South Alabama accepts invitation to 2014 Raycom Camellia Bowl
Wednesday afternoon in the John Counts Room at the Michell Center the University of South Alabama had another monumental moment in Jaguar Football History when they formally accepted an invitation to play in the inaugural Raycom Camellia Bowl on Saturday, December 20 in Montgomery, AL at 8:15pm CST.
The Jaguars will make their first-ever bowl appearance in only their sixth season of football overall and only their second season as a full FBS member with eligibility to play in a post-season game.
Additionally they earned their first bowl invitation faster than any other program in history breaking the record held by former Sun Belt member Florida Atlantic who accomplished the feat in seven seasons, third season as a FBS member.
Executive director of the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl, Johnny Williams, invitation was accepted by USA president Dr. Tony Waldrop with Athletic Director Dr. Joel Erdmann, head coach Joey Jones, SGA president Danielle Watson, fans, supporters and a host of Jaguar players.
“We’re extremely excited that South Alabama will play the first bowl game in school history at the inaugural Raycom Media Camellia Bowl,” Williams said. “This is a historic moment being the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl’s first game and the University of South Alabama first bowl appearance.”
“Certainly on behalf of the board of trustees, the faculty, staff and students, all of the athletic department staff, but more importantly, on behalf of the coaches and players, we enthusiastically are honored to be part of the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl,” Waldrop stated. “The importance of this bowl game is great, obviously for the football team and all the fans, but it’s also great for the student life here. What an accomplishment: after just six years of having a football program, we’re going to a bowl game.”
“I want to thank ESPN and the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl for inviting us to be in their bowl game; we are certainly excited about that,” said Jones. “I know it will be a great event for both teams — we’re looking forward to participating in it. Last year, we became bowl eligible, but didn’t quite get in. This year, we became bowl eligible and got in.
Jones cautioned attendees he may get emotional and he needed a moment to compose himself prior to stating: “I’m so proud of our players and the sacrifices they’ve made to have this moment,” he continued. “My heart goes out to them, it’s really all about the players. These guys have four or five years to play and I want to make it as special as I can for them, because these guys have made it special for me. I really appreciate what they’ve done to get us here.”
Purchase your tickets through the USA Ticket Office!
Purchasing tickets through USA will reflect how well South Alabama sells tickets and subsequently will factor into future invitations to bowl games. The more tickets we sell and the more we travel for games the more likely we are to earn invitations in the future. It could also mean larger, more prominent bowl games could consider inviting South Alabama in the future.
Tickets for the game cost $25 per person. Jaguar Athletic Fund donors and USA Season Ticket holders will have an exclusive time-frame for purchases beginning at 8am Thursday morning through the end of the day on Monday. On Tuesday sales will begin for the general public should tickets still be available. Seating locations will be determined by JAG priority points and purchashers will be notified when tickets are available for pickup.
“Being offered the opportunity to participate in the Raycom Media Camellia Bowl is indescribably exciting and tremendously rewarding,” Erdmann said. “It’s an incredible reflection on the hard work and commitment of so many people involved in the process of South Alabama football, specifically head coach Joey Jones, our student-athletes, coaching and support staff who have fought hard and prepared so well in getting us to this point.
“We are all one team, we are all one family, we represent this university and our community,” he added. “The team and the coaches have a certain role; that’s to practice, to compete and to win. We, the ones not on the team, have a different role, and that’s to support them and drive that engine. We need to be able to go to Montgomery and represent ourselves to the best of our ability.
“As we anticipated this, we sat down and came up with a rallying cry. Our battle cry is ‘Mission: Montgomery.’ Mission: Montgomery has three basic goals: buy tickets, travel to Montgomery and rally around the team.”
Current students with a valid ID will be able to get tickets for the game at no cost. The University has pledged to purchase 1,000 tickets for students and promised to purchase more, if available, if needed. They also pledged to have 20 buses for student transportation to and from the game in Montgomery.
The Jags will play a team from the Mid Atlantic Conference which should be announced later this week or over the weekend. Speculation on candidates is that it could be Northern Illinois or Toledo.
Isn’t it a great time to be a JAGUAR!?!
Jags Overcome Slow Start to Defeat Spring Hill 71-54
South Alabama was out shot by Spring Hill 40.8% to 36.4% and trailed the Badgers for most of the first half before rallying with the final six points of the first half to take the lead into halftime.
After halftime it was clear sailing for the Jaguars as they would defeat Spring Hill 71-54.
Sophomore Georgi Boyanov earned his first career double-double with career highs in both points (14) and rebounds (10). He was 5-for-7 from the floor and a perfect 3-for-3 from the foul line.
Senior Dionte Ferguson fell just short of a double-double himself with eight points and nine rebounds. He also had two steals and a blocked shot.
Freshman Taishaun Johnson chipped in 11 points off the bench.
Matevz Rojc led the Badgers with 10 points off the bench while making both of this three-point attempts. James Clarke had nine points off the bench while going 2-of-3 from outside the arc.
South Alabama has been plagued by slow starts this season. It wasn’t until the 3:21 mark of the first half that the Jags saw the lead. In previous games they were unable to recover from big deficits early on the road.
South Alabama improves to 2-3 on the season with the win. Spring Hill, an NCAA Division II program, is 0-6 on the season as the game was an exhibition for them.
The Jags will return to action on Saturday, December 6 when they host former Sun Belt rival Middle Tennessee State for a 1:05pm tip.
South Alabama Bowl Bound! Press conference called for tomorrow at 1pm
South Alabama director of athletics announced that the school will hold a press conference tomorrow at 1pm “pertaining to the football program”. But according to numerous Jaguar players posting on Twitter, they will be playing in their first bowl game in program history.
The press conference will be held in the John Counts Room in the Mitchell Center and will be open to the public.
Go Jags!
**UPDATE: South Alabama will be playing in the first-annual Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, AL on December 20th with kickoff scheduled for 8:15 CST.
Monday Press Conference – Bowl Possibilities
Jaguar seniors pose at midfield with head coach Joey Jones prior to their final home game against Navy.
South Alabama head football coach Joey Jones along with defensive lineman Jesse Kelley and offensive lineman Ucambre Williams held their weekly press conference to recap the Jaguars regular-season finale against Navy last Friday.
Jones post-game press conference was very emotional and his message on Monday was just as heartfelt. But now the waiting begins. But Jones, his staff and team are not just sitting by the phone. Instead, they will return to the practice field on Wednesday and hope their schedule will not have to change.
The leading candidates for South Alabama is the newly formed Camellia Bowl in Montgomery and the GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile. The Sun Belt Conference also has ties to the New Orleans Bowl, but that seems to be a lock for Louisiana-Lafayette.
Jaguar fans have taken to social media to voice their support of the Jaguar program and asking both bowls to #PickUSA.
Below are highlights from the press conference.
Coach Jones opening statement. “I have never been any prouder of a team the way our guys played Friday night. They gave it their all, truly gave it all. I wanted to win the game, but I haven’t had that kick-in-the-gut feeling like you have when you lose a ballgame and maybe don’t play quite as well. Our kids played great offensively and defensively. They made some great plays, and had the attitude on the sideline that they were going to win every play. It’s what teamwork is all about, and it all came together that night.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t make another play or two there at the end to finish it. But I’m real proud of the way we played. As far as a bowl invitation goes, I’m like a girl waiting on a date pacing around the house waiting on the phone call. We’re looking forward to representing the Sun Belt Conference in a bowl. I think we would be a great choice. We’re going to bring a great crowd wherever we go; our fans have proven that. We have a real good football team that deserves to be there. I know I’m a little biased, but in my opinion we would be a great choice. We’re going to be very competitive in whatever game we play no matter what school we have to go against. Our kids are looking forward to the possibility of it. It would be like icing on the cake for us.”
Jones on this senior class. “Our kids were on a mission (Friday), and they played that way. My hat’s off to the seniors for leading them into the game that way. They really wanted to win that ballgame, and they played that way. I am real proud of them.”
Jones on waiting to see if his team is invited to a bowl game. “In my opinion, it (bowl invitation) would be the biggest thing that has ever happened to this football program. We have done a lot of good things. I have never coached in a bowl game, but I have played in them. It’s not just the game, it’s the week leading up to it. We have a chance to showcase the University of South Alabama, no matter what city we are in and I think we would do a good job of doing that. The anticipation of having that and not knowing is tough, but I feel good about it. I think we put ourselves in very good position to get there.”
Defensive lineman Jesse Kelley on the game against Navy. “It was just a great overall team effort out there. Like Coach Jones mentioned to us after the game, we gave 110 percent and left everything out on the field. There’s nothing more you can ask of our players. There was some exciting things that happened toward the end (of the game), but we just fell a little short. But with all that said, this has been a good season. We’re hoping that we have a shot to play just one more game – just one more.”
Kelley on what it would mean to go to a bowl game. “For me personally, going to a bowl game would be a self-reward. As a team, we said from the beginning of last year that we wanted to become bowl eligible and go to a bowl game. I think that a bowl game (invitation) would make the seniors go out on a good note, and would also help jump-start next year’s team going into the spring and fall.”
Kelley on getting back onto the field after how the Navy game ended. “I hate that the game ended like it did. I hated to have to take that helmet and shoulder pads off in the locker room. I don’t want last Friday to be the last time I’m able to put on a helmet and shoulder pads, and be able to play the game of football ever again.”
Kelley on what the Jaguars can offer a bowl game if selected. “We have two bowl games within the state. With us being in the state of Alabama, I think we would have great attendance for either the game here in Mobile or in Montgomery.”
Offensive lineman Ucambre Williams on the Navy game. “It was emotional at the end because we lost a close one. I’m just proud of my teammates to have the resilience to come back, especially the plays we made down the stretch. (Wide receiver) Shavarez (Smith) had a big catch and Jeremé Jones had a big touchdown too. It just showed a lot of resilience in our team.”
Williams on what it would mean to receive a bowl invitation. “Personally, it would mean a lot to me because I have a lot of (former) teammates that I graduated high school with who have been to bowl games at other schools. I just hear them describe it, and I just want to have that feeling. As a team, to be the first in school history would mean a lot especially to these seniors. With the five years we have put in to the program and school, it would mean a lot to the team.”
Williams on getting back onto the field after how the Navy game ended. “It puts a horrible sour taste in my mouth, especially the way that we kind of lost it on some mental mistakes. I feel like as a leader on the offense, those two penalties should not happen. I take blame for it as one of the leaders. It left a very sour taste in my mouth. I’m ready to get back on the field.”
Williams on having to wait to see if USA will get an invitation. “It’s very tough. I thought we would find out Sunday. It’s kind of a nervous time for everybody. There is a lot of anxiousness going through my body right now. With me being from Alabama, a lot of my family members will come to the game. That would be an awesome experience.”
Saxton Accepts Invite to East-West Shrine Game
Jaguar tight end Wes Saxton catches a pass from Ross Metheny against FIU in 2012. Saxton is the first Jaguar to be named to the John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List and the first to be invited to play in the East-West Shrine Game.
South Alabama tight end Wes Saxton has accepted an invitation to play in this year’s East-West Shrine Game according to game organizers.
Saxton, a senior from Hueytown, AL, is the first Jaguar to be selected to participate in the event and the fourth individual overall to be chosen to compete in a postseason All-Star game in this six year existence. Courtney Smith played in the 2011 Senior Bowl, Jake Johnson and B.J. Scott participated in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl two years later and were both chosen to take part in the Senior Bowl as well.
Saxton ranks fourth all-time in school history in both catches (96) and receiving yards (1,126) in 36 appearances over the last three seasons. Last season he finished with 50 receptions for 635 yards which put him in the top 10 in the Sun Belt Conference in both categories and earned him first-team All-Conference honors from Sun Belt coaches and media.
The 90th East-West Shrine Game will take place on Saturday, January 17, 2015 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida with a 3pm CST kickoff. It will be televised on the NFL Network.
Over 256 East-West Shrine Game alumni are on NFL rosters while 70 participants have gone on to reach the NFL Hall of Fame.
South Alabama falls to Navy 42-40
Jaguar seniors pose at midfield with head coach Joey Jones prior to their final home game against Navy.
South Alabama converted two out of three 2-point conversion attempts, but suffered questionable penalties and did not convert the one that counted as the Jaguars fell to Navy 42-40 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
USA opened the game with an eight play, 73-yard drive to quickly take the lead. They recovered a Navy fumble and added a field goal to take a 10-0 lead at the 8:10 mark of the first quarter.
South Alabama looked to be firmly in control of the game after stopping the midshipmen on a 4th-and-1, but quarterback Brandon Bridge gave the ball right back to them when he floated a pass to a Navy defender. Two plays later the Midshipmen got on the scoreboard at the 4:56 mark of the first quarter.
The Jaguars responded with a nine play, 74 yard drive before Navy gained momentum and scored 21-unaswered points.
The Jaguars opted to kick a field goal late in the third quarter getting within eight points of Navy 28-20 with 3:43 left. Navy responded with a touchdown by quarterback Keenan Reynolds, who set a record today for the most career rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
Again South Alabama responded early in the fourth quarter after recovering a Navy fumble and giving themselves the short field with 11:33 left in the game.
Keenan Reynolds added another touchdown to the record books to go up 42-27 with 8:22 left. Navy and Jaguar fans alike thought the game was all but over.
Brandon Bridge loaded up and threw a 48-yard touchdown pass to Shavarez Smith to pull within eight of Navy with 5:31 left in the game. Navy had good field position after a short kickoff failed to allow the Jaguars a chance to recover the kick.
On 3rd and 9, Montell Garner forced Navy to fumble the ball for the third time in the game and the Jaguars recovered. Bridge successfully moved the chains on fourth down and found Jereme Jones for a 10-yard touchdown with only 39-seconds remaining for a score of 42-40.
Then theatrics began.
On the first attempt at a 2-point conversion, Bridge completed a pass over the middle, but a flag for ineligible receiver down field backed up USA to the 8 yard line for a second attempt.
On the second attempt, Brandon took the snap and rolled out to his left under pressure. He sprinted towards the end zone when he saw no one between him and the goal line. He leaped over a Navy defender around the 3 yard line and tumbled into the end zone, but this time it was negated by a hold.
On the third attempt from the 18 yard line, Navy blitzed and forced Bridge to roll to his left again, but this time he threw off-balance to the right side of the end zone and it was short for Shavarez Smith and intercepted three yards into the end zone.
Navy out gained South Alabama 430-415 and added 388 yards to their nation-leading total. The Jags rushed for 238 yards and threw for 177 more.
Terrance Timmons rushed 15 times for 124 yards and a touchdown as Kendall Houston added 80 yards on 21 carries for the Jaguars. Brandon Bridge went 19-of-28 for 172 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. Hunter Vaughn went 2-of-3 for 5 yards.
Shavarez Smith caught six passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns. Danny Woodson caught five for 49 yards and a touchdown and Jereme Jones caught three passes for 21 yards and a touchdown.
Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds ran 10 times for 119 yards and three touchdowns. Noah Copeland rushed 17 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns. Chris Swain ran nine times for 64 yards and a touchdown for the midshipmen. Reynolds was 1-of-4 passing for 42 yards.
The Midshipmen earned bowl-eligible status ahead of their annual season finale game against Army. South Alabama will wait to see if they receive a bowl invitation. The likely candidates for an invite include the GoDaddy Bowl in Mobile or the Camellia Bowl in Montgomery.
Happy Thanksgiving #JagNation
Happy Thanksgiving to all of JagNation!
Come out and support your Jaguars on Friday for their 2pm game against Navy at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
Reminder: If you ride the shuttle, it will be operating from Lipscomb Field on Michael Blvd. NOT Bel Air Mall. Shuttles will begin at 10AM and will continue until 90 minutes after the game is over.
Go Jags! Beat Navy!
Monday Press Conference – Navy Edition
South Alabama head football coach Joey Jones was joined by defensive back Terrell Brigham and offensive lineman Melvin Meggs when he met with the media for their weekly press conference. They recapped the Jaguars loss at South Carolina and previewed Friday’s regular-season finale against Navy.
Coach Jones’ on Senior Day. “We had a great meeting about our seniors Sunday. We voted for permanent team captains, which will be released on game day Friday. Some of the guys came in here in 2010, which was the second year of our program. They came in and helped build this dream of where we are now – our second year in Division I and being bowl eligible and hopefully getting in a bowl (game). Our guys have done a great job of leading this football team and getting to that point. Our seniors are certainly a huge part of that.”
Jones on the team’s mindset entering this week. “I told the team on Sunday that I was extremely proud of the way they played. Now, do we need to take care of the football? Yes, we have to be able to do that. But they played hard with intensity and passion and without fear. They did all those things. Minus a few turnovers, and I think the game is different. And I’m sure they (South Carolina) would say the same thing. They turned the ball over five times as well. But other than that, I thought our kids played extremely hard. I was proud of them. So mindset-wise, we played the way we were supposed to play minus a few exceptions there. Going into this week, everyone understands the Navy offense and how good and disciplined they are. We have to be a very disciplined ball team this week, and be a team that is not intimidated by what they do. We need to go out there and play well. We have guys who can make plays and go out there and not make mistakes, so I always tell them most teams lose ball games – they don’t win them. We have to keep from losing it; I think that’s any team. You have to stay away from those mistakes.”
Jones talks about defending Navy’s triple option attack. “Fundamentally, we’re telling our guys to play your assignment and we should be good. That’s what we need to do defensively, and that’s one thing our coaching staff has done in trying to put our game plan in – let’s not get overwhelmed by what they’re doing. Are they good at it? Yeah. Is it a different offense? Yeah, but what we’re asking you (defense) to do is the same thing we ask you to do all the time which is play good technique football.”
Jones talks about hosting Navy in Mobile. “I’m honored to have them come to Mobile. (Former USA Director of Athletics) Joe Gottfried kind of set this game up in the first year or so. Getting a program like Navy to come here is a big deal. We want to play teams like that. We went out against South Carolina, and even though we didn’t win, we played well. We need to play better, but when you play team like Navy – they’re a nationally-known team that took Notre Dame down to the wire and beat Georgia Southern last week. They’re a very good football team and everyone knows it. If you can somehow get in there and beat them, it becomes something you put on the wall forever in a place like ours. So it’s a great opportunity for us.”
Jones on the differences between Navy and Georgia Southern, the other triple-option offense the Jaguars faced this season. “Philosophy-wise it’s the same. They do most everything under center. They do some things from the shotgun. Georgia Southern was completely out of the shotgun. So it does change things a little. Our kids are a little more comfortable seeing a quarterback in shotgun as opposed to under center, but it’s triple-option football either way you put it. They (Navy) probably don’t throw it quite as much, and there are more cut blocks that our defense has to endure – but that’s football.”
Jones on Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds. “He’s their best athlete on offense. He has the ball in his hands every play, and he’s making a play. He’s a good one. I noticed last year when they played Western Kentucky, he got hurt and they scored seven points. The rest of the year they’re probably averaging 38 or 40 points per game. That’s how much difference he makes on that football team. He makes the right reads, he’s smart, he can run it, and if you put too many people in the box he can throw it past you. It’s kind of a deal where our defense has to decide what to do. We’re not going to be able to guess right all the time, but we have to be smart about what we do and not give up any big plays.”
Jones talks about this senior class. “The thing that makes you feel good about these guys, a lot of these guys came here in 2010 and some of them took a chance on South Alabama at that point and now here they are leading this team in Division I football and hopefully into a bowl game. That’s the thing that I prayed about in the offseason, was that these guys could get honored in that way. I wanted to win a conference championship as well, but the second thing was getting in a bowl. I can’t tell you how gratifying it was after that Texas State game for them to come through, and know that they made themselves bowl eligible. That senior class that came in here and took a chance and said, ‘Hey, we’re going to get in a bowl one day.’ Hopefully that’s going to happen in 2014.”
Jones on the team’s progress from the first game of the season to this point. “We’re a lot better football team now, obviously. I think our defense has really grown into a great defense. I think our defense was solid to good early in the year. But I think we have turned into a great defense. I consider this a great defense on the Sun Belt level. Offensively, we have struggled at times. We’ve turned the ball over too much lately, but at times we have looked like a million dollars. We had a three-game stretch earlier in the season where we were moving it pretty good. We beat Appalachian State and had 40 points by the third quarter, and you look at what they’re doing now; they’re a good football team. We were playing some good football there for a while, we just have to get back to that and execute better offensively.”
Offensive lineman Melvin Meggs talks about senior day. “It’s been a long time coming. We’ve been here five years, so we’ve been through a lot, and it’s finally winding down. It’s surreal, and I’m a little taken back by it, but the vibe is good; we all know what we have to do this Friday. It’s another game that we have to prepare for and get ready to execute.”
Meggs talks about playing a nationally-recognized program in Navy. “That’s what you play for – the games under the big lights. What better way to end it? They play hard, they don’t quit. You just have to face it; that’s the team that’s on the schedule next. We’ve just got to go back to our basics, sharpening our fundamentals. We’ll play hard and play with good technique, and the best men win.”
Meggs talks about the memories he will take with him from his time at South Alabama. “We were very honored to have grown up under senior classes that included Justin Dunn and Charlie Higgenbotham, amongst others. Those guys taught us how to do it the right way. As a freshman, you feed off that and subconsciously take those qualities yourself. Hopefully, that keeps rolling on and becomes the culture around South Alabama. We had our ups and downs over the years, but we’re kind of a relentless program. You hit us in the mouth; we’re going to come back. The coaches have done a great job of bringing guys here that have what we call the ‘Heart of a Jaguar.'”
Defensive back Terrell Brigham talks about senior day. “We’ve been doing this for five years, since the beginning years of the program. We came here to play the top competition.”
Brigham talks about his role against Navy’s triple-option coming up on Friday. “[Studying] film this week is key. You have to pay attention to your keys every Saturday, of course, but this week you have to be disciplined with your eyes, knowing who you’ve got and what you have to do on any given play. They also chop block, and you have to work on that in practice.”
South Alabama and Navy will begin at 2pm on Friday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. There will be a slight change in parking and shuttle service due to Black Friday shopping. Instead of parking and riding the shuttle from Bel Air Mall, the shuttle service will be running from Lipscomb Field located on Michael Boulevard just off of Montlimar Drive. Service will begin four hours prior to kickoff and will end 90 minutes after the conclusion of the game. The cost will remain the same, $2.50 round trip per person.
The address is 3610 Michael Blvd, Mobile, AL 36609.
Jags Fall to South Carolina 37-12
Defensive coordinator Travis Pearson works works with the defense between series on the sidelines in Columbia, SC.
South Alabama and South Carolina combined for 10 turnovers, five each, but the Gamecocks were too much for the Jaguars as they won 37-12 in Columbia, SC.
It was a tale of two halves. In the first half the Jaguars dominated the time of possession with a 20:45 to 9:15 edge, but trailed 17-9 on the scoreboard despite the Jaguars throwing three interceptions in the second quarter.
But it was in the red zone where the Jaguars struggled the most. They reached the two yard line twice early in the game but each time had to settle for field goals. Three of the four field goals by the Jaguars were inside 30 yards and the fourth was from 31 yards out.
The momentum shifted in the second quarter when Hunter Vaughn floated a pass out to the left flat and Gamecock Brison Williams picked it off and returned 21 yards for a touchdown. At that point USC was up 17-6 with 8:58 left in the second quarter. From that point forward, the Jaguar offense seemed to go from confident to desperate.
Up to that point, the Jaguars had put together two drives of 14 plays each and consuming over six minutes per drive, though each ended with field goals rather than touchdowns.
The pick six began a string of three consecutive possessions where the Jaguars possessions would end with interceptions.
Brandon Bridge came in late in the first half to relieve Vaughn and only attempted one pass, but drove the Jaguars down to the 2 yard line and settled for a field goal with two seconds left in the half. But Vaughn would return to the game in the fourth quarter.
At halftime the Jaguars had out gained the Gamecocks 207-193 and had run almost double the offensive plays than the Gamecocks (45-24).
But second half was all Gamecocks as they outscored the Jaguars 20-3.
Preview: Jaguars and Gamecocks
What: South Alabama Jaguars (6-4) at South Carolina Gamecocks (5-5)
Where: Columbia, SC. Williams-Brice Stadium
When: Saturday, kickoff 11AM CST.
How to Watch: Fox Sports South
How to Listen: Lite Mix 99.9FM in Mobile, iHeartRadio platform
Line: South Carolina by 25.5
South Alabama travels to Columbia, SC to take on the Ol’ Ball Coach, Steve Spurrier, and his South Carolina Gamecocks. This is the second SEC team the Jaguars have faced this season. They lost their home-opener to Mississippi State 35-3.
But the Jaguars have come a long way since that game and have clinched bowl eligibility. The only thing left is to finish the regular season, hopefully with a bang. What a bang it would be to sneak a win out of Columbia!
But the Jaguars will have to play a near flawless game to do it. Against Texas State they overcame four turnovers, three of them being fumbles on three-consecutive possessions all in their own territory. But the Jaguar defense only allowed 10 points off of those three turnovers. They won’t be so lucky against an SEC team.
In their first five wins of the season, the Jags only turned the ball over twice. In their four losses they have turned the ball over 11 times. Bottom line, they have to protect the ball.
In all six of their wins they have rushed for over 150 yards in each of them. They probably won’t be able to just start out running the ball against the Gamecocks, so they will have to used their passing game to make the defense play honest and allow some running lanes to open up. USA likes to test defenses deep and if they can complete some of those passes that will go a long way to help open up the running game.
Hunter Vaughn stepped up big time against Texas State. He has prepared this week as if he’s going to be the starter because it is unknown if Brandon Bridge will be back 100% from his injury. The decision on who will start at quarterback will probably be announced just prior to kickoff. Teams routinely utilize graduate assistants to pour through social media and websites to glean any tidbit of information that may help their team.
Each team has had ups and downs. South Carolina was picked as one of the top SEC teams and to compete for the SEC East crown, but right now getting bowl eligible for their 10th consecutive season is their goal. Coach Spurrier keeps getting asked about his future at South Carolina, they wonder if he will even be there in 2015. These questions and their upcoming game next weekend against rival Clemson could have the team looking beyond this fledgeling football team from the Sun Belt coming into Williams-Brice Stadium.
That could work in the Jaguars favor.
If they could get some early success, score points, convert third-downs and rest the defense, they could make it a long day for South Carolina. And with a little luck the Jaguars could come out with a win.
But rest assured those boys from the South will be playing their hearts out in Columbia.
Go Jags!