MOBILE, Ala. – After playing 14 of its first 17 games at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in the program’s first two seasons of competition, the University of South Alabama football team has become very familiar with its home stadium. But after three straight road games, it’s been five weeks since the Jaguars have played a game in Mobile.
That will change Saturday, when USA faces Tennessee-Martin as part of the school’s Homecoming festivities.
With kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. — the contest will be televised regionally on Comcast Sports Southeast, and locally on UTV 44 — gates will open at 12:30 p.m., while entry to the parking lot will start at 8 a.m. The Jag Prowl will take place in the south end of the parking lot when the team arrives on site at 12:10 p.m.
Round-trip shuttle service will be available from Bel Air Mall parking lot south of Target and J.C. Penney starting at 10:30 a.m. and running until 90 minutes after the game, with the cost $2.50 per person.
While Homecoming opponents are traditionally expected to capitulate with relative ease, that likely won’t be the case in this instance as Jag head coach Joey Jones sees UT-Martin as “the best team that’s come into Ladd Stadium.” The Skyhawks — who are receiving votes in this week’s Sports Network/Fathead.com NCAA Football Championship Subdivision rankings — have one of the most prolific offensive units in the FCS, leading the country with 45.2 points and 511.6 yards per game. They have scored no fewer than 48 points in their three victories, while one of their two losses came when Jacksonville State scored a touchdown with 38 seconds to go in a 24-23 decision.
“They are well-coached and very good on offense, and defensively they are very athletic,” stated Jones. “They have a lot of seniors on the team, they have been building this team for the last three years. It’s going to take all we got this week to get ready, but our kids are looking forward to the challenge.”
Jake Johnson leads a USA unit that stands 25th in the FCS statistical rankings in total defense (317.6 ypg) and has not allowed more than 17 points in regulation to a school outside of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level. After recording 12 stops in a 30-27 overtime victory at Texas-San Antonio last weekend — his second outing in a row with a double-digit total — the junior inside linebacker is 21st nationally with 10.2 tackles per game and among the top 50 with 1.3 stops for loss per outing; he was credited with three against the Roadrunners.
Fellow inside linebacker Enrique Williams ranks second on the team with 37 tackles and three-and-a-half stops behind the line of scrimmage, while B.J. Scott has 34 stops after posting 11 at UTSA, his second game in double figures in the category.
Kendall Houston and Demetre Baker spearhead a rushing attack that accounted for 175 yards against the Roadrunners. Houston leads the Jaguars with 333 yards and has scored four times after reaching the end zone from one yard out to open the scoring last week, while Baker has scored multiple touchdowns in two straight games and at least one in each of the last four contests; he ended up with a game-high 87 yards on 11 carries after providing the Jags with the winning points on a 25-yard run in the second overtime.
“I have to thank the offensive line. They worked their tails off the whole game, and I appreciate them for all the work that they do down there in the trenches,” Baker commented on the UTSA win. “It was a big victory for the team; we were excited and pumped up. I knew we would fight, and we fought together and came out with a victory.”
C.J. Bennett completed 11-of-17 passes for 176 yards in the win over the Roadrunners, and has now thrown for 934 yards on the season. Bryant Lavender (16 for 255), Jeremé Jones (13-142) and Corey Waldon (11 for 167) are the Jags’ top receivers, though it was Lamontis Gardner — who recorded four receptions for 70 yards — who led the team last weekend.
Scott Garber has averaged better than 40 yards per punt in three straight games, as his 41.6 average per kick ranks 26th nationally, while Jordan Means has converted 83.3 percent of his field-goal attempts after connecting on a school-record 48-yard effort in the second quarter in San Antonio; he enters play second on the squad with a total of 26 points.
The Skyhawks are averaging 228.8 yards per game on the ground and 282.8 passing, have scored on 26-of-27 (96.3 percent) of their trips to the red zone and converted 49.3 percent (37-of-75) on third down.
Jason McNair has rushed for 448 yards and Tevin Barksdale 323, with both averaging better than five yards per carry while combining to score 11 touchdowns. Derek Carr has thrown for 1,357 yards and 12 scores while completing 59.1 percent (97-of-164) of his attempts, with Stephen Shiver recording team-high totals of 22 catches for 345 yards and four touchdowns.
“They have an excellent offense — they like to run the ball. But we pride ourselves as a defense on stopping the run,” said Jaguar defensive lineman Andy Dalgleish, who had a tackle for loss and forced fumble at UTSA. “We’ll have our work cut out for us, but I’m confident going into this game. We have a great defensive coaching staff that will have us prepared.”
Eight UTM defenders have posted at least 20 stops on the season, paced by linebacker Ben Johnson; he has made 32 tackles, recorded three-and-a-half sacks and forced a pair of fumbles, also intercepting a pass. Jonathan Utley has 30 stops, including four behind the line, Jarvis McCann has been credited with 25 and Kendal Harper 22.
In addition to forcing nearly two turnovers per game, the unit has broken up 23 pass attempts by opposing quarterbacks.
Cody Sandlin leads UTM with 52 points, hitting 8-of-10 field goals as well as all but one extra-point try, while Carr and Joe Hook have combined to average 35.1 yards per punt — five of the eights punts from the Skyhawk quarterback have ended inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
Jones has one wish for this weekend’s match-up after the extended road trip the Jaguars have been on. “The crowd can make a difference in any ball game, not just football. Our people who have been coming to the games have been really loud, and we’ll need them this week,” he explained. “We really need a loud, hostile environment for the opposing team to come into and create that as an advantage for us.”
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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