Photo by: Brandon Phillips/JSU
Rodriguez Sees Gamecocks Get Better in Final Scrimmage
8/12/2023 2:48:00 PM | Football
JACKSONVILLE – The Jacksonville State football team held its final scrimmage of 2023 on Saturday, a big step in the Gamecocks transitioning from fall camp into game preparation mode.
Head coach Rich Rodriguez saw some good and some bad in Saturday's scrimmage on the turf of Burgess-Snow Field, but the most important thing for the second-year head coach of the Gamecocks was that he thought his team got better.
"I thought is was good and bad," Rodriguez said. "I thought the intensity was good at the beginning of the scrimmage but it looked like we got a little tired and a little hot at the end. We've gotten better. We've gotten better every day and I thought we got better today."
The veteran head coach is pleased with the progress that his team has made since fall camp started on July 26, but he also knows there is a lot of work left to be done before kicking off Jax State's first season in FBS and Conference USA in just two weeks against UTEP.
With a roster that features several new faces, he and his staff are working to see where those guys fit in the depth chart.
"I think we've made steps forward but we still have a lot of young players that have to be in our two-deep, and they have to progress really well this week," Rodriguez added. "That's going to be a big point of emphasis. We have to get these young guys that haven't played a lot – or played at all – ready to play in the first game."
With their final scrimmage in the books and the start of classes coming on Thursday, the Gamecocks will begin to focus more on game planning and preparing to open the season at home against the Miners on Aug. 26. Rodriguez said there's been some scouting on the opponent, but now he and his staff have an idea of what weapons the Gamecocks have in their arsenal.
"We will start into UTEP game planning here in a couple of days," Rodriguez said. "We've done some summer scouting on them but now we have a better feel for what our guys can do, so we can start game planning."
One of the Gamecocks veterans, senior defensive lineman Jackson Luttrell lit up when he was asked about moving from fall camp into game preparations. Since joining the Jax State program in 2019, the Rainbow City, Ala., native will lead his team into his third conference and the game's highest level. He's going to focus on even the small things to make his final run in a Gamecock uniform count in every way.
"I'm excited about game prep," Luttrell said. "Fall camp is always grueling, the practices are tough and the schedule gets exhausting. I'm really ready to start getting ready for game week. And knowing it is my last ride, everything will be that much more important for me – all the details and trying to make it the best I can in my last year."
When any of the Gamecocks are asked about the biggest thing about Rodriguez' practices, they almost always point to the tempo.
Senior wide receiver Perry Carter enters his second season at Jax State and his third in Rodriguez's offense after playing the 2021 season for him at ULM. The Houston, Texas, native also feels he had a leg up on his teammates after playing for Rodriguez when he was the offensive coordinator of the Warhawks. He's seen more than anyone the difference that tempo can make.
"Coach has a lot of plays," Carter said. "He's one of the smartest coaches in the game, so it can be a new play every day. I already knew how he operates and I already knew his system, so I feel like I had an advantage. I already knew the formations and personnel groups, but most of all his tempo. That's the main thing. We want it where nobody can keep up with us."
Luttrell credits the Gamecocks offense and the speed in which they operate to making the defense better. He said that fall camp has done a lot, but helping with conditioning is the thing he pointed to right off the bat.
"Getting in shape," he said of the biggest thing he's seen from fall camp. "And our offense's tempo is huge for that. I feel like last year, the first couple of games were almost easy compared to practice from how fast we move and how high-tempo everything is.
Carter echoed Luttrell's thoughts when asked about the offensive progression. He pointed that both the offense and defense were on the same page and expects that to be a factor in helping the Gamecocks get ready for the season that is right around the corner.
"I think the team is doing good and that we've made a lot of good strides with the tempo and everybody being in the same page offensively and defensively," Carter said. "You can see a lot of improvements on both sides of the ball, and I feel like we are ahead of where we were in the spring and where we were last year."
Jax State will open its season on August 26 at home against UTEP, which will also be the Gamecocks' first conference game in Conference USA. It will be the first of six home games in 2023 and will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network. For season and single-game tickets, visit JaxStateSports.com/Tickets or call the Athletics Ticket Office at (256) 782-8499.
Head coach Rich Rodriguez saw some good and some bad in Saturday's scrimmage on the turf of Burgess-Snow Field, but the most important thing for the second-year head coach of the Gamecocks was that he thought his team got better.
"I thought is was good and bad," Rodriguez said. "I thought the intensity was good at the beginning of the scrimmage but it looked like we got a little tired and a little hot at the end. We've gotten better. We've gotten better every day and I thought we got better today."
The veteran head coach is pleased with the progress that his team has made since fall camp started on July 26, but he also knows there is a lot of work left to be done before kicking off Jax State's first season in FBS and Conference USA in just two weeks against UTEP.
With a roster that features several new faces, he and his staff are working to see where those guys fit in the depth chart.
"I think we've made steps forward but we still have a lot of young players that have to be in our two-deep, and they have to progress really well this week," Rodriguez added. "That's going to be a big point of emphasis. We have to get these young guys that haven't played a lot – or played at all – ready to play in the first game."
With their final scrimmage in the books and the start of classes coming on Thursday, the Gamecocks will begin to focus more on game planning and preparing to open the season at home against the Miners on Aug. 26. Rodriguez said there's been some scouting on the opponent, but now he and his staff have an idea of what weapons the Gamecocks have in their arsenal.
"We will start into UTEP game planning here in a couple of days," Rodriguez said. "We've done some summer scouting on them but now we have a better feel for what our guys can do, so we can start game planning."
One of the Gamecocks veterans, senior defensive lineman Jackson Luttrell lit up when he was asked about moving from fall camp into game preparations. Since joining the Jax State program in 2019, the Rainbow City, Ala., native will lead his team into his third conference and the game's highest level. He's going to focus on even the small things to make his final run in a Gamecock uniform count in every way.
"I'm excited about game prep," Luttrell said. "Fall camp is always grueling, the practices are tough and the schedule gets exhausting. I'm really ready to start getting ready for game week. And knowing it is my last ride, everything will be that much more important for me – all the details and trying to make it the best I can in my last year."
When any of the Gamecocks are asked about the biggest thing about Rodriguez' practices, they almost always point to the tempo.
Senior wide receiver Perry Carter enters his second season at Jax State and his third in Rodriguez's offense after playing the 2021 season for him at ULM. The Houston, Texas, native also feels he had a leg up on his teammates after playing for Rodriguez when he was the offensive coordinator of the Warhawks. He's seen more than anyone the difference that tempo can make.
"Coach has a lot of plays," Carter said. "He's one of the smartest coaches in the game, so it can be a new play every day. I already knew how he operates and I already knew his system, so I feel like I had an advantage. I already knew the formations and personnel groups, but most of all his tempo. That's the main thing. We want it where nobody can keep up with us."
Luttrell credits the Gamecocks offense and the speed in which they operate to making the defense better. He said that fall camp has done a lot, but helping with conditioning is the thing he pointed to right off the bat.
"Getting in shape," he said of the biggest thing he's seen from fall camp. "And our offense's tempo is huge for that. I feel like last year, the first couple of games were almost easy compared to practice from how fast we move and how high-tempo everything is.
Carter echoed Luttrell's thoughts when asked about the offensive progression. He pointed that both the offense and defense were on the same page and expects that to be a factor in helping the Gamecocks get ready for the season that is right around the corner.
"I think the team is doing good and that we've made a lot of good strides with the tempo and everybody being in the same page offensively and defensively," Carter said. "You can see a lot of improvements on both sides of the ball, and I feel like we are ahead of where we were in the spring and where we were last year."
Jax State will open its season on August 26 at home against UTEP, which will also be the Gamecocks' first conference game in Conference USA. It will be the first of six home games in 2023 and will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network. For season and single-game tickets, visit JaxStateSports.com/Tickets or call the Athletics Ticket Office at (256) 782-8499.
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