MOBILE, Ala. – After two days in full pads, and with a final situation scrimmage coming up, the University of South Alabama football team conducted Wednesday’s practice at the fields on campus in helmets and shoulder pads.
Following the approximately two-hour workout, Jaguar head coach Joey Jones has only one concern with just over a week remaining before the season opens against West Alabama at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
“I thought it was a really good practice, though we lost our focus a little bit at the end,” he observed. “Just watching the offense I thought we had some missed assignments late. But other than that, it was a great practice. We have to learn to focus at the end when it’s the fourth quarter and we’re a little tired and it’s hot.”
The Jags still had a 10-minute team segment near the end of practice despite not wearing full pads, with Wednesday’s focus on the two-minute drill. Neither the first- or second-team defensive unit allowed points, though the latter did drive far enough for a field-goal attempt in the waning seconds keyed by a long completion from Trey Fetner to Jake Howton down the left sideline.
Work against scout teams, which lasted nearly 30 minutes, saw the offense go through over 30 run and pass plays on the turf field while the defense prepared on the grass field. USA conducted nearly 20 minutes of 7-on-7 skeleton passing drills, while also practicing for more than 10 minutes on inside drills and 35 minutes of individual and group work.
Special teams drills included kickoff returns to start the day and kickoff coverage to end it.
On Thursday, the Jags will return to full pads in order to conduct a situational scrimmage. It will be the second for the team in two weeks, and the third scrimmage overall this preseason.
“We’ll start off with kickoff and bring the defense out. We’ll run a few plays and have the punt return team come out, we’ll play it just like a game,” explained Jones. “Every situation can come up, I have a script that we go through that will include situations that we haven’t been able to cover in practice; special things like taking safeties, kickoff return after a safety and the last play of the game where we take a knee.”
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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