MOBILE, Ala. - University of South Alabama football head coach Joey Jones was joined by running back Anthony Mostella and defensive back Ken Barefield at Monday afternoon's media day at the USA Football Fieldhouse.

The Jaguar trio fielded questions from the media on the USA's upcoming opponent - Huntingdon (Ala.) College - as well as Saturday's 64-12 win over Milford Academy.

Highlights from the press conference follow below:

Head coach Joey Jones
On Huntingdon:
"When you look at Huntingdon you see a very good football team. We may have played some other teams with better athletes, but this is by far the best team we've played. They're extremely well coached, and they do all the right things. They're very good on offense, averaging 44 points per game, with 550 yards a game. They're leading the nation in Division III offensively. We realize they're a very good football team, and we're really looking forward to Thursday night."

On Huntingdon quarterback Justin Ridgeway:
"He's very athletic. He has a good arm, is a big quarterback with size to him, and he rolls out of the pocket and throws the ball really well. One thing I notice about him is he makes plays when things seem to go awry. If the protection breaks down he will scramble and make a throw, and that always scares you as a coach because you do everything right, things break down and you feel like you've got him, and then all of a sudden he makes a big play."

On having two days less to prepare for this game:
"It is different. We've cut back two days of preparation from the normal week to week cycle. We came in on Sunday and worked, and the coaches have been here nonstop getting ready for this ballgame. The biggest thing is our coaching staff has to have time to put a game plan together, put it in a simple way for the kids to understand it, and we've done that. I told the team yesterday that we've got to be ready to play. We've only got two more practices left, and so we've got to get everything done. I've challenged them to do that, and they've responded to it."

On what has impressed him the most this season:
"I've said this before, but the thing I'm most impressed with is the way they come to practice every day and their focus on what we're doing. They practice with a passion and they're business-like, so whether it's three weeks off or five days off in this case, they come to practice every day."

Running back Anthony Mostella
On thoughts heading into the final week of the season:
"It is a short week and it's the last game, but we're all real excited. We know they are a pretty good team offensively and defensively. We just have to come to practice focused and stay sharp, and get reps physically and mentally."

On the offense's confidence:
"We have a lot of weapons on offense from tight ends to receivers to running backs. I think, especially at running back, we have a lot of people who are capable of taking it the distance, and that helps take some weight off our shoulders and keeps us fresh throughout the game."

Defensive back Ken Barefield
On thoughts heading into the final week of the season:
"It's real exciting this week because it's the last game. Staying undefeated is in the back of our minds. It's a little extra motivation, especially with the little time we have to prepare for Huntingdon."

On mindset going into the game:
"Their offense is more high-octane than what we've been playing. They have more of a fast-paced offense than we're used to playing, so they're going to try to catch us off guard. They don't have the athletes that we've been going against, but instead of preparing for one or two men, we're going against an 11-man offense that runs it right."

On Huntingdon's offense:
"Their quarterback is accurate and smart with the football. He knows what he's doing; he's been doing it for a while. He has a lot of passing yards, and he's real smart with the ball. He's not going to make the mistakes that the quarterbacks we've faced have made. It will be fast-paced, high-octane football. They'll try to go at us and beat us deep. It will be a different pace than what we've seen all year, but we should be ready for it."

-USA-