MOBILE, Ala. – Frequently when a football team reaches the second half of spring practice the energy and effort level diminish, but that was not the case for the University of South Alabama football program on Monday.

Returning to the field for the first time since Saturday's full scrimmage, the Jaguars worked out for over two hours on campus as the third week of spring drills began, and head coach Joey Jones was pleased with the team's performance.  "There was great energy today, sometimes you have a little lull when you come back from a scrimmage after that second week of practice of the spring but I thought it was great," he commented.  "They brought it today and I am real proud of them.  Offensively I thought Brandon had a great day throwing the ball, our receivers caught the ball well and ran real sharp routes.  One thing we are struggling with a little bit is our snaps — they are all over the place at times — we have to fix that."

The Jags used three-quarters of an hour to work on fundamentals on both sides of the ball, with the rest of the practice — the ninth of 15 in the spring — devoted to periods featuring the offense against the defense.  A 15-minute 7-on-7 skeleton passing session took place prior to over 40 minutes of team drills near the end of the workout.

The first team period was highlighted by defensive blitzes, with the next segment of practice covering red zone drills.  The final 32 repetitions featured the offense attempting to move the ball against the defense starting from its own 20-yard line.  There was also a 10-minute period early in the practice during which the offense ran plays on second-and-seven.

USA began the day working with the punt team, ending it with a punt return circuit.

With a day to analyze the results of Saturday's two-hour scrimmage, the coaching staff was able to note several positive impressions from the event.

"We could see we have a few guys who are starting to step up in a role where they can play," Jones observed.  "Offensively we improved from week one, Clay Machen had a real good day and the line blocked well overall.  Our ones played really, really well on defense, but we have to find some more depth."

The Jaguars will practice one more time, Wednesday starting at 7 a.m. on campus, prior to the annual spring game; the contest is slated to start at 11 a.m. Saturday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

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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