Date: 3/12
Time: 3:30-5:30 p.m. (CDT)
Place: James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility
Practice attire: Full pads
Offensive Player of the Day: Terrion Avery, So., RB, Wiggins, Miss.
-Offensive coordinator Kenny Edenfield on Avery: "I actually noticed Terrion on Saturday a little bit, he's kind of sneaky good. You don't really see him, he's really quiet, then all of a sudden he breaks a long run; he did that again today. I think he is coming on, he's going to be a big addition to what we've already got."
Defensive Player of the Day: Taj Bickham, Fr., S, Violet, La.
-Defensive coordinator Greg Stewart on Bickham: "Taj was a freshman last year who we are counting on to come in and help us a little bit on the back end. He did a good job today, he had a nice pick. I think he is coming on and is going to be a guy who is going to help us in the fall."
Play of the Day: In the final team period of the afternoon, Jared Wilson went around the right side of the Jaguar offensive line and after making one cut back inside recorded a long gain.
Team period highlights: There were three 10-minute team periods in the last 35 minutes of the day's workout, which featured third downs, an option period for the offense to mix up first- and second-down calls, and first downs.
Miscellaneous Notes
-This was the first of two practices this week for the Jaguars before the university's annual Spring Break begins.
-The opening half hour of the session included 20 minutes of individual drill work.
-In addition to a five-minute period focusing on extra points and field goals, there were two other special teams periods during the two-hour workout.
-The Jag defense recorded a pair of takeaways the second half of practice on interceptions by Riley Cole and Bickham.
-During the three team periods the unit was credited with nine tackles for loss including five different individuals — Jeremiah Littles, Maurice Strong Jr., Nick Mobley, Jamall Hickbottom and Josh Gillard — who posted a sack.
-Malik Stanley and Logan Morgan each caught three balls during team period action to lead South's receiving corps, with Stanley hauling in a team-best five passes the second half of practice including skeleton passing drills.
-Morgan ended up with four total catches as did Jalen Tolbert, whose lone reception during team periods was good for a 60-yard touchdown on a throw from Desmond Trotter.
-USA's defense finished with a slight edge in the third down period, recording nine stops while the offense moved the chains on seven occasions.
Head coach Steve Campbell
-On Tuesday's practice: "We're still installing on both sides of the ball, but I though offensively we had a couple of explosive runs which you like to see because we weren't as explosive in the run game as we needed to be last year. Terrion had a couple of good runs; it's still early, but he's gained yards when we give him the ball. I think our defensive line is continuing to get better, I like the way that they are playing. And I saw progression with some of the quarterbacks, I see them starting to pick things up in the RPO and option game; I though they did a good job on a lot of their reads."
-On the physical nature of practice since putting on pads Saturday: "I think we are going to be bigger and stronger up front offensively, the ones who played last year are a year bigger and stronger so we will be more physical on the offensive line. With Tyree Turner, Sean Brown and Jeffery Whatley I believe we have some physical defensive linemen, I like the way we are playing up front. We're not there yet, but I saw some good things today during the inside run period. You have to be good up front on both sides and I think we're making strides there."
-On what he wants to see in the team's mini scrimmage on Thursday: "Defensively, I want to see us run to the football and tackle, and not get beat deep. Offensively, I want to see if we can create some explosive plays in the run game and the quarterbacks to go through their read progressions and make some plays."
Up next: The Jaguars' final workout prior to Spring Break — which is set to begin at 3:30 p.m. on campus Thursday — will include a mini scrimmage expected to last approximately half of the practice.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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