MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama football program practiced under the lights Thursday, but not because it was an evening workout.
The Jaguars participated in the second of 15 spring practices in the morning at the fields on campus, but got in a full two-hour session despite the threat of rain hanging over Mobile. USA head coach Joey Jones was not only pleased to have gotten the full practice in, but with the effort on display as well.
“I thought it was a good day; the intensity was there, the kids were working hard,” he stated. “Offensively, we are a long way from being all together, but we were expecting that. The kids have really locked in, they are making some mistakes out there but we had some good things happen when they went against the defense too.
“It’s just a matter of being patient, of coming in every day and studying what we are doing and getting better. It’s just going to take some time.”
The Jags had two 10-minute periods near the end of the workout in which the offense faced the defense — the first involved 7-on-7 skeleton passing drills, the second had both units with all 11 players on the field. The focus of the defense during those segments was on pass rush and the blitz.
Defensively, USA worked the 20 minutes prior to facing the offense on formations and blitzes, while the latter unit had a 15-minute period going against a scout team to prepare for the end of the session.
There was also a 10-minute period with the offense and defense facing off for a skeleton passing drill, with most of the first half of practiced dedicated to individual work with position coaches.
According to Jones, the challenges facing the offense as it transitions from a power to a spread attack include adjusting to new personnel as well as an increased tempo. “When you hurry a kid up on the second day of practice in a brand new offense, it multiplies the problems,” he observed. “I think they have handled it pretty well. The biggest thing is that day 15 has to be much better than day two — that’s what we are shooting for.”
After a day off, the Jaguars will practice in shells for the first time this spring beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday on campus.
“You can’t tell much without pads on, we’re just trying to teach them and get them to learn what they are doing,” Jones said of the first two days of spring practice. “Saturday when we put the shoulder pads on, we will be able to tell a lot more about our players.”
One of the aims of the coaching staff during the spring period is to evaluate who will be on the field in the fall, when the Jaguars take on a 13-game schedule that includes a full slate against Sun Belt Conference competition. Every position will be looked at, though some have more competition than others.
“We want to find out who our players are, who will be on the two-deep,” said Jones. “It’s really wide open; there are some spots that are obvious, but there are a lot that aren’t. We’ve got guys who have worked their way up in our program — who are going to be juniors, and have been No. 2 or No. 3 — fighting for jobs, and we’ve brought in some new players who are fighting for those spots.
“I would say that 75 percent of our spots are wide open right now.”
One area that Jones cited being comfortable with is USA’s linebackers, noting their level of experience. That group returns Jake Johnson and Enrique Williams — both started all 10 games last fall on the inside — and Clifton Crews, who also started every contest at an outside slot. Logan Bennett and Bryson James are both three-year letterwinners at the position, while Ben Giles and Desmond LaVelle receiving playing time in 2011 as well.
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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