Photo: SU Head Football Coach Pete RichardsonBy JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter
Getting game tape on Mississippi Valley State was an absolute must for Southern’s coaching staff this week.
Why?
Because Valley has a new defensive coordinator in Dennis “Dirt” Winston and a host of junior-college transfers infused into that unit.
And that defense just shut down Arkansas-Pine Bluff, which is loaded with offensive talent (although rebuilding its offensive line), Saturday in Valley’s 16-9 victory.
“(The film) helped out a great deal, as far as personnel,” Southern coach Pete Richardson said.
UAPB coach Mo Forte said Tuesday he wished he’d have had the benefit of some film for his team’s preparation.
Martel Mallett (23 yards on five carries) went out with a strained quad. Mickey Dean (19 carries on nine yards) was ineffective. Quarterback Chris Wallace, the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, was 14-for-27 for 154 yards, getting sacked four times. And Valley recovered two fumbles.
“More than anything else, defensively, they really closed down Arkansas-Pine Bluff,” Richardson said. “They’re putting a lot of pressure on the quarterback. They’re bringing pressure from all over.
“I thought Valley did an outstanding job of scheming them. They played a lot of man-to-man coverage on the outside, put eight-man fronts on them and really dared them to throw the football.”
Valley’s defense held UAPB to a field goal in the second quarter and a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The Delta Devils stopped Dean for no gain on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line late in the third quarter and Jeremy Fisher for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-goal at the 4 early in the fourth quarter.
“Our defense rose to the occasion,” Valley head coach Willie Totten said. “That’s what we have to have, until our young offense matures.”
In December, in the wake of a disappointing 6-5 season, Totten let go defensive coordinator Sam Washington and linebackers coach Arthur Moore (along with offensive coordinator Roger Totten, who had volunteered in that role). That move came despite the Delta Devils finishing second in the SWAC in total defense (270.5 yards per game), third against both the run and the pass.
Totten now calls most of the offensive plays, with Winston running the defense.
Winston, a former great at linebacker for the University of Arkansas, won two Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers before joining the New Orleans Saints (and later rejoining the Steelers).
Winston came to Valley after working as the assistant coach/linebackers coach with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL in 2005-06.
Before that, he spent four seasons at Toledo and was the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Kentucky State in 2000. He also had stops at Arkansas (1997-98), Grambling (1992-94, ’95-97), Norfolk State (1994-95), Arkansas State (1989-92), Slippery Rock (1988-89) and Grove City College (1987-88).
“We’re more aggressive on defense now,” Totten said. “We’ve got guys who get after it.”
That’s how Richardson saw Valley on tape.
“They can run on defense,” Richardson said. “Their down linemen aren’t real big, but they stay after it, a lot of pressure, a lot of blitzing.”
Valley had been known for superb linebackers in the last few seasons, like 2005 Defensive Player of the Year and 2006 All-SWAC first-teamer Tyler Knight.
Knight finished last season, and the Delta Devils had to replace him among six to seven starters on defense.
“This is the first year we went the junior-college route,” Totten said. “We knew we had a lot of holes to fill.”
Valley, in particular, strengthened the line with end Fred Poole, tackle Robert Austin and end Issac Jones.
Junior nose tackle Ronald Green, a first-team All-SWAC selection last season and on The Sports Network’s preseason All-American third team this season, and senior cornerback Pierre Marshall, a preseason All-SWAC selection, are back.
“We really got in the Pine Bluff backfield a lot,” Totten said.
Getting game tape on Mississippi Valley State was an absolute must for Southern’s coaching staff this week.
Why?
Because Valley has a new defensive coordinator in Dennis “Dirt” Winston and a host of junior-college transfers infused into that unit.
And that defense just shut down Arkansas-Pine Bluff, which is loaded with offensive talent (although rebuilding its offensive line), Saturday in Valley’s 16-9 victory.
“(The film) helped out a great deal, as far as personnel,” Southern coach Pete Richardson said.
UAPB coach Mo Forte said Tuesday he wished he’d have had the benefit of some film for his team’s preparation.
Martel Mallett (23 yards on five carries) went out with a strained quad. Mickey Dean (19 carries on nine yards) was ineffective. Quarterback Chris Wallace, the SWAC Offensive Player of the Year, was 14-for-27 for 154 yards, getting sacked four times. And Valley recovered two fumbles.
“More than anything else, defensively, they really closed down Arkansas-Pine Bluff,” Richardson said. “They’re putting a lot of pressure on the quarterback. They’re bringing pressure from all over.
“I thought Valley did an outstanding job of scheming them. They played a lot of man-to-man coverage on the outside, put eight-man fronts on them and really dared them to throw the football.”
Valley’s defense held UAPB to a field goal in the second quarter and a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
The Delta Devils stopped Dean for no gain on fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line late in the third quarter and Jeremy Fisher for a 1-yard loss on fourth-and-goal at the 4 early in the fourth quarter.
“Our defense rose to the occasion,” Valley head coach Willie Totten said. “That’s what we have to have, until our young offense matures.”
In December, in the wake of a disappointing 6-5 season, Totten let go defensive coordinator Sam Washington and linebackers coach Arthur Moore (along with offensive coordinator Roger Totten, who had volunteered in that role). That move came despite the Delta Devils finishing second in the SWAC in total defense (270.5 yards per game), third against both the run and the pass.
Totten now calls most of the offensive plays, with Winston running the defense.
Winston, a former great at linebacker for the University of Arkansas, won two Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers before joining the New Orleans Saints (and later rejoining the Steelers).
Winston came to Valley after working as the assistant coach/linebackers coach with the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL in 2005-06.
Before that, he spent four seasons at Toledo and was the defensive coordinator/linebackers coach at Kentucky State in 2000. He also had stops at Arkansas (1997-98), Grambling (1992-94, ’95-97), Norfolk State (1994-95), Arkansas State (1989-92), Slippery Rock (1988-89) and Grove City College (1987-88).
“We’re more aggressive on defense now,” Totten said. “We’ve got guys who get after it.”
That’s how Richardson saw Valley on tape.
“They can run on defense,” Richardson said. “Their down linemen aren’t real big, but they stay after it, a lot of pressure, a lot of blitzing.”
Valley had been known for superb linebackers in the last few seasons, like 2005 Defensive Player of the Year and 2006 All-SWAC first-teamer Tyler Knight.
Knight finished last season, and the Delta Devils had to replace him among six to seven starters on defense.
“This is the first year we went the junior-college route,” Totten said. “We knew we had a lot of holes to fill.”
Valley, in particular, strengthened the line with end Fred Poole, tackle Robert Austin and end Issac Jones.
Junior nose tackle Ronald Green, a first-team All-SWAC selection last season and on The Sports Network’s preseason All-American third team this season, and senior cornerback Pierre Marshall, a preseason All-SWAC selection, are back.
“We really got in the Pine Bluff backfield a lot,” Totten said.
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