Sunday, September 23, 2007

Notebook: Tigers' improving O-line clears way for 473 yards


By David Brandt, Clarion Ledger

ITTA BENA - It's been less than a month ago that Jackson State's offensive line was trashed after getting manhandled by Division II Delta State in a 27-15 loss.

But quietly, the Tigers' big boys up front have turned in three good games in a row. On Saturday, they allowed no sacks on quarterback Jimmy Oliver and cleared some decent room for the running game.

JSU racked up 473 total yards as 12 offensive linemen played against the Delta Devils. Offensive coordinator James Woody said he made it a point to keep the line fresh in the muggy weather.

"The offensive line took a lot of criticism (early in the year), so we shuffled a lot today and they all did a good job," Woody said. "Sometimes, people don't see that in the stands."

"We got off to a rough start, but we made some adjustments," center Lorenzo Breland said. "I was proud of our guys because we voluntarily watched some film on our off day this week and I think that helped us get better."

SACK ATTACK

Jackson State's defense was once again stout, giving up 253 total yards.

Though MVSU scored 16 points, seven of those weren't the fault of the defense. MVSU's Marc Moody picked up a fumble and ran 25 yards for a touchdown against the JSU offense.

JSU put never-ending pressure on MVSU's Paul Roberts, who was sacked four times and flushed from the pocket on several other occasions.

The only black mark was MVSU running back Ronald Brewer, who rushed for 146 yards.

"We missed a lot of tackles," JSU defensive end Daniel Brooks said. "But we made some good plays, too. We've just got to keep improving."

GREAT RETURNS

Jackson State speedster Lavarius Giles had his second monster play in four games, starting the second half with a 66-yard kickoff return to give the Tigers excellent field position.

Five plays later, Cody Hull rushed for 3-yard touchdown and Jackson State had a 27-13 lead.

Jaymar Johnson also got in on the special teams fun, returning a punt 42 yards in the fourth quarter.

EXTRA POINTS

Jackson State kicker Eric Perri turned in a very good game, going 3-for-3 on field goals and 5-for-5 on extra points. ...

Jackson State's 50 points on Saturday night were the most the team has scored in a game since 2001. Amazingly, JSU lost that game 61-58 to Alabama State. The last time JSU scored more than 50 points in a win was in 2001 during a 66-36 victory over Mississippi Valley. ...

MVSU tight end Abner Brown caught five passes for 42 yards to lead the team.


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