Scrimmage Photo Gallery

Date: 8/5
Time: 9-10:45 a.m. (CDT)
Place: Ladd-Peebles Stadium

Scoring Plays (drive information)
-Gavin Patterson 47-yard field goal (5 plays, 41 yards)
-Frankie Onate 29-yard field goal (14 plays, 52 yards)
-Jalen Tolbert 50-yard pass from Wyatt Wilkinson (4 plays, 60 yards)
-Patterson 21-yard field goal (8 plays, 47 yards)
-Collier Smith 17-yard pass from Evan Orth

Red Zone Scores (25-yard line start)
-Jamarius Way 10-yard pass from Orth
-Jalen Wayne 25-yard pass from Cephus Johnson

Play of the Day: With the offense facing second-and-four from the defense's five-yard line during a red zone drive, Darrell Songy cut through an opening to drop Denzel Foster for a loss of five yards.

Key Statistics
-Passing: Evan Orth 9-of-16, 113 yds, 2 TDs; Cole Garvin 4-of-7, 79 yds; Dallas Davis 6-of-10, 64 yds
-Rushing: Denzel Foster 8-39; Jalin Buie 9-23; Tra Minter 6-20
-Receiving: Jamarius Way 4-71, TD; Quinton Lane 2-38; Jalen Wayne 2-28, TD; Collier Smith 2-25, TD; David Gardner 2-22; Malik Stanley 2-20
-Defense: Wade Forde 3-6—9 TT, 3 TFL, 3 sacks; Chris Henderson 5-0—5 TT, 3 TFL, 2 sacks; Darrell Songy 1-4—5 TT, 1½ TFL; DJ Daniels 2-2—4 TT; Jeremiah Littles 1-3—4 TT, 1 sack, 2 PBU; Gus Nave 3-0—3 TT, 1 PBU; Malcolm Buggs 2-1—3 TT, ½ TFL, 1 INT; Jimmie Gipson III 2-1—3 TT
-Special teams: Gavin Patterson 4-5 FG, long 47; Frankie Onate 4-4 FG, 40 long; Corliss Waitman 2-44.5 avg punting

Miscellaneous Notes
-The scrimmage included just under 100 plays in less than two hours, with the offense averaging 4.26 yards per snap.
-The Jaguar defense posted 13 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, a total that included six sacks, to go along with four takeaways (two interceptions, two fumbles).
-Five South quarterbacks combined to go 24-of-44 passing for 329 yards, while the Jags gained 88 yards on 54 carries for 417 yards of total offense.
-Evan Orth was the lone quarterback with multiple touchdown throws, with freshmen Cephus Johnson and Wyatt Wilkinson each adding one.
-Three of the team's four touchdown receptions were hauled in by newcomers Jamarius Way, Jalen Tolbert and Jalen Wayne.
-Wade Forde (three) and Chris Henderson (two) combined to account for five of the six sacks recorded by USA's defense.
-In addition to the two interceptions, the unit also broke up eight other pass attempts.
-Placekickers Gavin Patterson and Frankie Onate combined to convert 8-of-9 field-goal attempts on the day, with six of those tries coming during a break between drives.

Head coach Joey Jones
On what he saw in the scrimmage: "I saw a lot of energy; our guys are really a fun team to coach and I'm really excited about their work ethic.  We are so much better [this season] on the defensive front, that's the most notable thing to me.  We have guys on our two- and three-deep that are really getting after it and that's good to see.  Good teams start with a good defensive line."
On what he looks for in the scrimmage settings: "I'm looking for guys who are going to step up and play when it's time for them to.  Anybody can do well in practice or drills, but can you do it when the lights are on so to speak?  Those are the players I want to have, guys who can make plays when the lights come on."
On dealing with the heat: "I think they're used to it.  [Strength and conditioning] Coach [Lance] Ancar has done a great job with them during the offseason, they are really in shape right now.  I didn't see anyone falling out or acting tired, so that was a good sign to me."
On his thoughts on the team a week into fall camp: "I don't think we are ever where we want to be, but am I pleased?  Yes.  We've got some things to work on on both sides of the ball, there's always room for improvement.  Our guys are taking the philosophy of trying to a little bit better every day.  At the end of camp, I want us to be a lot better than we were at the beginning of camp; that's the goal."
On where the team goes from here: "I thought we really played well defensively today.  Offensively, we showed some good things knowing that we are going against a really good defense.  I saw some good signs and some things for us to work on.  The key for us is 'Can we get better next week?'  That's what I challenged our players with following the scrimmage.  We have to look at what we did today, make changes and just get better.  That's what we practice for in the summer.  No one is going to give us anything; we have to earn it."

Malcolm Buggs
On the performance of the defense in the scrimmage: "I think we came out today and flew around as a defensive unit.  We had a couple of mistakes here and there, but we are going against some great, competitive guys.  The depth of the defensive line stands out every day, last year we had a lot of guys who got hurt but this year I'm seeing us about two- to three-deep on the line, and in the secondary we are trying to anchor those guys; we have the potential to go two-deep in the secondary as well.  Depth all around the board stands out."
On his play on Saturday: "If I had to give myself a grade it would probably be a 75.  I'm very hard on myself, probably harder than coach [Kane] Wommack; I try to put myself in his mind when I think about my evaluation on the field."
On youth in the Jaguar secondary: "The young guys are coming along well.  We have a true sophomore, DJ Daniels, who started with the ones, and Devin Rockette and Gus Nave are great corners.  They have a lot of potential, all they have to do is bring their lunch pail, come ready to work and continue to become better every day, every snap."

Denzel Foster
On want he wanted to accomplish in the scrimmage: "I was just trying to get my technique down, get good pad level and follow my blocks, and just get used to the college atmosphere."
On keys to several big runs: "The line was great today, they were blocking at the line of scrimmage and that's what opened the hole for me to get to the secondary.  It all started with the front line."
On his approach to the day: "My approach was that I came to get better.  Every day is game day in the running back room, I just came out here and treated it like a game"

Chris Henderson
On how the defensive line played today: "On the defensive line we have a lot of depth to start with, so we had a lot of guys coming in.  Everyone was on the same page so we were able to step up and produce."
On what the key to his performance in the scrimmage was: "My rush is basically getting off with speed, I was just trying to turn the edge as fast as I could.  And Coach Wommack was calling some good plays that allowed me to cut loose and go get the quarterback."
On what he has improved from last year: "Just basically being a student and soaking up everything coaches have been telling me, using my hands better and flipping my hips a whole lot better as well."

Jamarius Way
On his performance in the scrimmage: "I think it was a solid performance, I feel like I did a good job attacking the ball and making big plays when my coach called my number."
On if he likes how he is being used in the offense: "Oh yes, I really do.  Coach always told me he was going to give me a shot, and when he does I need to make a play for him, I can't let him and my teammates down."
On how he approached the scrimmage: "It's just work and competition.  We have to try and make each other better."

Up next: The Jaguars are off on Sunday and will return to the James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility Monday at 9 a.m.

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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