MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama football head coach Joey Jones along with defensive lineman Sean Brown and wide receiver Jordan McCray met with the media Monday to preview Thursday night's game against Georgia State and recap last week's Homecoming win over ULM.

Head coach Joey Jones
Opening statement: "Obviously, we had a good game this past Saturday against ULM; I thought we really grew up as a football team in it.  Our players continue to work hard and the thing I keep telling them is the best team is going to win in most instances, so we just have to continue to improve in practice and become a better team later in the year than we were during the first part of the year.  Each team that continues to get better as the season goes has a chance [to win the conference title], and that's what it's all about.  We've done that so far, but we've got to keep getting better."

On the confidence of the team: "It's funny how human nature is.  You lose to a Oklahoma State and to an Ole Miss to put you 0-2 and everybody has their heads down, but I knew we had a good team and that we had a shot to continue to be a good team.  You have to keep pumping the players with the truth.  I think our players appreciated that and now they understand we have a shot.  It's still going to be a tough road and we have a lot of tough games to play, but we're a pretty good football team and I think we've proven that the past couple of weeks.  The key though is can you keep doing it?  The last game is gone and we now have the next game, which is Georgia State who is another tough opponent.  We have to continue to take that attitude with us throughout the rest of the season."

On the players playing for each other: "I think that starts with the leadership on our team.  We have some great senior leaders and even some younger guys who are great leaders.  They are leading this team from within.  They don't need a motivational video to get them going and they don't need a speech necessarily from their head coach to get them going.  It's them motivating other players on our team and the love they have for each other has shown.  They started that back in January; it hasn't just started the last three or four weeks.  It's something that they've built within starting in the offseason."

On liking the short week: "I've always like the midweek games.  I think it forces you as a coach to narrow things down and not put too much in.  I wouldn't say have a minimized game-plan, but rather a shortened game-plan that you can execute.  Early in my career, I made the mistake of trying to put in too much and we didn't play well because we couldn't execute.  I like a short week though and if you are playing well, it's a good thing for you."

On Jeremy Reaves: "Not only for our defense, but also for our team, Jeremy is probably the statesman of our team.  He's grown up so much as a leader.  There was a time there where he wasn't as vocal.  He's always been a good example guy of a player doing the right things, but now he's a vocal leader and he's learned how much that means to a team.  On the field, he's probably one of the most instinctive players that I've ever coached.  The interception he had against ULM to seal the game was a great play.  He was seven yards behind the receiver and he was able to come up and lay out for the ball.  A lot of guys may knock that ball down, but he made a great catch and basically ended the game for us.  He makes plays all over the field for us."

Sean Brown
On the win over ULM and expectations against Georgia State: "It was very important for us to get this win.  We knew we had to get it.  We're aspiring to be the best defense in the conference.  We want to really show teams that we're a threat.  We want to put it in people's minds every week that in the beginning of the season when we lost those games, we're a completely different team.  We're a better team than last year.  We've bonded together.  We trust each other and we play behind each other."

On Georgia State's offense: "They do a lot of window dressing. For the defensive line, I know we're going to be keyed in the run and transition to pass.  They try to do the same thing out of different formations and they try to get you to look left and go right."

On the defense's confidence over the past couple of weeks: "When we play together it's fun.  Like that Troy win, it was a rivalry game and we dominated.  That was the best our defense has played all season.  When we play together I feel that we can't be stopped.  I really don't think there's a team in the country that can compete with us when we all come together."

On what Jeremy Reaves means to the defense: "He's a playmaker.  Like I told him when he made the interception, big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games.  That's what he is.  He's really all over the place.  I know I can trust Jeremy.  I've never played with a guy that comes down with force like he does in the run game.  I know he knows his job.  He does what it takes for him to play every week, and he over prepares so it's just simple to him on game day."

Jordan McCray
On the win over ULM and expectations against Georgia State: "I think that this was a huge win for our program going into Thursday against Georgia State.  It's just going to give us so much energy.  We're playing with a swagger and confidence that we haven't played with yet.  That's a huge thing for us going into the rest of the season.  We can't really be stopped if we keep playing together."

On the extra stress of a short week: "The only thing I would say is just taking care of our bodies.  With a short week we have to do a great job with that and with mentally preparing.  Outside of that, we're ready to go and ready to get to it."

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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