Click here for a photo gallery from USA's 2010 Spring Football Game
MOBILE, Ala. - Jordan Means kicked a 53-yard field goal with 11-and-a-half minutes remaining Wednesday for the only points of the second half, lifting the White to a 10-7 victory over the Red in the University of South Alabama's spring game in front of over 1,000 fans at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
"I just went in there and did my job," he said afterwards. "That's what they expect to me do, so thank God it was a good hold and a good kick. I wanted to kick the field goal because I saw the wind, I knew all I had to do was hit it solid and the wind would do the rest. Fortunately it did."
"That was great," added head coach Joey Jones. "I was over there and they were ready to run a fourth-down play to try and at least gain some yardage. I reminded them the wind was behind them, though I wasn't trying to be a head coach. Jordan has a good leg, I knew if he got it going straight he had it.
"It was a great kick."
The eventual game-winning drive began at the White 38-yard line after Zach Brownell intercepted a pass and returned it eight yards. Myles Gibbon hit Courtney Smith on the first play to get the ball to midfield, while two snaps later Santuan McGee carried for a gain of 12 to move the ball to the Red-34. Facing third-and-10, Gibbon found Paul Bennett in the right flat for a gain of 22 yards as time expired in the third quarter.
The Red defense responded, however, with three straight stops behind the line of scrimmage including back-to-back sacks from Clifton Crews and Josh Chestang, to move the ball back to the Red-36. But Means' kick made it just over the crossbar, capping a 13-play, seven-minute and 52-second march.
Gibbon would finish the night 8-of-9 passing for 131 yards, with Smith accounting for four receptions for 83 yards to lead the White. Bennett caught two balls for 35 yards and Lamontis Gardner had two catches as well. McGee paced the team on the ground with 43 yards on 10 carries, with Brandon Ross chipping in with another 33 on five rushes.
"It was interesting because it was like playing with a completely new team," stated Gibbon. "We had one practice to get ready, but we came out firing on all cylinders - we were able to run, we were able to pass. It was fun competing against our buddies."
Romelle Jones led the White defense with five stops, including one-and-a-half for loss, with Richard Courtney and Logan Bennett each collecting four tackles. Bryson James added three stops as the unit allowed 207 yards of total offense.
"We warmed up together as a defensive line, but as we separated we all knew we had a job to do," Jones commented. "They've been going on forever - in the locker room, in the cafeteria, in the dorms. We'd be sending text messages when we went to bed at night. It's just been a whole bunch of fun all week."
The White marched down the field on its opening possession, moving 70 yards in 13 plays before Gibbon reached the end zone from one yard out. After converting on fourth-and-one with a 13-yard pass to Paul Bennett to cross midfield, Gibbon carried for six yards and McGee ran twice for 13 more. Ross then followed with a 17-yard gain to put ball on the two-yard line to set up the first score of the game.
On its second drive, the Red would march 55 yards to White 25 yard line before coming up short on fourth-and-five. The White squad almost took advantage of the opening, moving 69 yards in six plays, but an incomplete pass on fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line ended the threat. The big gain on the possession was a 52-yard completion from Gibbon to Smith on the first play of the drive.
After taking over in the shadow of its own end zone, Brennan Sim marched the Red 99 yards in six plays to even the contest with 2:51 remaining before the break. Facing third-and-six he found Donte Rome for a gain of 14 yards to move the chains, then he hit Rome again for a 16-yard completion. After Brandon Norton recorded a sack for a loss of eight yards, Sim faked an option run to the right and found Kelly Vail all alone down the middle of the field - after making the catch, the receiver would cut between two defenders and race down the left sideline to score from 73 yards out.
"It was meant to be a bootleg, but I kept cracking down on the safety and he bit on the play," stated Vail, who ended the contest with four receptions for a game-high 94 yards. "Brennan just threw it over the top. It was a good pass, and I had to slow down when I saw the safety coming out of the corner of my eye. After I caught it, I just turned on the speed."
Sim completed 13-of-22 attempts for 184 yards, while Ralph Turner matched Vail with four catches for another 39 yards. The Red was only able to manage 13 yards on 14 carries, however, led by Eli Smith's six attempts for 18 yards.
Ken Barefield paced all players with nine tackles, posting two of those behind the line, and Michael Wilson added seven for the Red defense. Both Crews and Enrique Williams chipped in with four stops apiece.
The White team gained 219 total yards on the night, 12 more than the Red squad.
"It has been real fun for us, and the coaches approached it like a real game," Barefield said. "There was some trash talk between the two teams -all in good fun - but at the end of the day, it was all business out on the field."
At halftime, David Gwin - a Mobile businessman and a strong supporter of Jaguar Athletics - and his wife Lynn were recognized for their $100,000 donation to erect a football sculpture. It will stand 20 feet tall and 20 feet wide, be made entirely out of stainless steel and be placed in the front circle to the entranceway of the Football Field House on capmus.
With the conclusion of spring drills, Jones and his staff honored numerous players for their efforts the last three weeks. Each position coach presented a Most Improved Award to the following players: Sim (quarterbacks), Eli Smith (running backs), Bryant Lavender (wide receivers), Robby Stoner (tight ends), Levi Slaydon (offensive line), Kendell Bagnerise (defensive line), Brett Hancock (inside linebackers), Chestang (outside linebackers) and Wilson (defensive backs). Corey Waldon and Barefield were the offensive and defensive honorees, respectively, for the I Like To Practice Award, while Charlie Higgenbotham and Sim earned High Academic Awards.
"I think the kids had some fun out there. It was a good-spirited night, they've been at each other the last couple of days and had a good time," Jones observed. "It was a good way to end a long spring training."
The Jaguars - who went 7-0 in the fall in their augural season - begin the 2010 campaign with a home contest against Pikeville (Ky.) on Saturday, Sept. 4 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
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).
-USA-
