MOBILE, Ala. – Second-year head coach Kane Wommack and the University of South Alabama football team will open up spring practice on Friday, which will be the first of 15 leading into the program's annual spring game set for April 16.

The practice will get underway at 9 a.m. at the James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility, with the Jaguars also working out at the facility on Saturday at the Jaguar Training Center at 10 a.m.  Both sessions will be conducted in just helmets and shorts.

Over the next four weeks, the Jags will practice at the James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility each Monday and Wednesday beginning at 9 a.m., concluding the week with a workout on Friday, with one Saturday practice (April 9).  

"Well, you see that a lot of systems are in place, in terms of what we have gotten done: organization, scheme, culture and all of those things are in place that are operating at a much higher level than where we were a year ago," Wommack said. "What's exciting is that you get to focus on the details that come down to winning and losing football games. Our ability to understand situational football is very critical, playing with physicality and confidence in what we're doing, are two big focal points in terms of what I want to see from an execution standpoint. So, certainly developing the players we have coming in from the transfer portal is a big piece to the puzzle and getting them to understand our system, scheme, situational philosophy and how we do things across the board, culturally. For all these other guys that are coming in, establishing a confidence and physicality that we're going to be able to play and finish games when it matters most."

The spring season will conclude with the Jaguars' annual spring game, which will take place at Hancock Whitney Stadium at 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 16.  Parking opens at 8 a.m., with stadium gates opening at 9 a.m. Admission is free to the general public.

South currently is set to return 44 letterwinners in the fall, and has added 13 newcomers who signed either National Letters-of-Intent or transferred into the program at the start of the spring semester.

"I think when you look at the offensive side of the ball, we want to be able to rely more on our run game to finish and extend drives," Wommack said. "We were very deficient in our run game consistency, we also need to be able to make more explosive plays in the run game. I think a guy like La'Damian Webb helps that. Four of our starters on the offensive line from a year ago came in during the spring time so they haven't been here a full calendar year. So, their development to become a more consistent run game and being able to create more explosive plays is a big piece of the puzzle. Obviously, the development at the quarterback position with the guys we already have here in the program, and Carter Bradley coming in from the outside, operating with consistency, knowledge and understanding of what we're trying to do here. Carter has thrown for big yards in big games already at the FBS level, but to understand how we do things systematically and culturally on the offensive side of the ball is going to be really important for his growth.

"From a defensive perspective: mastering the situational understanding of our defense. Understanding how to apply our concepts to situational football. So, how do we apply our concepts to third down, red zone and two-minute to win a football game. Becoming elite, fundamental tacklers and physical with our hands to get off the blocks. The one other thing on top of that is that we have to do a better job of generating a pass rush, we were one of the top teams in the country in sacks and takeaways, but generating more pass rush out of our defensive ends is going to piece to the puzzle."

All practices will be closed to the general public.

SPRING PRACTICE SCHEDULE
Practice 1 – Friday – March 18 – 9-10:45 am (Helmets) – James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility
Practice 2 – Saturday – March 19 – 10-11:45 am (Helmets) – Jaguar Training Center
Practice 3 – Monday – March 21 – 9-10:45 am – James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility
Practice 4 – Wednesday – March 23 – 9-10:45 am – James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility
Practice 5 – Friday – March 25 – 9-10:45 am – James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility
Practice 6 – Monday – March 28 – 9-10:45 am – James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility
Practice 7 – Wednesday – March 30 – 9-10:45 am – James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility
Scrimmage 1 – Friday – April 1 – 9-10:45 am – James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility
Practice 9 – Monday – April 4 – 9-10:45 am – James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility
Practice 10 – Wednesday – April 6 – 9-10:45 am – James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility
Scrimmage 2 – Saturday – April 9 – 12-1:45 pm – James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility
Practice 12 – Monday – April 11 – 9-10:45 am – James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility
Practice 13 – Wednesday – April 13 – 9-10:45 am – James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility
Practice 14 – Friday – April 15 – 9-10:45 am (Helmets) – James A. and Frances H. Yance Football Practice Facility
Spring Game – Saturday – April 16 – 10 a.m. – Hancock Whitney Stadium 

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).

Join the South Circle, the unrestricted giving option of the University of South Alabama Athletics.  Contributions to South Circle
directly support all 17 sports in addition to various support programming. For more information on how you can join visit: http://jaguarathleticfund.com/give

—USA—