South Alabama upgrades talent

JONESBORO -- An argument could be made that Arkansas State hit its high point last year the day South Alabama paid a visit to Jonesboro.

The Red Wolves scored 17 points in the second quarter of that game and held the Jaguars to 201 yards of offense in a 45-10 victory on a clear November day. At the time, the Red Wolves still had a chance to win their third consecutive Sun Belt Conference title and their defense had shown only occasional signs of being vulnerable against the run.

Up next

Arkansas State at South Alabama

WHEN 7 p.m. Central Tuesday

WHERE Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.

RECORDS Arkansas State 2-3, 1-0 Sun Belt; South Alabama 3-2, 1-0

TV ESPN2

RADIO KASR-FM, 92.7, in Little Rock/Conway; KFIN-FM, 107.9, in Jonesboro

INTERNET ESPN3.com

It was a beating so thorough that ASU Coach Blake Anderson said it could play a factor again when the Red Wolves (2-3, 1-0 Sun Belt) face the Jaguars (3-2, 1-0) at 7 p.m. Tuesday night in Mobile, Ala., in a game that will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

"That's an opponent that's not real fond of us right now," Anderson said. "I'm sure they've got this one circled on their schedule."

Maybe a few of them.

The group that was beaten so soundly in Jonesboro last November won't exactly be the same team suiting up against the Red Wolves on Tuesday at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Having been bolstered by a handful of transfers, Anderson thinks this Jaguars team is better.

South Alabama Coach Joey Jones, the only coach the program has had since its inception in 2009, added seven transfers and an assistant coach from Alabama-Birmingham after the school temporarily shut down its program last winter.

Among those seven are five starters, including quarterback Cody Clements, tight end Gerald Everett, and linebacker Kalen Jackson, who has two interceptions through five games. Offensive coordinator Bryant Vincent also came from Alabama-Birmingham, having rejoined the Jaguars after a year in Birmingham.

Jones said the transfers have helped fill holes on a depth chart that lost 17 starters from a team that earned its first bowl appearance.

"It was a unique situation. Everybody knew it," Jones said. "Those kids were looking for somewhere to play, and those kids are very good players and very good people and we're glad to have them."

Clements, a senior, started every game for Alabama-Birmingham last season and completed 66.5 percent of his passes with 14 touchdowns. Clements has been under pressure in most games and struggled in blowout losses to Nebraska and North Carolina State.

Clements has completed 51.9 percent of his passes and is averaging 226.2 yards per game with 7 touchdowns and 6 interceptions through 5 games. He's been sacked 10 times.

"We've got to get our protection shored up and that will help him in his percentage," Jones said. "But overall he's a gamer, he's a warrior and he's a winner."

Even with all the changes, film from last season can still be helpful to the Red Wolves. Anderson said South Alabama hasn't changed offensive or defensive systems from last season, and it still runs an up-tempo Spread similar to what ASU uses.

"A lot of the schemes are the same," Anderson said. "It's just they've upgraded talent-wise."

Jones is counting on that to reverse last year's result, which was aided in part by the Jaguars missing nine starters to injury.

"That's probably the worst game we played, definitely, last year," Jones said. "This year I think we're a much better offensive team."

Sports on 10/08/2015

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