DSU's conquest not unexpected of JSU

Memo to Division I-AA athletic directors: Beware the Fighting Okra.

Scheduling Delta State might be hazardous to your football team's psyche.

New coach Rick Comegy helped revive the Jackson State program last year, but first-year DSU coach Ron Roberts and the Statesmen took the Tigers down a notch or three Saturday at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in the season opener for both teams.

The final score - 27-15 - doesn't begin to reflect the way the Statesmen dominated this game, nor should it shock you. The Statesmen lost star quarterback Scott Eyster from last year's team that reached the NCAA Division II national semifinals, but they returned 17 other starters.

"We believe we have a championship ballclub," said Roberts, who was the defensive coordinator on last year's DSU team that won 12 games.

PLENTY OF TALENT

DSU has 27 fewer scholarships than JSU's 63, but the Statesmen have no shortage of athletes. (That was obvious Saturday when JSU was on offense and it looked like DSU had 15 guys on the field.)

And Delta State has done this before. Last year, the Statesmen won at I-AA Stephen F. Austin. A few years ago, they clobbered Mississippi Valley State 45-0 in the finale of a four-game series that saw DSU win three out of four.

Except for Lavarius Giles' 92-yard kickoff return and a late touchdown drive there was nothing for Tigers fans to be happy about.

OK, the Sonic Boom was good.

But the football team stunk, and nothing deflates a season-opening crowd faster than being totally outplayed at home.

Delta State was the better-prepared team on both sides of the ball. The Statesmen kept the Tigers off balance with their spread offense and they completely smothered them defensively.

It didn't matter if Jimmy Oliver or Tray Rutland was at quarterback. If you don't have time to throw - or a hint of a hole to run through - you're not going to get any yards.

JSU had a net minus-29 yards rushing. Oliver and Rutland were sacked a combined six times and flushed from the pocket at least a dozen other times.

TIGERS' PRIDE SUFFERS

What's it all mean?

For JSU, that's difficult to tell.

Comegy and his assistants have some very bruised egos to massage before next Saturday's Southern Heritage Classic game against Tennessee State in Memphis.

DSU, ranked 12th in the national D-II coaches poll, showed that it is really good again.

Dedrick Wilson is not Scott Eyster, but he proved more than serviceable in his first start.

And defensively, the Statesmen are a blur.

"I really think we have a better defense than last year," said linebacker Lardester Hicks. "We have more talent and we're building. This game was a building block."

So did the Statesmen dominate the Tigers?

"That's too strong," said linebacker Michael Eubanks. "We played very well, but we're never satisfied."

"Every game we're looking for a goose egg," Hicks said.

"So to be honest with you," interjected Eubanks, "we're kind of upset. We're mad about this. We're mad as hell."

Eubanks, it should be noted, was smiling broadly as he spoke.

So was Roberts, the coach, when he said he'd like to play a game in Jackson every year.

Something tells me there won't be a rematch.