MOBILE, Ala. – The University of South Alabama football team is entering the heart of its 2010 schedule with a two-game homestand leading into three straight matchups against NCAA Football Championship Subdivision schools. But instead of worrying about the opposition, USA head coach Joey Jones is focused on his own program.
“The reality is if we’re not a better football team three, four and five weeks from now, then we’re going to get our tails beat,” he said. “We can’t look at our scores, we can’t look at the teams we’re playing; we functionally have to be a better football team to play those teams down the road. Our challenge is if we don’t get better in practice every day, if we don’t go out and get better as an offensive line, as a defensive back or quarterback, if we don’t improve each area of our team, three weeks from now we will be beat.”
The Jaguars will prepare for the stretch of FCS opponents with back-to-back home games against NCAA Division II schools. First up will be Kentucky Wesleyan, which will visit Ladd-Peebles Stadium for a 4 p.m. kickoff on Saturday.
USA enters play 3-0 after defeating Edward Waters (Fla.) 64-0 in Dothan, Ala., last weekend, the first time it played a game outside of Mobile. The Panthers (3-1) are also on a three-game winning streak after earning a 49-28 victory over Alma (Mich.) on Saturday.
The Jags are averaging 485 yards per game this season, with 305 of those coming on the ground. Eight running backs contributed to the team’s 391 yards against the Tigers, with seven of those picking up at least 30. Kendall Houston led the group with 48 yards on four carries, as he continues to top the team with 193 yards on the year, while Brandon Ross reached the end zone for the fourth time this season as part of the Jaguars’ 29-point first quarter.
Freshmen T.J. Glover and Jeremé Jones are among the team leaders in all-purpose yards, with the former leading the Jaguars in the category in the EWC win after collecting 41 yards rushing, 35 on his first career punt return and a 16-yard reception. Jones made his first-ever catch for a gain of 21 yards on USA’s first play from scrimmage, and later returned a pair of punts for 56 more yards. Two other freshmen receivers — Bryant Lavender and Corey Waldon — pace the squad; Lavender has six catches for 91 yards, topping the Jaguars in both categories, while Waldon has four receptions in three games. Courtney Smith also has four catches, with two of those going for scores after his 19-yard touchdown reception gave USA a 7-0 lead less than two minutes into the contest last week.
Both Myles Gibbon and Brennan Sim have quarterback ratings over 200, as Jaguar quarterbacks are averaging 180 yards per contest while completing better than 63 percent of their attempts. Sim, who threw for a career-best three touchdowns in the Edward Waters victory to earn offensive MVP honors of the Wiregrass Football Classic, has completed 18-of-27 throws for 285 yards and four scores, and Gibbon is 8-of-11 passing for 132 yards with one touchdown.
A trio of inside linebackers have reached double digits in tackles to lead a defense that is surrendering 201 yards per outing. Enrique Williams tops the group with 13, with Justin Dunn (12) and Jake Johnson (10) also among the team leaders in the category. Dunn was one of four Jags to intercept a pass last time out against the Tigers, returning it 41 yards for a touchdown late in the first quarter, while Michael Wilson picked off his second pass in three games as well. Clifton Crews and Jerron Mitchell also contributed to the school-record total with first-half interceptions, as USA allowed only 47 yards passing, the lowest total recorded by the opposition in the program’s first 10 games.
The Jaguars’ pass defense will be tested by Panther quarterback Chris Owen, who is averaging 304 yards per game and has completed nearly 63 percent of his passes while throwing 13 touchdowns. DaMarcus Ganaway leads the team with 27 catches, 434 yards receiving and five scores, while David Smith has caught 22 balls and Derek Brown 19.
In last week’s 49-28 win over Alma, Ganaway finished with 184 yards and two touchdowns on 11 receptions and Smith caught eight passes for another 142 yards and a score as Owen was 31-of-44 for 423 yards.
Thomas Gordon paces the Panthers with 215 yards on 55 carries, and he has also caught 10 passes for another 116 yards.
KWC is giving up 381 yards per game, with 180 of those coming on the ground and just over 200 through the air. Middle linebacker Ken Stoklosa has a team-high 41 total stops, including 6½ behind the line of scrimmage, after collecting a game-best 12 tackles in last week’s victory. Outside linebackers Quadarius Wallace (24) and Andy Pirruccello (20) are second and third on the team in tackling, respectively. Sammy Bland has accounted for half of the team’s six interceptions — he’s run one back for a score, adding a second touchdown last week with an 80-yard return of a blocked field goal — while four different individuals have recovered fumbles as the unit is forcing 2½ turnovers per game.
Jordan Means connected on all four of his extra-point attempts last week for USA in its victory, as he is tied for second on the team in scoring, while KWC’s Matt Wilson has 25 points after making 3-of-4 field goals and all 16 PATs in the Panthers’ first four outings. Scott Garber has an average of 40.9 yards per punt for the Jags, while his Panther counterpart, Sean Maguire, is averaging 38.7 yards per kick.
All fans are encouraged to wear red to the contest, with the Jaguars expected to wear red jerseys and pants for the first time this season.
Tailgating will begin when the Ladd-Peebles Stadium parking lot opens at 8 a.m., with the Jaguar Prowl set to pass through the lot beginning near the southeast corner of the stadium at 1:40 p.m. Tickets can also be purchased on the day of the game at the stadium beginning at 10 a.m., and the stadium gates are set to open at 2 p.m.
Prior to game day, tickets for the game can be purchased online at www.usagameday.com, by calling the USA Athletic Ticket Office at (251) 461-1USA (1872) by noon on Friday or in person by visiting the Mitchell Center ticket office on campus between the hours of 10 a.m.-5 p.m. during the week.
Shuttles, which cost only $2.50 for a round-trip ticket, will begin running at noon from the south parking lot of the Bel Air Mall behind Target and JC Penney. They will provide continuous service until 90 minutes after the completion of the contest.
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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