MOBILE, Ala. - While the three-week break that the University of South Alabama football team currently finds itself in the middle of is two more than the usual between games, that doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad thing for the Jaguars.
Army Prep - which comes to Mobile for a meeting with the Jags on Sept. 26 - runs the same triple-option offense that the Black Knights feature as an Independent school at the NCAA Division I-A/Football Bowl Subdivision level. Those extra 14 days have already come in handy for USA as it looks to defend against an offensive system that is now rarely used by I-A/FBS schools.
"It's a negative that we have to sit out three weeks, there's no way around that," said Jaguar head coach Joey Jones. "But, it does give us more time to prepare for what I feel is a very tough offense. That's the positive, and we need to look at that as opposed to the negative."
The USA defense has already been working against a scout team that is running the triple option, including at the end of Wednesday's practice. Without a quarterback who ran the system in high school on the roster, wide receiver Taylor Noon was leading the scout offense.
"There's no doubt it's a positive for us to have more time to prepare for that offense," Jones stated. "Kids nowadays don't grow up playing in that offense. When I grew up pretty much everyone ran the option, so it was nothing to go out there, line up and know where you were supposed to go - but, you just don't see it any more. You have to be very disciplined to play against the option.
"That's why the Armys and the Navys are very successful in Division I football. They play teams with better athletes, but the offense is a great equalizer."
With Army Prep coming in a week-and-a-half, the defense's focus all week has been on going against the base plays of a triple-option offense. Offensively, workouts since Monday have been centered around work in the red zone. "That was an area I thought we struggled in during the first ballgame," Jones said.
Other areas that have been part of the practice plan this week include first downs and third downs, while according to Jones situations including blitzing have been worked on every day. After a meeting this evening to final plans for Thursday's 3:30 p.m. workout, he expects the Jaguars will have a similar practice to close out the week.
USA will be off Friday before beginning game-week preparations Monday for the Black Knights.
Other than what Jones described as a lull by the offense Tuesday, he has been pleasantly surprised by the Jags' performance on the field since coming back from a three-day weekend Monday. "I think that we have practiced much better than I would have anticipated," he observed.
Another positive of the long break for the Jags is that any injury issues from their 30-13 victory over Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy have cleared up. Only John Mark Patrick, a junior defensive lineman, has not returned to practice this week.
"I feel like we are at 99 percent right now," Jones commented. "It's a little unusual this late in September, but of course we've only played one game."
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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