The
first lost of the season that should have been won by the Jaguars was
disappointing.
The
University of South Alabama football team finds itself in an unfamiliar
situation entering Saturday’s game against Nicholls State — the Jaguars have
never had to rebound from a loss to open the season.
But
that will be the case when the Jags and Colonels meet at Ladd-Peebles Stadium
at 4 p.m. after USA dropped a 33-31 decision in the final minute to Texas-San
Antonio last weekend, falling to 0-1 for the first time in the program’s fourth
season of competition.
The
Jaguars held a 31-30 edge with less than three minutes remaining in regulation,
but the Roadrunners’ Sean Ianno kicked a 51-yard field goal with 16 seconds to
go to hand USA its second straight defeat dating back to last year.
“If
their kicker doesn’t make the last field goal then everybody is happy, but
we’re still dealing with the same issues,” Jag head coach Joey Jones
observed. “My challenge to the team is three, four or five games from
now, let’s look back and see how we improved. Let’s see if we’ve stopped
turning the ball over and if we’ve stopped committing dumb penalties.
“If
we can do that we will have a shot. We need to be a team that can get
better as the season goes along.” said head coach Joey Jones.
In
the first meeting between USA and Nicholls — a 39-21 win for the Jags on Sept.
18, 2010 — Houston posted his first career 100-yard game after running for 116
yards and two scores on just 12 attempts.
This
will be the Colonels’ season opener, as they were scheduled to take on Oregon
State on the road last weekend but were unable to travel due to Hurricane
Isaac. Although NSU was 1-10 a year ago, it returns 51 letterwinners
including 17 starters; three of the Colonel’s seven league losses were decided
by a single-digit margin, and they also trailed Louisiana-Lafayette by just a
touchdown entering the fourth quarter.
In
the 2010 matchup between the two schools, NSU jumped out to 7-0 and 14-7 leads
— the first time the Jaguars had ever trailed in a game — as Jesse Turner, who
is listed second on the Colonel depth chart this week at running back, scored
on a 33-yard run and 95-yard reception in the game’s opening 13 minutes.
USA
responded with 20 unanswered second-quarter points, however, taking the lead
for good on an eight-yard Santuan McGee touchdown rush. The Jags finished
with 490 yards of total offense in the game, with 288 of those coming on the
ground as Brandon Ross joined Houston with 100-plus rushing yards after
carrying 19 times for 115 and a touchdown. Glover returned three kicks
for 116 yards, and a trio of linebackers — Justin Dunn, Williams and Johnson —
paced the defense with nine, six and five stops, respectively.
Nichols
State is another school the Jaguars cannot take likely on Saturday. In order
for them to get their first win of the season they will have to learn to
protect the ball on carries and reduce the turnovers. Overall the South Alabama
Jaguars played a great game, and the new spread offense looks good under the
direction of new offensive coordinator Robert Matthews. South Alabama put up 31
points in their season opener.
The
Jaguars cannot continue to play around and expect to win games, this season is
nothing like the past three seasons of the Jags, they have to step their game
up and make big plays and the defense have to group and start stopping big
plays by the opposing offense.
