MOBILE, Ala. – With the 2010 football season only four days away, University of South Alabama head coach Joey Jones was joined by offensive lineman Trey Clark and linebacker Justin Dunn at media day Monday at the USA Fieldhouse to discuss the season opener against Pikeville (Ky.), as well as preseason camp and preparations made for the upcoming season.
A few highlights from Monday’s press conference are below:
Head coach Joey Jones
Opening statement:
“First of all, our kids are obviously looking forward to the first ball game. We’ve been working against each other for almost a month now, so they are excited about getting out there in our uniforms, playing at Ladd-Peebles Stadium and having a good time again on Saturdays. We worked the whole offseason for days like this, so our players as well as our coaches are excited and looking forward to it.
“We don’t know much about Pikeville this year, I do know they have a few transfers. One thing about the first ball game of the year is that you have to go in with a base plan, but ready to make adjustments because it really doesn’t matter what a team has done last year — they’re going to do something in the offseason to improve their team. We’re doing the same thing, and hopefully they’re going to have to make adjustments to what we do as well. It’s difficult to prepare for someone like that because you don’t know the personnel, or what they are going to do offensively and defensively until they get here.
“You have an idea and work on, which we’ve done the last week and will continue to do this week. The key is to have base plays; base things you do well so no matter what they do you can execute. That’s what we’ve concentrated on the most.”
On comparing this season’s first game to last year’s:
“This whole season is completely different. Last year there was anticipation of the first ball game ever, there was great excitement because of that. Our players were not very experienced together at that point — we had some experienced players, but were not experience as a team — and the coaches didn’t know how the players would react. Going into the first game last year there was a real nervousness; we felt confident, but there were some nerves.
“This year we are anticipating the first game, but we know each other. The coaches know the players, and the players understand how we want to coach out there during the game. They’ve been to Ladd and played in some big games in front of 28-30,000 people, so I think the expectations are the same but our comfort level will be much higher now because of where we are as a team.”
What he wishes to have more time to work on, concerns going into Saturday:
“As a coach, you’re never satisfied. I think you’re always trying to get 100 percent of your players playing at a 100 percent level, and that will never happen. They are going to make mistakes, they are going to make mental errors. The bottom line is that we try to practice in a way that puts pressure on them so they can perform in games. I’m not really nervous about anything other than the fact that you know you’re going to make some mistakes, that happens some. But I think our team will be prepared mentally and hopefully have the confidence to play well.”
On what kind of crowd he is expecting:
“I don’t know, I hope it is like our opening game last year. It’s going to be great weather from what I can see right now, and I think we fit real well with the timing of our game against other games being played that day. I think it will be a great crowd, I really do.”
On whether he has noticed a difference in the community:
“I think so, I know that I felt a difference in the community. Last year everybody was kind of wondering what this is all about and what it was going to be like, and now that they’ve had a taste for it I really feel like this has a chance to be something big one day. You get that feeling that we’re building something and they want to be a part of it. That’s what’s exciting to me as a coach — to me, this whole town is involved.
“It almost feels like it’s us against them, and that’s what I’m looking forward to this year. Instead of having teams come in from up north and driving 15 hours where they didn’t bring any fans, I think the teams we are playing this year will bring fans. From what I saw last year with our fans in the Huntingdon game, I thought that was a very electric atmosphere, and I anticipate that happening as this year goes.”
On this year’s freshmen:
“Most of them are in back-up roles, which is good from the standpoint that at least we have some guys who have some experience who are doing well. On offense, probably at every position but especially on the line and at quarterback, we’ve got true freshmen dominating the second-tier roles. Defensively in the secondary we have some guys that are in the second tier. We only had 17 who we signed come this summer, but most of those guys — I’d say 85 percent of them — are second string or better, so we have a very good class there.”
Offensive lineman Trey Clark
On game week:
“We’re obviously excited it game week. This week we’re going to get after it physically and polish up mentally. We just have to play with a lot of effort and just focus. We’ve put in the work at camp, and we’ll be ready to go on Saturday.”
On comparing this season’s first game to this year’s:
“We’re still just as excited, if not more. The competition level definitely picks up this year, so we’re just looking forward to getting out and beating up on somebody besides ourselves. We are more confident, and as far as the offensive line goes we played well at times last year. We’re more experienced just having played seven games together. Coming back through spring training and now fall camp, I think we’re ready to go.”
On this season’s opponents:
“We are excited, and as the program continues to build the competition is going to increase. We’re ready to take on that challenge and step up and meet it every game.”
Linebacker Justin Dunn
On game week:
“We’re very excited. It’s a change for us – we get a chance to hit somebody else instead of each other. Now it’s time to just unleash the beast on somebody else. We do have to get on top of the little mental things that can get you beat, and that’s what we’re really going to be focused on this week.”
On comparing this season’s first game to this year’s:
“As far as depth goes, we’ve had some people come in who can help our depth. Playing together for an entire year as a defense gives people a sense of comfort, because you know they’re going to be there when they need to be there. That’s a definite factor coming into this year. We approach every opponent the same, we just go out and play the best we can and play as one. But together as a unit for a year allows us to know what we can do on defense.”
On this season’s opponents:
“I thrive on competition, and the more you compete against better people the more you want to beat them and show them who you are. I think it’s going to be great for us. This year we have some people on the schedule who pose a threat, and we’re going to treat them as such.”
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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