Little time to lick wounds for Jackson State Tigers

Photo: Daniel Brooks, 6-4/235 Sr. DE

By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

The JSU Game
Who: Texas Southern (0-2, 0-2 SWAC) at Jackson State (0-2, 0-0)
When: Thursday, 6:30 p.m.
TV: ESPNU
Radio: JSU Network (WOAD-1300 AM and 105.9 FM, Jackson)

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, Jackson State defensive end Daniel Brooks can be funny and gregarious - almost a larger than life comic influence on the Tigers' locker room.

But in the rare moments when he's angry - when his eyes cloud over and his expression turns grim, he can also be downright intimidating.

And the half hour following JSU's 16-13 loss to Tennessee State on Saturday would certainly qualify as one of those extended moments.

But after a little time to cool down, Brooks' face softens and the senior sighs for a second before scratching his head, trying to find a bit of good news despite the Tigers' 0-2 start to the season.

He finally has to settle for this:

"What doesn't kill us will make us stronger," Brooks said. "You've got to go through rough times to enjoy the success. This is our rough time. But it won't last forever."

And Jackson State would probably prefer that the troubles end immediately, especially considering the Tigers have just three days to prepare for a Thursday night game at 6:30 p.m. against Texas Southern.

It is JSU's first Southwestern Athletic Conference game of the season and is also nationally televised on ESPNU.

Comegy's mantra during the preseason has been winning a SWAC championship. And if that's the case, the only thing lost so far is a little shine off the second-year coaching staff who could seemingly do no wrong in last season's 6-5 rejuvenation.

And even though it's undeniable that JSU has struggled through the first two games, there were a few more positives against Tennessee State than in the season-opening debacle against Delta State. Among them:

Kicker Eric Perri's school-record 50-yard field goal and earlier 44-yard field goal.

Running back Erik Haw, who returned from injury to rush for 82 yards on 17 carries. It was the junior's best game since midway through last season.

A defense that has consistently been stingy, allowing Tennessee State only 16 points on Saturday.

"I think we're playing good enough defense to win ballgames," Comegy said. "I'm just concerned with our offense. We need to be moving the ball better and generating a little more offense."

Texas Southern (0-2 overall, 0-2 SWAC) has also lost twice to open the season. The Maroon Tigers were blown out by Prairie View A&M 34-14 in their opener before falling 21-10 to Alabama State on Saturday.

Haw said the shorter week to prepare for Texas Southern could be a positive, forcing JSU to immediately focus on the upcoming game instead of dwelling on the Tennessee State loss.

"It's the ups and downs of football and you've got to deal with adversity," Haw said. "There's no time to sit and feel sorry for ourselves. We've got to get back to work."

Jackson State University Sonic Boom of the South Marching Band