MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama football head coach Joey Jones, linebacker Jake Johnson and tight end Kevin Helms sat down with the media Monday to recap the Jaguars’ 30-8 win over Lamar Saturday, as well as preview this week’s matchup with North Carolina State which will mark the program’s first-ever contest against a NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly NCAA Division I-A) opponent.

A few highlights from Monday’s press conference are below.

Head coach Joey Jones
On the Lamar win:
“I thought we played really well overall. Obviously there are always things you can work on, but I liked our intensity and the physicality we played with. I thought we played smart – we didn’t turn the ball over and that’s getting back to the kind of football that we can win with – so I was real proud of the game and the way we played.”

On N.C. State:
“We are real excited about going up there and playing a very good football team. They beat Florida State last year and finished 9-4. Coach [Tom] O’Brien has done a heck of a job getting that program going, so I have a lot of respect for him and what he has done. Offensively, they have a great quarterback who is 6-foot-6 and can throw it; he has an extremely good arm. They have playmakers on the outside to get it to, a good running back and big offensive linemen – they have some real weapons on offense. Defensively, they are a very well-coached football team with good players running around who know how to play. They really get after it.”

On playing the program’s first FBS opponent:
“I think the biggest difference is that we’re going into a stadium that will probably have 60- to 70,000 people at the game. The crowd noise can be a different factor. Obviously we have never been in front of a crowd the size of the one that could end up being at the game. We’re going to make sure we get the crowd noise playing during practice to try and mimic that as much as we can so we’ll be used to it. Other than that, our preparation will be the same. We prepare for every game the same way. Our kids are excited about playing in an environment like that. I think that anytime you have a game like this, the emotional level is always going to be up. You want to go out and gain the respect of whoever you play against. Our goal each week is to gain the respect of our opponents by how hard and smart we play, and by the discipline with which we play.”


Tight end Kevin Helms
Opening statement:
“We’re going to prepare for them just like any week. It’s just like any other game. It doesn’t matter who we’re playing, we think they’re the best team. We’re going to prepare like they’re the No. 1 team in the country.”

On what this game means for the program:
“It will show us who we really are and what kind of teammates we have on our team. We’ll see who has the heart and who is really a football player. This will either make us or break us. I hope the recruits and fans can see what kind of a team we are. Coach Jones preaches ‘be physical, be tough and be nasty,’ and hopefully we can go out and show everybody what kind of team we are.”

On the difference preparing for a team like N.C. State and the expected crowd:
“I’ve never played in front of a big crowd, except here in Mobile. I came from a junior college, where there aren’t a lot of people watching and the same in high school. The big difference will be how loud N.C. State’s fans will be. Noise really makes a difference—you can have stupid penalties if it’s real loud. Hopefully we’ll go through practice this week and prepare for it.”



Linebacker Jake Johnson
Opening statement:
“They’re our first bowl subdivision team but it’s just another team. We’re going to practice like we normally do, we’re not going to treat it special, we’re not going to get overhyped and use all of our emotions up during the week of practice. We’re going to practice like we normally do, with the same intensity, drive and motivation.”

On the difference between North Carolina State and the teams South Alabama has played previously:
“The biggest thing when you play a team like that is how they execute during a game. We’ve played some good teams since I’ve been here at South Alabama, but when you play a team like North Carolina State, their execution is going to be perfect. I like that better because I can read their linemen better. That’s the biggest thing for me—everything is smoother because they’re so well coached.”

On the difference preparing for a team like N.C. State and the expected crowd:
“It will be nice playing in front of a huge crowd. I haven’t played in front of 60- or 70,000 people in awhile. But that’s the only thing that will really be different. It will be nice playing in a great atmosphere.”

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