be allowed to participate for the next play. Also, if a player loses his helmet during a play, he must not continue to participate in the play.
Blocking below the waist
The NCAA rules committee made a change last season that was meant to allow blocking below the waist when the opposing player is likely to be prepared for thsi contact. However that was not the case. Their clarification changed blocking below the waist is only allowed by offensive players in the tackle box at the snap that are not in motion. All other players will be restricted from blocking below the waist with a few exceptions such as straight ahead blocking.
Shield Blocking on Punts
The Rules committee reviewed several examples of shield blocking from last season. This new scheme has become more popular for teams. Viewers may have seen teams have players on the line of scrimmage and usually a line of three players half-way between the line and the punter. In several cases, the receiving team player who attempts to rush or block the punt will attempt to jump over this type of scheme. In some cases, these players were contacted and ended up flipping in the air and landing on their head or shoulders. They decided to adopt a rule similar to the leaping rule on place kicks. That rule on place kicks does not allow the receiving team to jump over blockers unless the player jumps straight up or between two players.
Additional protection to kick returners
Officials will have to interpret the rule that provides a one yard cushion to field the catch before the kicking team is allowed to make contact. This one yard cushion will only extend in front of the returners.
Bounty Program Education
The NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports which is responsible for overseeing NCAA health and safety rules, along with the NCAA Committee of Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct, dicussed the issue at their summer meetings. They reaffirmed the rules prohibiting such activity. Specifically they strictly prohibit the targeting of opponents with intent to injure and will not be tolerated. Any programs proven to be in violation of these rules will be held accountable by existing NCAA rules. NCAA members, and student-athletes are encouraged to anonymously report potential violations involving bounty programs.
Health guidelines for the start of football practice
Preseason football practices begin with a five-day acclimatization period that applies to all student-athletes, including those who start practicing after the first day. Here is how the process is conducted:
- All incoming student-athletes must undergo a medical examination administered by a physician prior to participating in any preseason workouts.
- During the acclimatization period, participants are not to engage in more than one on-field practice per day which can last no more than three hours.
- During the first two days of that period, helmets are the only piece of protective equipment student-athletes may wear. After that, only helmets and shoulder pads may be worn on the third and fourth days of acclimatization. On the final day of that period, and on any days thereafter, student-athletes may practice in full pads.
The remaining preseason practice period follows these steps:
- Teams can practice in full pads after the five-day period. However, an institution may not conduct multiple on-field practice sessions (e.g., two-a-days or three-a-days) on consecutive days.
- Student-athletes can not participate in more than three hours of on-field practice activities on the days in which one practice is permitted.
- Student-athletes may not participate in more than five hours of on-field practice activities on the days in which more than one practice is permitted.
- On days that teams conduct multiple practice sessions, student-athletes must be provided with at least three continuous hours of recovery time between the end of the first practice and the start of the last practice that day. During this time, student-athletes may not attend any meetings or engage in other athletically related activities (e.g., weightlifting). Time spent receiving medical treatment and eating meals may be included as part of the recovery time.
General Guidelines For All Fall Sports
The NCAA recommended additional procedures to be followed as a best practices for fall sports.
- Plan for a heat acclimatization period where student-athletes gradually increase exposure to hot, humid summer weather for a minimum of 10-14 days at the beginning of preseason activities. Activity during each exposure to heat should gradually increase in intensity and duration until the exercise is comparable to the exposure likely to be experienced in competition. During periods of intense heat, it is recommended that practices be scheduled during cooler times of the day.
- Walk-through sessions are not considered practices during the preseason, but just like multiple practice days, student athletes should also be given a rest period of at least three hours between practice and the walk-through. During the walk-through, student-athletes should not wear any equipment related to the sport or perform conditioning exercises.
- Student-athletes should not participate in practice sessions for more than six consecutive days. This includes any organized physical activity related to the sport, such as warm-ups, stretching, scrimmaging, weight lifting, fitness testing, conditioning, pilates, cool downs and non-medically related rehabilitation or captain’s practices.
Johnson And Scott Named To 2013 Senior Bowl Watch List
Just two short years ago South Alabama had it’s first player, Courtney Smith, selected to participate in the Senior Bowl. As the Jags enter into it’s fourth season, they have two players placed on the 2013 Senior Bowl watch list.
Linebacker Jake Johnson and Safety B.J. Scott were both named to their first-ever “Watch List” on Thursday. The comprehensive list names over 300 seniors and top NFL draft prospects from 114 different schools.
Johnson, a 6’1″ 240lb inside linebacker lead the Jags with 83 tackles last season and finished second with 6.5 TFL’s. He was selected as a Second-Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection by Phil Steele Publications. He led the team in tackles in all 10 games last season with two games where he reached double-digits in tackles.
Scott, a 5’11” 205 pound safety, is set to begin his second season with the Jags after transferring in from the University of Alabama. The Prichard, AL native started the first seven games last season before suffering a season-ending injury to his knee. Even after missing the final three games he still finished fifth in tackles with 48 and a team-best four passes defended. He also set a school record with 180 kick return yards against Georgia State in the Georgia Dome last season.
The 2013 Senior Bowl is set for Saturday, January 26 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The top 100 seniors will be invited to participate and appearing on the watch list is not a requirement for a player to earn an invitation.
Go Jags!!
Jaguar Fans Watching The Tropics
TS Isaac projected path from advisory 13A.
South Alabama is slated to open the 2012 football season on Thursday, August 30 against Texas-San Antonio with kickoff set for 6:30pm. However, the weather could cause problems with the game and possibly preparation.
Currently tropical storm Isaac is approaching Haiti and the Dominican Republic however the current track has the center of the storm very near Mobile by 2am Wednesday. If Isaac continues at it’s current speed, it should not gain much strength over the warm Gulf waters and make landfall as a Category 1. However if it slows then it could strengthen.
We will keep our eyes on the tropics this coming week and hope that it does not interfere with the game and preparation leading up to the game.
Jag Hold Final Preseason Scrimmage
Head Coach Joey Jones talking with wide receiver Carr Tigner during preseason practice.
Thursday morning the South Alabama football team held their final of three scrimmages in preparation for the 2012 football season. The scrimmage lasted about an hour and a half and was conducted in full pads, however there was no tackling during the scrimmage. The Jags did run through numerous game situations though.
The first and second team offensive and defensive teams took numerous snaps on the field. Additionally they worked on all aspects of special teams play with work on kickoff and punt coverage, kickoff and punt returns, field goals, Point after conversions and kick blocking. Later in the scrimmage they focused on several special game-like situations the Jags could face this season.
The team will return to the practice field for over an hour on Friday morning beginning around 8am then they will work out at 2:30pm on Sunday following a day off on Saturday. Also on Sunday, the coaches and players will be at the Mitchell Center from 6-7pm for “Fan Day”.
Head coach Joey Jones commented about the scrimmage afterwards.
“I think they were sharp today, I don’t think we had anybody miss from a substitution standpoint,” he said. “We were calling guys in and out, having the special teams running out there, and they were very alert. That’s what I was looking for today. Obviously it wasn’t a physical scrimmage, and we didn’t want it to be. It was three-quarter speed. But the mental side of it was real good.”
“I know the kids are excited and we are too,” Coach Jones continued. “Any time you have been in camp for three weeks straight you are ready to play somebody else, that’s just the way it is. You do all this to play games. I told the kids that we have done a good job in camp, now we can focus on our opponent. If you can’t get ready now, then you don’t need to be playing football.”
Additionally South Alabama formally announced that the Jags game vs Nicholls State will be televised by ESPN3 with kickoff scheduled for 4pm. Also the Jags road Sun Belt finale at Louisiana-Lafayette will also be broadcast on ESPN3 and Cox4 in the state of Louisiana.
USA Quietly Updates 2012 Schedule With Viewing Options
South Alabama quietly updated the online schedule recently. It added that the Jaguars second game of the season on September 8 against Nicholls State will be carried exclusively by ESPN3.
ESPN3 is an online streaming service provided by ESPN that delivers both live streams and replays of sports events. The network is available to households who receive their high-speed internet connection or cable tv subscriptions from an affiliated service provider. It is also available to about 21 million college students and US based military personnel with college/university and US Military IP addresses. It is not carried by traditional cable and satellite provider.
Jags Prepare For Final Scrimmage Before Game-Week Planning
Wide Receiver Bryant Lavender waits on the ball during Jaguars preseason camp.
South Alabama returned to the practice field to continue preparing for next Thursday’s season opener against Texas-San Antonio with a two hour session.
Players began with position drills before moving into goal line and short-yardage situations in the opening sessions of the practice on Wednesday. Then the offense faced the scout team defense.
Later, the offense practiced blitz pick-up against the defense. It was highlighted by a three receptions by Bryant Lavender and a touchdown run by Brandon Bridge. C.J. Bennet connected with Lavender twice while Ross Metheny also found him.
Towards the end of practice the Jags practiced skeleton passing drills. Metheny highlighted that session with two touchdown passes.
“I thought it was good,” head coach Joey Jones said after practice. “They came ready to work. I think our staff is doing a great job of getting the kids ready to practice. We talked to them about winning the game now, and not on Thursday or on a Saturday. We have to win it now and they bought in. We certainly have some things we have to clean up and get better at, but I’m pleased with the effort. We just have to get ready for that ballgame.”
The Jags will have their final scrimmage on Thursday morning which will be closed to the public. They will begin their full game-week preparation beginning Friday.
Jaguar Volleyball Opens Season This Weekend In Hattisburg
The South Alabama Jaguar volleyball team is set to open the 2012 season this weekend in Hattisburg, Mississippi when they compete in the Southern Miss Invitational. It’s a two day, three-match tournament that begins on Friday with two matches. The Jags will face Central Arkansas at 11am then turn around to face the USM Golden Eagles at 7pm. Then on Saturday they will face Louisiana Tech at 3pm.
This will be head coach Amy Hendrichosky’s first season as the Jaguars volleyball coach. Hendrichovsky believes that success lies early in the non-conference schedule by minimizing errors. “First-and-foremost, I would say that it’s going to be about minimizing unforced errors. Leading into the first weekend any year, it’s about the team that’s making the least amount of errors that’s going to win the match.”
“Something we’ve also been focusing on during the spring and the summer is just about competing for each point,” she continued. “I think our team’s excited and ready to go and start this year’s new journey.”
Hendrichovsky came to USA in December from Middle Tennessee State, one of the top programs in the Sun Belt. As an assistant at MTSU, she was primarily focused on player development, game preparation, planning and scouting opponents and recruiting. While with MTSU, she helped the team go to six-consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, four Sun Belt tournament titles (’06, ’07, ’09 and ’10) in addition to three regular-season championships (’06, ’07, ’10). During that time MTSU had 24 players honored as All-Sun Belt, eight SBC All-Tournament selections and nine AVCA All-Region and All-American selections. She also coached two Sun Belt Players of the Year (’07 and ’10).
Hendrichovsky played at the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama and was a four-year starter for the perennial power as they were routinely one of the Top 10 programs in NCAA Division II. She graduated from UNA in 2001 and is a native of Boca Raton Florida.
There are eight letterwinners and three starters returning from last years team. Katariina Kananen is one of the returnees, she ranked third in the Sun Belt in assists per match with just under 9.9.
Sophomore outside hitter Melissa Maelter and junior libero Jenna Hassell are also returning for the Jags. Waelter was the top defensive threat with 244 kills and averaged just under 2.6 per set. Hassell anchored the back court with an average of 3.8 digs per set, seventh in the Sun Belt.
Olivia Mohler, who started all 28 matches and competed in every set for the Jags in 2011. As a junior, she moved from middle blocker to outside hitter and had her best offensive season at South Alabama. She finished third on the team with 232 kills and kills per set with 2.34. She led the team in solo blocks (7), block assists (76) and blocks per set (0.84). Additionally she ranked fourth on the team in service aces with 22. She was named to UCF Classic and Colonel Classic All-Tournament teams.
Redshirt sophomore Torlandria Jones returns from missing the 2011 season with a knee injury. As a freshman she tallied 74 blocks. Lindsay Schwartz, who returns after two seasons away to focus on track. She ranks among Jaguar career leaders in both block assists and blocks per set. While focusing on track, she won All-America honors and several Sun Belt Championships in multiple events.
Help Jordan Means Kick His Cancer
Jordan Means – Photo from usajaguars.com
Former Jaguar kicker Jordan Means is fighting cancer. Friend Jacey Blaire has graciously announced that 100% of her tips from 5pm til close today will be donated to Jordan for his fight against cancer.
Jordan, the first Jaguar football All-American, graduated in May then diagnosed in June with cancer. After surgery to remove it in July, he received bad news from his oncologist that most recent bloodwork showed that he needs chemotherapy immediately.
Jacey works at Picklefish at 5955 Old Shell Road, right across from campus and the Jaguar Softball Complex.
Come out Jaguar Nation and help one of our own.
If you can’t make it out today you can also donate online at http://www.giveforward.com/insuranceexpired
Jags Return To Practice Field And Begin Prep For UTSA
Junior tight end Jared Palmer jumps to bring in a pass during preseason camp for the Jaguars.
After a day off to get settled into classes, the Jags returned to the practice field and the coaching staff began their preparation for their first game of the season.
The Jags practiced for almost two hours Tuesday morning with more time devoted to installing their game plan for Texas-San Antonio. The defense ran plays against the scout team for nearly an hour. The offense went against the scout team as well, but split into two sessions with the last one being about half an hour.
Near the midway point of practice, a 10 minute session was dedicated to inside running plays followed by a 10 minute session was dedicated to blitz pick-up for the offense and finished off with another 10 minute session of skeleton passing drills.
“There was good focus this morning,” head coach Joey Jones stated. “Sometimes after the first day of school they come in and are not focused on what they are doing, but I thought they looked pretty sharp on offense. I didn’t get on the defensive field as much, so I don’t know what they did.”
The coaches and players will return to the Jaguar Practice Facility on Wednesday at 7:25am. This will be the final preparation for Thursday’s final preseason scrimmage that will commence at 8:25am also at the Practice Facility. They will then return to practice on Friday morning before taking Saturday off. They will then return to the practice field Sunday afternoon for a practice before “Fan Day” at the Mitchell Center from 5-7pm.
“Our goal right now is to become perfect in our game plan between now and then [Thursday],” Coach Jones continued. “We’ve got a few days to work on that. We just started working on [Texas]-San Antonio, we’ve got a few days to work on that. We’ve got to keep it up in meeting rooms and on the field, and I think right now they are doing that.”
“I feel good about where we are, we just have to keep working,” Jones said. “One thing this football season is going to be about is just playing and practicing the next day and getting better. We can’t always focus on just results, we have to focus on the process. If we do that we will be good.”