Jags Win Over WKU Quickly Outranks Tulane As Biggest In History
Coach Chase Smith works with the Jaguar offensive line during the first half of the Jaguars 31-24 win over Western Kentucky.
The win on Saturday against Western Kentucky definitely overshadows last week’s win over Tulane. Last week’s game was a footnote, but this win over Western Kentucky is a headline in the Sun Belt conference. Other conference teams will sit up and pay attention. This turns the attitude of ‘that spunky first-year program’ to ‘don’t overlook those Jaguars.’
But last weeks’ win is what prepared this team for this weeks win. So to downplay it is naive on anyone’s part. But if you have to pick just one victory to date, it would definitely be the Western Kentucky game.
For a program that is only playing in it’s fifth season of football, this team has gone from nothing to what was put on the field in record time. No other schools has gone from nothing to a full FBS program in a shorter time period.
Last season was a disappointment when purely looking at the win-loss record. It’s very difficult to try to tell people that, though we were on the losing side of the points, that we were in the game and within one score in several games. Coach Jones knew it was going to be a tough season, but he also had the vision that it would help the team on the other side. We are starting to see them reaping those benefits.
Last season they played 12 of their 13 games against FBS schools. Then when they began the season with a loss against Southern Utah it seemed that the Jags might be on the way to another tough season after letting a win slip away. But now they have found their foundation and are building upon what they do best.
They may not have the most talented players at every position, but their scheming, teamwork and effort is second to none. The defense has shown over the last two games that they will make adjustments and make the offense do something else.
The South Alabama defense stymied the potent Petrino offense in the second half and held them to only three points.
Importantly, the fans got into the game. The South Alabama fans are learning too. They have only recently been introduced to the stadium experience with the beginning of the Jaguars program. Many have a tendancy to sit there and watch the game more like they are at home watching it on the television, rather than in the stadium. But in the second half of the game, they came to life and the players fed off that energy.
Chants of “USA! USA! USA!” routinely rained down from the stands. Rally towels waved on third down plays, which is normally the Western Kentucky mainstay. Then the Jaguars forced turnovers when they needed them most.
The players will get a chance to enjoy and let this win soak in. But the coaches will quickly remind them that they still have a long season ahead of them and they will be playing some very good teams down the stretch. It was their off week that the Jaguars made some huge strides towards the rest of the season. If that happens, look for the Jags to win some more games this season.
It’s all up to the players on the team. They will have to remind each other that they have to play their assignments, prepare diligently for each game most importantly stay focused. If they can, they will have a chance to potentially grab the attention of the entire college football landscape with a win in what will certainly be another underdog role against Tennessee in two weeks.
This has already been an exciting season. Let hope that the next nine games are as good as the last two. But the team will have to take them one at a time because they cannot afford to look ahead in any of the remaining games.
South Alabama Come From Behind To Defeat Western Kentucky 31-24
The Jaguars rally at mid field after they enter the field to just prior to kickoff against Western Kentucky on Saturday, September 14, 2013.
The University of South Alabama football team fought back from an 11-point deficit at halftime to tie the game in the fourth quarter and then get the winning touchdown in the last two minutes of the game to defeat conference foe Western Kentucky 31-24. The Jags improve to 2-1 on the season and 1-0 in the conference while Western Kentucky falls to 1-2 on the season and 0-1 in Sun Belt play.
Senior cornerback Tyrell Pearson was key to helping the Jaguars defeat the Hilltoppers. He had not seen any playing time in the previous 11 quarters of play until the fourth quarter of the game against Western Kentucky. But he made two key plays in the final stanza to help propel the Jags to the win.
With less than three minutes left in the game, Doughty’s pass is picked off by Pearson with only green turf between him and the endzone to set up the Jaguars go-ahead touchdown. Then with Western Kentucky facing 4th and 10 at the Jaguar 13 needing a touchdown with :05 left in the game, Pearson would pick off Doughty’s pass in the endzone to seal the victory.
The Hilltoppers opened the game with a 5 play, 79 yard drive spanning 2:40 to quickly go ahead 7-0. However the Jaguars would respond with their own drive. Highlighted with passes by Ross Metheny to Jereme Jones for 18 yards, Wes Saxton for 7 yards, Danny Woodson Jr for 9 yards to get down to the Hilltopper 37 yard line. Then Metheny would run for 13 yards before hitting Shavarez Smith for 15 yards for a 1st and Goal at the WKU 9 yard line. Facing 4th and goal inside the 1 yard line and after a time out, Metheny would lean on his offensive line and get the touchdown to cap off the 10 play, 75 yard drive spanning 4:14 to tie the game at seven.
The Hilltoppers would put together another scoring drive of 15 plays, 73 yards taking 7:34 off of the clock to take a 14-7 lead over the Jaguars.
The Jags next possession would begin with :32 left in the first quarter at their own 28 yard line. A rush by Jay Jones for four yards would end the first quarter. Starting the second quarter, Metheny would find Saxton for a 37 yards pass to get down to the ‘topper 31 yard line. The Jags would only be able to get to the 25 yard line before behind held to a 42 yard Aleem Sunanon field goal to cut the Hilltopper lead to 14-10. The drive was 6 plays, 47 yards and took 1:36 off the clock.
The Jaguar defense stiffened and opened the WKU possession with a 12 yard sack of Brandon Doughty by Romelle Jones to put them 2nd and 22 at their own 27 yard line. On 4th and 16, WKU would boom a 52 yard punt and T.J. Glover would lose two yards on the return to be downed at the Jaguar 13 yard line.
After getting a first down on a Trey Fetner run around the right side of the line out to the Jaguar 27 yard line, Metheny would be sacked for a 13 yard loss back to the 14 yard line. The Jags would not be able to get a first down and Scott Garber’s punt would go 42 yards and the returner would lose a yard on the return to the WKU 42. A holding penalty would back them up to the 32 yard line with 9:10 left before halftime.
The Hilltoppers would put together a 6 play, 68 yard drive over 3:23 to score a touchdown on a 20 yard pass for Western Kentucky to take a 21-10 lead with 5:47 left in the second quarter.
The ensuing USA possession would start at their own 25 yard line but on the first play they Metheny would connect with Saxton again for 23 yards out to the 48 yard line. Facing 4th and 1 at the WKU 43, Coach Jones would call a time out after lining up for a punt. After the time out, the snap in the punt formation would go to Trey Fetner and he would roll out to the right and try to connect with Jereme Jones, but the ball would fall incomplete to turn the ball over on downs with 3:20 left before halftime.
The Jags received the ball to begin the second half. Glover would return it from the two yard line out to the 27 before being hit and fumbling the ball forward where Desmond LaVelle would recover it for the Jaguars at the 39 yard line. Brandon Bridge would enter the game at quarterback and after back-to-back incompletions, he would find Corey Waldon for a 15 yard first down into Western Kentucky territory at the 46 yard line. He would take a seven yard sack but would connect with Saxton for a 24 yard gain to the ‘topper 29 yard line. After another seven yard loss by Bridge, Dinham would gain 10 yards on a rush to set up Sunanon’s 43 yard field goal that he would put through the uprights. The USA drive went 35 yards over nine plays spanning 3:25 to cut the Hilltopper lead to 21-13 with 11:35 left in the 3rd quarter.
South Alabama’s defense would force a punt on the next WKU possession, only allowing one first down and 24 total yards.
Starting at their own 11 yard line with 8:59 left in the 3rd quarter they would begin a critical drive, both for the team and for the fans in the stands. Brandon Bridge would pull the ball down and run for 23 yards out to the Jaguar 38 on 3rd and 6 for a fresh set of downs and getting the Jaguar offense in gear. Jay Jones would rush for five yards, then Bridge would find Bryant Lavender for six yards out to the Jaguar 49 yard line. After an eight yard sack, Bridge would load up and connect with Jereme Jones for 25 yards and a first down at the WKU 34 yard line.
Facing 3rd down and 4 at the WKU 28, Coach Jones would call his second time out of the half with 5:04 left in the 3rd quarter. Bridge would connect with Jereme Jones again for seven yards and another key first down. on 3rd and 8, Bridge would scramble for 15 yards and slide down at the 4 yard line. Jay Jones would punch it in with 3:23 left in the game to cut the Jaguars deficit to two points. Coach Jones would immediately call for a two-point conversion to try to tie the game. They would use some trickeration with a snap to the running back, a lateral to Jake Howton who would throw to a wide open Ross Metheny in the end zone to tie the game at 21.
Western Kentucky would begin at their own 28 after the kickoff. A few plays later, facing 2nd and 10 at the Jaguar 15 yard line, Romelle Jones and Clifton Crews would combine for a 12 yard sack on Doughty back at the Jaguar 27 yard line to end the 3rd quarter, a quarter in which the Jags held a time of possession advantage of 9:01 to 5:59.
Doughty’s 4th down pass would fall incomplete and they would have to settle for a 44 yard Garrett Schwettman field goal to take a 24-21 lead with 14:47 left in the game.
The ensuing kickoff would go out of bounds at the Jaguar 8 yard line, the penalty would place the ball at the 35 yard line. The Jags would have to call their second time out of the half prior to the first down play after the kickoff as the play clock was running down. On the first down play, Bridge would scramble for a 26 yard gain to the Western Kentucky 39 yard line before getting out of bounds. Jay Jones would then rush for 12 yards to the WKU 27. Bridge’s pass on 3rd and 3 at the WKU 20 intended for Saxton would fall incomplete but Sunanon would drill a 37 yard field goal to tie the game at 24-24 with 12:28 left in the game.
On the ensuing WKU possession, Anthony Wales would return the kickoff 30 yards out to the WKU 45 yard line to begin the drive. A few plays later, facing 4th and 2, Bobby Petrino would decide to go for the first down, but the Jaguar defense would hold as the pass would fall incomplete giving South Alabama the ball at the Jaguar 47 yard line with 10:25 left in the game.
Ross Metheny would return to the game and would connect with Shavarez Smith for a leaping catch for a 50 yard gain at the Western Kentucky 3 yard line. Kendall Houston appeared to score the go-ahead touchdown, but after review, they placed the ball at the one foot line for 3rd and goal. Metheny would be unable to punch it in and Coach Jones decided to kick what seemed like an easy three points. However, Sunanon’s 17 yard kick from the right hashmarks would stay right of the goalpost leaving the game tied at 24-24.
Western Kentucky would take over at their own 20 yard line and drive down to the Jaguar 46 before Doughty’s 3rd down pass was intercepted by Alex Page at the WKU 42 yard line with 4:24 left in the game.
Looking like the Jaguars were going to be able to drive down and set up a game-winning score while milking the clock, Western Kentucky would force a fumble by the sure-handed Jereme Jones to give them the ball at their own 17 yard line with 2:59 left in the game.
On 3rd and 10, Doughty would connect with Norris for 29 yards and a first down at the WKU 46 yard line. But on the very next play, Tyrell Pearson would make a break on the throw and intercept it at midfield for what looked like a pick-six touchdown. However, he would be flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for celebration at the 1 yard line, negating the touchdown. The 15 yard penalty would back it up to the 16 yard line with 2:12 left in the game.
Jay Jones would open the possession with a two yard rush to the WKU 14 and forcing Petrino to use one of his time outs with 2:02 left. Metheny would rush for 12 yards and a first down at the two yard line before getting out of bounds and stopping the clock. Kendall Houston would only manage a one yard gain to around the 1 yard line forcing Petrino to use another time out with 1:46 left in the game. Trey Fetner would finally put the ball in the end zone to give the Jaguars a 31-24 lead with 1:38 left in the game.
The Hilltoppers would field the kickoff at their 13 and return it 21 yards to their own 34 yard line. Montell Garner would be flagged for pass interference spotting the ball at the 43 yard line with an automatic first down. Andrews would rush for 15 yards to the Jaguar 42 yard line. Another pass interference would be called, this time on Maleki Harris to place the ball at the 41 yard line. The Hilltoppers would get down the Jaguar 13 yard line with a 1st and 10 and time continuing to run. Alex Page would put pressure on Doughty to force and incomplete pass. After another incomplete pass, the Jags would call a time out on 3rd and 10 to set their defense and get a quick breather.
After the time out, Pat Moore would put the pressure on Doughty to for another incomplete pass bring up 4th and 10 at the 13 with :05 left in the game. Bobby Petrino would use his final time out to set up his last chance. This time Doughty would be pressured again and Tyrell Pearson would intercept it in the end zone to seal the Jaguar victor, 31-24.
South Alabama was outgained by Western Kentucky in total yards 427 – 414, passing yards 282 – 270 and rushing yards 145 – 144. WKU had 26 first downs to the Jaguars 18. The Hilltoppers ran 74 offensive plays, while the Jags ran 66. WKU converted 9-of-17 third downs while South Alabama converted 5-of-13.
Jay Jones led the Jags with 49 yards rushing on 11 carries. Bridge added 42 on six carries. Dinham and Metheny both added 22 yards.
Ross Metheny went 11-of15 for 193 yards and was sacked once. Bridge wen 5-of-11 for 77 yards and had two sacks. Fetner went 0-of-1.
Receiving, Wes Saxton had 91 yards on four receptions. Shavarez Smith had 72 yards on three catches. Jereme Jones added 68 yards on four receptions. Woodson, Waldon, Lavender and Dinham all also had catches in the game as well.
Qudarius Ford led the defense with 12 tackles. Enrique Williams was right behind him with 11 and combined with another Jaguar for a tackle for loss. Clifton Crews had six tackles and a half of a sack. Romelle Jones added four stops including 1.5 sacks.
“The game was as exciting as it gets. I can’t take any more of those kind of games,” Jag head coach Joey Jones joked after the game. “That’s three in a row that have come down to the last play. But I’ll take the win.”
“I’m so excited for our guys, they fought through until the end,” he continued. “Last year we weren’t making plays at the end of the game, this year we are.”
Metheny stated after the game, “I think we executed at a higher level tonight, offensively. Going in tonight I think we had a better game plan and to be able to respond to adversity the way we did. We just executed at a high level tonight. We can see what we can do offensively when we do that.”
“That’s a tough loss, we had our opportunities to win the game,” said Western Kentucky head coach Bobby Petrino. “Starting right at the end of the first half, we have control of the game and a chance on a two-minute drive to go score, and we don’t take advantage of the opportunity. They (South Alabama) made some plays in the second half. We had our chances at the end, we dropped a couple of touchdown passes and threw an interception, so we just didn’t get it done. I thought we would come down here and perform well, so I’m pretty disappointed in our performance but you have to take your hat off to South Alabama. They played well.”
“I want to commend coach Petrino and his team. Western Kentucky is a great football team. We knew that coming in,” Jones stated. “They have a first-class organization, they do things right. For us to come out on the winning side against those guys is definitely the biggest win we’ve had since I’ve been here at South Alabama. You saw how big and physical they were, and our guys stood up to the challenge.”
South Alabama will have an off week before returning to action in Knoxville, Tennessee on September 28 when they face the University of Tennessee at Neyland Stadium.
Gameday: South Alabama vs Western Kentucky
The Jags return home to host conference foe Western Kentucky today at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30pm.
Both teams come into the game with a 1-1 record. The Jags lost in their season opener against Southern Utah then bounced back against Tulane in the Superdome in New Orleans last week.
Western Kentucky won their season opener against Kentucky then travel led to Knoxville and fell 52-20. They initially went up 3-0 over the Vols, but 31 unanswered points put the Vols on top for good.
This is the first game between the two schools and the last in the foreseeable future as WKU will join Conference USA next summer.
Fans are encouraged to wear RED for the game and the first 10,000 fans will get red Jaguar rally towels. Gates open at 4:30pm.
The Jaguar Prowl is scheduled for 4:20pm at the south side of the stadium in front of the National Alumni tent. The team will walk from the east side of the stadium to the West player entrance at Gate 3W.
Parking is limited at the Stadium and is not available for single-game tickets. Private parking options are available near the stadium, but it is not controlled nor managed by South Alabama or Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The Wave will run from Bel Air Mall in the south parking lot near Target and JC Penny to the Stadium beginning at 2:30pm and will run until 90 minutes after the game is over. A round trip costs $2.50.
We need fans to be LOUD and we need STUDENTS to fill the stadium. View my challenge to Jaguar Nation earlier this week for more.
USA Baseball Releases 2014 Schedule
The University of South Alabama baseball head coach Mark Calvi released their 2014 schedule on Thursday. The schedule includes six NCAA Regional and two College World Series participants from last season. They also include last year’s national runner up.
The Jags will open the season with a three game series against Tennessee Tech at Eddie Stanky Field on February 14-16. They will then host Alabama State on February 18 in a mid-week series. They then travel to New Orleans to face former conference foe New Orleans in a three game series on February 21-23.
They return back to Eddie Stanky Field to host Jacksonville State for a two game mid-week series on February 25 and 26. They then begin a five game road trip when they travel to Fayeteville, Arkansas to face the University of Arkansas for a three game series from February 28 – March 2 who finished runner-up at the NCAA Manhattan (Kansas) Regional last season. The Jags then face Jackson State on March 4 in Mississippi then they end the road trip with a game at Mississippi State on March 5 for a rematch of last year’s NCAA Starkville (Mississippi) Regional winner’s bracket game that the Bulldogs won on their way to a runner-up finish at the College World Series.
The Jags will then host a three game series against Southern Illinois University March 7-9, followed by a mid-week trip to Hattiesburg to face Southern Miss before returning home for a Conference opener against Troy on March 14-16.
Throughout the conference season the Jags will have games against LSU (March 19 in Baton Rouge), Nicholls State (March 25), Southeastern Louisiana (April 1, Hammond, Louisiana), Southern Miss (April 2), Nicholls State (April 9, Thibodaux, Louisiana), Southeastern Louisiana (April 15), Auburn (April 22, Auburn, Alabama), Alabama State (April 30, Montgomery, Alabama).
The Sun Belt Conference Championship will be held in Mobile at Eddie Stanky Field from May 21 through May 25.
“It’s a good schedule,” coach Calvi said. “With our league being as tough as it is, you want to get your guys ready for that type of competition. To be ready for the postseason and get to where we want to go, you have to get used to playing high-quality teams. It’s a great experience for our guys. They come to South Alabama for the tradition and the fact that we’ll play anybody on the road or at home.”
“As we continue to improve and get the program back to where it was, it’s a drawing card as well,” Calvi continued. “We’re excited about this schedule. We definitely have our hands full. There’s no doubt about it, good competition allows you to see what you have and don’t have. It’s a great measuring stick to play a tough schedule.”
The full schedule can be found here.
Go Jags!
Jags Final Practice In The Books For Western Kentucky
Thursday morning was the final practice preparing for Saturday’s game against Western Kentucky.
The two hour practice saw the Jaguars defense preparing for a variety of things they believe the Hilltoppers will attack them with. The offense worked on their up tempo play and gameplan to attack the Hilltopper defense. The offense has worked all week to continue the progress they made last week and to correct the turnovers early in the second half of the game against Tulane.
Western Kentucky know how crucial turnovers can be. They had five turnovers in the span of six plays leading to a 24 point first quarter for Tennessee last weekend in their 52-20 loss to the Volunteers. Western Kentucky head coach Bobby Petrino told the media that they have focused on ball security this week. He also opened up lots of positions and will have lineup changes against the Jaguars. He indicated that for them to win, they need to run the ball and make plays down field. They understand that Ross Metheny is a dual threat quarterback and they understand that they need to get pressure on him using a four man rush, which he has not been happy with this season.
South Alabama is a 9.5-point underdog in this first meeting between the two schools and the first conference game of the season for both schools.
After a tough day of practice earlier this week where there were dropped passes, head coach Joey Jones was pleased with Thursday’s practice. He told AL.com that he thought the team was sharper that they were on Thursday and that both sides of the ball were in tune with what they need to do. But he said that the challenge is taking that from the practice field out to the stadium on Saturday.
Jones was pleased with how the team responded after the Tulane win. They got back into work mode and continue to try to make improvements and to push themselves to get better.
They should not have a problem getting up for this game as it is their conference opener against a team that could challenge for the conference championship. One of the goals year in and year out is to win conference games and win a conference championship. They know that they cannot win a conference championship without winning conference games. If they approach it with that mentality, then their next goal of going to a bowl game will take care of itself.
South Alabama will have a short walk-through practice on Friday. The Jags and the Hilltoppers are scheduled to kick off at 6:30pm at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
Quick Look At Western Kentucky
First year defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer talks with the defense on the sidelines at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in the Jaguars season opener against Southern Utah.
The Jaguars continue to prepare for Western Kentucky as they hone their gameplan and continue to focus on execution.
WKU will bring is a solid running game but also a potent passing game in their multiple attack offense. In the backfield, they are led by Antonio Andrews, a 6′ 220-pound running back, that Coach Bobby Petrino likes to pound opponents with and rarely goes down on the first hit. They run inside, they run off tackle and they run outside. Petrino is known for his affinity for crossing routes and stretching the field deep.
Western Kentucky is averaging 27.5 points per game, 193.5 rushing yards per game and 246.5 yards passing per game for an offensive total of 440 yards per game. That is also against a pair of SEC teams in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Head coach Joey Jones and defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer are concerned about getting the defense lined up correctly and playing aggressively. When they bring pressure on the quarterback, they must get to the quarterback.
Defensively they have good size on both the line and linebackers, but they lost the entire defensive line from the 2012 team leaving them a bit inexperienced coming into this season. The linebackers Xavius Boyd and Andrew Jackson rank are probably the top linebacker duos in the conference.
WKU’s rushing defense has been pretty weak through the first two games, however they did face SEC talent in Kentucky and Tennessee and gave up big plays on the ground to both of them. Looks for the Jaguars to go deep and try to make more big plays and stretch the defense themselves. The Hilltopper secondary are all upperclassmen with plenty of experience.
Western Kentucky’s beatwriter picks the Hilltoppers to win 43-16. Last season the Jaguars played four SBC teams within 10 points last season when they went 2-11. In a number of games the Jaguars had a late rally that came up short. These Jaguars can play and I don’t see it going down like the WKU beatwriter thinks.
But to do so, we need the fans to help give the Jaguars an edge. See yesterday’s article where I challenges Jaguar Nation to make Ladd-Peebles Stadium one of the most feared places to play in the Sun Belt.
Coach Joey Jones Show Recap 09-10-2013
Head coach Joey Jones, Lee Shirvanian were joined by assistant coach Brian Turner at Baumhower’s Restaurant on Airport Boulevard in Mobile.
They were quickly talking about how good the Jags win over Tulane was for the team. The Jags came out quick and finished the game. Coach Jones was very proud of the team and mentioned that most of the plays went our way and we were able to get the win.
Ross is the first Jaguar to be the Offensive Player of the Week. He was ready to play, prepared well and knew where to go with the ball.
Lee asked about the blocked punt the Jags had against Tulane. He asked if that was schemed. Coach Jones said it was. They saw on film how they protected on punts and saw a gap between their wing and their tackle. He also mentioned that their personal protector moved up to the line to change the protection but the center snapped the ball before they could change it and they were wide open to block the punt.
Injury report by Coach Jones noted that Randon Carnathan is going to miss the remainder of the season with an Achilles heel injury. Late in the season last year he tore his ACL and spent the offseason rehabbing and earning his spot back and then this happens to him in the second game of his final season.
Jerome McClain, who went out of the Tulane game with a concussion, was cleared to rejoin the team on the practice field on Wednesday. That is a bright spot for the defensive line since they lost Will Thompson in the preseason because of ankle surgery and now Carnathan.
Lee turned to Coach Turner, who coaches the defensive line, and asked how Carnathan’s injury affects them. Turner said that it’s tough losing a player, especially a senior with the experience and leadership they bring and Randon bring personally. They are deeper at that position and they rotate lots of players so they should be okay.
Romelle Jones was named the defensive lineman of the week by the coaches for his performance against Tulane with seven tackles, two tackles-for-loss and a sack with four quarterback pressures.
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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.
USA Men’s Basketball 2013-2014 Schedule Released
The South Alabama men’s basketball team released their 2013-2014 schedule on Monday. First year head coach Matthew Graves, his staff and team will face some challenges this season.
The Jags will be led by returning Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Augustine Rubit and Junior Mychal Ammons. Four of their road games will be against Gonzaga, Arkansas, New Mexico State and Middle Tennessee State with a total of nine opponents who won at least 19 games last season.
They will begin the season with an exhibition game against the University of Mobile on November 5 at the Mitchell Center. They will have their season opener at home against Detroit on November 8.
Graves’ first road game will be at Texas on November 12. They will return to the Mitch to face William Carey before hosting the round-robin tournament the CBE Classic with Wright State, Southern Miss and Houston Baptist coming to the Mitchell Center to participate on November 22-24.
On November 30, the Jags will travel to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to face former SBC rival Middle Tennessee State. December 2 the Jags will face Spring Hill College before traveling to Houston, Texas to face Rice on December 7.
The Jags will travel to Seattle, Washington fo face Gonzaga on December 14. THey then return to Mobile to face Dillard on December 17 then have back-to-back road games against Arkansas on December 21 and New Mexico State on December 28.
This season, the Sun Belt will not be split into divisions, so they will play an 18-game home-and-home schedule against each team in the conference. The Sun Belt Conference schedule begins for South Alabama on January 2 at home against Western Kentucky.
Wright State was chosen to win the Horizon League this year and won 23 games last season. They return their top 10 players. Gonzaga is a perineal challenge and NCAA Tournament threat.
Coach Graves wanted to put together a challenging non-conference schedule to prepare the Jags for their conference schedule and it seems he has done just that. They have lots of work ahead of them but Graves and the team are up to the challenge.
Click here to see the full schedule.
Go Jags!