We continue with our analysis of the multiple intriguing plot points that will be played out during the 2017 Funbelt season. For instance, one I'm sure many fans in Statesboro will have their eyes on....
YEAR TWO FOR TYSON SUMMERS AND....ON THE HOT SEAT ALREADY??!!
I seriously can't recall another time or instance where a first year head coach was nearly on the verge of being canned before his first season was even fully in the books. It might be awhile before we really know if that was actually the case but there's no denying Eagles fans were pissed prior to their upset victory over Troy on senior day...and even then there was a loud minority that wanted Summers head.
After an incredible inaugural debut in both the FBS and the Sun Belt that saw Southern capture an undefeated mark and Sun Belt Title in 2014, followed by the 2015 season which saw the Eagles make further history by both appearing and winning their first ever bowl game in Mobile, 2016 turned into a shockingly bad year for the blue and white. Despite losing long time head coach Willie Fritz, many pundits assumed Georgia Southern would roll right along, being picked third in the preseason conference polls. Instead, the Eagles wound up in 6th place at the conclusion of 2016.
Many Eagles fans were outraged and stunned. The reasoning behind this shocking outcome seemed to stem from Summers decision to shift his offensive schemes from the beloved, long established triple option to a traditional spread attack (really emphasizing more passing), despite this program being built to run the ball. How did it turn out? Well, considering the previous two seasons the Eagles rushed for a total of over 8,000 yards and scored nearly 110 touchdowns and compare that to their TOTAL offensive production last season (4,558 total offensive yards for 81 touchdowns) you can probably understand why Summers quickly cleared house with his offensive staff and brought in Bryan Cook to be his new offensive coordinator from Georgia Tech.
I'll be very intrigued to watch the Eagles this season as they try to re-establish the triple option and get back to their dominating ways. I'm not sure how long it'll take or if it'll be a lengthy process, but after the heat Summers faced despite winning 5 games in his first year, you'd have to wonder what would happen if he can't at least get Southern back to bowl eligibility in '17.
YEAR OF THE WARHAWK????
....OR WILL THE BOBCATS RISE TO THE OCCASION?
Despite the relatively new hires in both Matt Viator and Everett Withers, it was pretty rough going for both the Warhawks and Bobcats in 2016. The Warhawks dropped their first six out of eight games, and despite scoring back to back victories over South Al and Georgia State in the early part of November, were absolutely crushed in the final two weeks of the season by App and their bitter foes the Cajuns by a combined score of 72-20. As for Texas State, there wasn't a whole lot of parties happening in the endzone in 2016, as the Bobcats barely averaged 18 points a game in route to a 2-10 overall record (though to their credit, they did manage to score one of the highlight non conference victories for the league last year as they toppled the Ohio Bobcats in week 1).
When comparing the teams, on one hand it would appear the Warhawks (talent wise) seem to be a little bit more primed to have a break through season, with dynamic QB Garrett Smith returning, along with a solid receiving corps, mostly everyone back on defense and Alabama transfer Derrick Gore to boot, Matt Viator could have his Monroe crew primed for six wins for the first time since 2012...if they can survive the BRUTAL schedule.... (OOC games include @Memphis, @Florida State, @Auburn, hosting Southern Miss) not to mention having to travel to South Al and Idaho in consecutive weeks (AND...lets not forget having to play App and Arkansas State).
While there are A TON of question marks regarding Texas State and virtually nobody thinking they'll remotely be a player in 2017, this schedule seems much more manageable than ULM's...
OPPONENT | RESULT/TIME | RECORD/TICKETS | |
| Sat, Sept 2 | 7:00 PM ET   | 55 available from $28 | |
| Sat, Sept 9 |
| 2:00 PM ET Pac-12 Network | 1,450 available from $15 |
| Sat, Sept 16 | 7:00 PM ET | 66 available from $31 | |
| Sat, Sept 23 |
| TBD | 41 available from $42 |
| Sat, Sept 30 |
| TBD | 485 available from $11 |
| Sat, Oct 7 |
| TBD | 70 available from $31 |
| Thu, Oct 12 | 7:30 PM ET  | 40 available from $29 | |
| Sat, Oct 28 | TBD | 4 available from $40 | |
| Sat, Nov 4 | TBD | 70 available from $31 | |
| Sat, Nov 11 | TBD | 70 available from $31 | |
| Sat, Nov 18 | TBD | 226 available from $5 | |
| Fri, Nov 24 |
| TBD |
Ultimately, there's NO pressure on Withers or company in San Marcos, and honestly that (along with maybe getting some type semblance of a defense and consistent offense) could be all the breaks they need to be the surprise of '17.
WILL SOUTH ALABAMA RETAIN OR CUT TIES WITH JOEY JONES
Joey Jones is essentially the father of Jaguars football. Since his introductory press conference as the first ever head coach of the program, he has been though every single moment that has occurred for the football program-from the first kick off ever, to their first season in FBS and Sun Belt play to their current two bowl appearances. He's laughed, cried, screamed and bled (as you can see above I'm not being poetic) with South Alabama football and I'm sure there are countless of indviduals---players, fans, mangers and more-who will forever be appreciative of Coach Jones and the hard work he's done.
With that said, Jones is approaching his final year of his contract in Mobile and as of this post, there seems to be no movement whatsoever from the athletic administration to get the ball moving and Renegotiate a deal. And honestly I can't say I really blame them. Make no mistake, when you consider the amount of hardwork and dedication it takes when being the first to lead a collegiate football team from scratch, JJ certainly hasn't failed....BUT, he hasn't necessarily been lights out either.
In eight seasons, Jones has gone 48-42 overall as the Jaguars head man but overall he's been pretty inconsistent. On one had, he's scored tremendous upset victories over the likes of Mississippi State, Mountain West champions San Diego State and AAC member Tulane in recent seasons; however, he's yet to have his Jaguars in contention for a sun belt title (posting a 14-17 record in conference play).
There's a ton of potential for USA to be a real force to be reckon with in the 'Belt, but going 6-7 every year isn't going to help elevate the competitiveness of your program. For now, it seems the South Al brass is waiting to see how this 2017 seasons goes before deciding on JJ's future and I would imagine unless he can light a fuse and get his Jaguars to become a factor in the League race, his days in Mobile maybe numbered.
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