The Southern football team lost two of its 20 practice days it had allocated for presesason camp to the flooding that inundated the Baton Rouge area.

Coach Dawson Odums thinks that number might’ve been much higher had Southern not had the ability to use its new field turf playing surface at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

“It’s been fantastic,” Odums said. “We probably would’ve missed at least five practices if we didn’t have this field.”

Last season, poor weather during preseason camp forced Southern to take its practices to the Leadership Academy, which is about a five-minute drive from the usual football facilities.

Players had to pack into a school bus to make the short trip, often with their football equipment being transported in the bed of Odums’ pickup.

That hasn’t been an issue for the Jaguars this season.

The heavy rain made the usual practice fields too soft for comfort, so Odums had the team move its operation over to Mumford Stadium on Aug. 10, shortly after the contractors released the field to Southern.

The Jaguars haven’t practiced on their natural grass practice field since.

“We’re excited to have a dry surface,” Odums said. “This allows a chance to come out and get a lot of work in. Everybody that has game turf fields, they use it as a practice field. That’s one of the big reasons you get turf, it helps you to have a great surface to practice on.

“I was talking to my good friend (Prairie View coach) Willie Simmons, and he was saying the same thing: Having that surface gives them an opportunity to have a great surface to practice on. We’re just blessed to be able to practice on it for the amount of time we’ve been on it.”

The Jaguars haven’t practiced on their natural grass practice field since.

“We’re excited to have a dry surface,” Odums said. “This allows a chance to come out and get a lot of work in. Everybody that has game turf fields, they use it as a practice field. That’s one of the big reasons you get turf, it helps you to have a great surface to practice on.

“I was talking to my good friend (Prairie View coach) Willie Simmons, and he was saying the same thing: Having that surface gives them an opportunity to have a great surface to practice on. We’re just blessed to be able to practice on it for the amount of time we’ve been on it.”

Back in action?

It sure sounds like wide receiver Randall Menard is finally about to be cleared to fully participate in practice.

The senior receiver, expected to be Southern’s top receiving option on the outside, has yet to suit up for the Jaguars in practice outside of a walk-through day.

“We were going to hold him out until we got out of camp,” Odums said after Saturday’s scrimmage. “We break camp today, he’ll be ready to roll (Tuesday).”

Menard caught 27 passes for a team-best 20.1 yards per catch and five touchdowns last season.
An active competition

Though preseason camp has concluded, Odums said he still has not finalized his depth chart.

“We’re about 90 percent,” Odums said. “I think we’ve got a good idea at some positions. We’ve probably got one or two that are going to play themselves out in the weeks to come.”

One of those unsettled spots might be left tackle, where Christian Rodriguez and Mason Sims appear to be engaged in a battle for the starting job.

Rodriguez appeared to pull ahead for a while, but Sims surged back in the lead last week. He started with the first team offense at left tackle in Saturday’s scrimmage.

“Mason Sims is a talented and big individual,” said offensive coordinator Chennis Berry.
Odds and ends

Monday was the first day of the fall semester at Southern. It was also an off day for the football team. … Preparations for UL-Monroe, the Jaguars season-opening opponent, started Sunday night with team meetings. … The defensive backs have chipped in money to give out big-play bonuses in position group meetings. The prize? Powerade.

 

Source : theadvocate.com

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