It’s two weeks into the Deep South conference season and already the South Alabama Jaguars have doubled their win total from last year.

USA finished last year 1-5, and now sit 2-0 after beating depth-challenged Southern Mississippi and Troy. It’s a startling turnaround.

New Coach Phil Dembowski actually joined the coaching staff last year as assistant to Wes Darwin. The longtime coach Dembowski had actually be Darwin’s coach with the Battleship club, and when Darwin needed to step away from the team, Dembowski was the logical choice to take over. The experienced Dembowski has put a jolt in the team’s culture, and with returning veterans taking the game more seriously, new recruits are, too, and the numbers are up.

“They did well in 7s in the spring, and we started to fund our way,” Dembowski told Goff Rugby Report. “We’re been able to bring more structure to the team, and winning brings the kids out.”

Club president Jordan Johnson, who usually players hooker, said last year’s president, Cameron Douglas, helped him learn how to take care of all the paperwork needed, and Johnson was already in charge of recruiting, so he took that on, too.

“We have good coaching; we have some experience guys coming back and showing their commitment, and the new guys come in with a lot of talent - big physical guys,” said Johnson. “We don’t really get anyone who has much high school experience, but the veteran guys get the new guys up to speed and they are eager to play and ready to listen. We’ve got guys doing everything they can to make it to practice, running in from work or class. We’ve had guys come out for one practice and go home and get CIPPd that night because they know it’s what they want to do.”

Johnson has been outstanding on the field, too, where he plays hooker, prop, back row, and sometimes in the backs. Daniel Johnson has been strong at No. 8 and Rob Gwinn is a powerful presence at second row. Scrumhalf Brett Halbe continues to improve and flyhalf Hunter Pinneo, said Dembowski, has emerged as a leader.

There’s also newcomer Ashton Quattlebaum, a former wrestler who is powerful at the point of contact and scored two tries last week.

However, it all gets a little bit more serious now. the Jaguars look ahead to a tough Tulane team this coming weekend.

“Tulane will be a tough game,” said Dembowski. “They are well coached, but they had a lot of seniors last year so they could be young. We could be competitive with them, you never know. I do feel,though, that we can get better. If we get by Tulane then there’s Luisiana Lafayette, and then we’ll see.”

This weekend's Deep South games: