Southern football wraps up spring drills

 
The Southern football team gave the Jaguar Nation their first look of the new Jaguars holding its annual spring football game last Sunday.
The big issue with the Jaguars last season was not being able to consistently move the ball, last year the Jaguars ranked seventh in Southwestern Athletic Conference in third down efficiency, converting only 32 percent of their third-down situations.
Head coach Stump Mitchell, who is entering his final year of his contract, hoped to see improvements from both his quarterbacks Dray Joseph and J. P. Douglass in the accuracy department.
While both quarterbacks threw good passes and scored touchdowns to receivers they both threw interceptions inside the red zone.
Offensively, Jaguar fans were happy to see the ball move not through the air, but on the ground. Senior running back Jerry Joseph broke free on a number of carries impressing Mitchell.
“Joseph is a very quiet guy, today he was patient,” said Mitchell. “Today I think he pushed Sylvester (Nzekwe) for the starting job.”
In special teams, the main issue was the kicking game. The Jaguars ranked ninth in the SWAC in field goal percentage last year, making only 5-of-10 field goal attempts while only booting one touchback with a net average of 35.5 yards. Southern also ranked dead last in PATs with an average of .759.
“The kickers kicked the ball better they know we have kickers coming in that are actually listed number one on the depth chart and the guys that are here now will have to battle those guys to have a shot to be here,” said Mitchell.
Defensively, the Jaguars had some simplifying to do, with the promotion of Tyrone Odums from defensive line coach to defensive coordinator replacing O’Neill Gilbert. The defense shined despite the shortage of healthy players.
Outside linebacker Detrane Lindsey (wrist), defensive end Dion Palmer (knee), middle linebacker Daniel Brown (shoulder), defensive end Kadeem Lewis (ankle), defensive tackle Traé Tiller (knee) and safety Levi Jackson (thumb) all were inactive for Saturday’s scrimmage.
“I feel good that those guys have had the surgeries that they need in order to be successful and ready to come back,” said Mitchell. “They should be able to work out with our strength and conditioning coach.”
“We have to simplify things we’re not so much a match team we think ​we have some linebackers that can play first and second down that can play against receiver’s Detrane can run, Corey Roy can run,” said Mitchell. “Their probably just as fast the secondary guys that we bring in so our base is not just a 3-3-5 our base is really four man down front we feel good with that in front.”
The 5-foot-9, 286-pound senior defensive tackle Casey Narcisse probably had the play of the day catching a tipped pass caused by from fellow lineman Delwin Williams and returning it 70 yards for a score.
Southern will wrap up spring football with its final two practices scheduled for next week.