Defense sparks Southern University’s 3-0 start

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Tennessee State at Southern
WHEN: 6 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: A.W. Mumford Stadium
TV: Tape-delay, 3:30 p.m. Sun., CST
RADIO: KQXL-FM, 106.5

Southern has allowed one second-half touchdown all season — with 16 seconds left in the opener as the Jaguars played more for time than score.

That’s not how this was supposed to happen.

The thinking going in was, Southern’s offseason attrition left the Jaguars thin and young and that combination would have them wearing down as games wore on.

Not so.

Southern (3-0, 2-0), which hosts Tennessee State (2-1) of the Ohio Valley Conference at 6 p.m. Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium, has gotten better throughout the games.

A big reason for the undefeated start is the way SU has played in the second half, outscoring the opposition 36-9.

Between substitution patterns and coaching adjustments, Southern’s defense has been stingy and dominating after halftime.

Mississippi Valley State got 9 yards in the entire second half. Prairie View changed quarterbacks, with its playmaker Chris Gibson ineffective, and couldn’t convert on fourth-and-3 at the SU 28-yard line. Florida A&M couldn’t convert a key fourth-and-1 at the SU 25 in the third quarter and threw two interceptions, one setting up the go-ahead score and the other in the Southern end zone.

“The thing that helps is, we do a game plan and we actually have adjustments in the gameplan,” said SU defensive coordinator Terrence Graves, who is also the defensive backs coach. “We practice it throughout the week, so it’s nothing they haven’t seen for the most part. Little, subtle adjustments.

“Those guys understand the little wrinkles, adjust to them and do a good job of executing.”

After getting burned for two long touchdowns in the second quarter of the season opener with FAMU, Southern has clamped down, allowing just two touchdowns (and a safety, charged to the punting unit) in the last 10 quarters.

“Those guys are doing a good job of really just executing the defense,” Graves said. “That’s a credit to them, because it means something to them.”

Southern had three interceptions, three sacks and two fourth-down stops in a 12-2 win over Prairie View on Saturday.

Gibson came in averaging 99.5 rushing yards per game. He had minus-17 and suffered his first two sacks of the season.

“They took away some of the things we wanted to do,” Prairie View coach Henry Frazier III said. “Coach Graves and his staff were on it. &hellip We’re going to look at where they were robbing us &hellip see how they took it away and we’ll correct it.”

Remember, though, that there is not a senior among Southern’s front seven (its linebackers and line).

“(First-year linebackers coach Todd) Middleton and (defensive line coach David) Geralds are doing a good job up front of making those guys aware of what to look for and what to respond to, making sure they’re in the right places and paying attention to detail,” Graves said. “They’re playing well together.”

At the core of this success, the team’s playmakers have made plays, as Southern head coach Pete Richardson has pointed out.

The secondary, headlined by the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s preseason defensive player of the year in free safety Jarmaul George and a three-year starter in cornerback Michael Williams (11 tackles), has lived up to expectations.

Strong safety Glenn Bell, the team’s top tackler last season, has 23 tackles, with that interception in the end zone and a fumble recovery in the end zone. &hellip George has 20 tackles and two interceptions.

Junior Johnathan Malveaux, the most veteran of linebackers, leads the team in tackles at 29.

The two veterans on the defensive line, end Vince Lands and tackle Joseph Selders, have produced.

Lands, this week’s SWAC Defensive Player of the Week, has 13 tackles, with 5.5 for losses, including 2.5 sacks, along with three pass breakups and two quarterback hurries. And Selders has 14 tackles.

Meanwhile, junior defensive tackle Dwayne Charles (13 tackles) continues to make the progression coaches expected.

And sophomore drop linebacker Gary Chapman (14 tackles) is showing he can be what he looked like he could be in preseason camp.

And the tag-team of Allan Baugh (11 tackles, one interception) and Brian Lewis (eight tackles, one sack) has worked at eagle linebacker.

“We’ve got some guys who are coming in and making plays, just doing a good job of understanding what to do and how to do it,” Graves said. “We emphasize playing fast and playing hard.”

Southern has totaled five interceptions, 14 pass breakups, six sacks and two fumble recoveries.

“We made big plays at the right time,” George said.