By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter
SU vs. Alabama State
WHEN: 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
WHERE: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
TV: ESPNU.
RADIO: KQXL-FM, 106.5
Both Southern and Alabama State — teams that dueled in the 2003 and ’04 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship games — went 5-6 last season and entered this season with little in the way of outside expectations.
Both, however, are off to 4-0 starts this season, and hopes are starting to inflate.
The Gulf Coast Classic at 2:30 p.m. Saturday will give one team a chance to equal last season’s win total and keep precious momentum going. The game will be played on Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., and was picked up earlier in the season by ESPNU.
“It’ll be a good football game,” 15th-year Southern coach Pete Richardson said. “Hopefully, we can have a packed house to see two fine football teams play. This game is a conference game, and it’s huge for both teams. We want to be in a position to control our own destiny, so we don’t have to depend on anybody else.”
Despite being sapped by losing 18 players since the spring, Southern (4-0, 2-0 SWAC) nevertheless has gotten stronger as games progress, outscoring foes 58-16 after halftime. SU overwhelmed both Tennessee State and Florida A&M with second-half comebacks.
“We’ve won the close ones,” Richardson said. “That helps you out a great deal. It keeps your spirits alive. A large part of that becomes confidence in yourself.”
Alabama State (4-0, 3-0) switched quarterbacks, going to junior college transfer Chris Mitchell, and has won all four of its games in the fourth quarter. The Hornets have outscored the opposition 46-23 in the fourth quarter.
“I never had any predictions coming into the season, but you always want to win them all,” first-year Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow said. “This may not be the best way to win games, but I’ll take it.”
In the conference’s preseason poll, Southern was picked to finish third in the SWAC Western Division. That’s the Jaguars’ lowest projection since the SWAC went to divisional play in 1999.
“I’m kind of surprised,” Richardson said of his team’s 4-0 start. “I’m proud of this football team, the way they hung in regardless of the situation. They’re going to play hard for 60 minutes and they’re learning how to win.”
Richardson credited his assistants and his players for the Jaguars’ best start since 2003.
“To be in this position, we have to attribute that to the players themselves,” Richardson said.
Meanwhile, Alabama State was picked to finish last of five teams in the Eastern Division.
“We’ve got our work cut out for us,” Barlow said of Saturday’s game. “We’re going to come and give it our best shot. If we can pull it out, that will be huge for our kids, our community and our school.”
Powerful Peck
The player working the room at the SWAC Media Day in late July was Alabama State running back Jay Peck.
Peck had a reason to be confident and self-assured. After all, the former walk-on from Columbus, Ohio, — introduced to the school by an Alabama State alum who is a cousin —Peck had already graduated in marketing and had emerged from the shadows of Robert Randolph and Keldrick Williams to run for 1,139 yards and eight touchdowns, becoming a first-team All-SWAC selection in the process last season.
“He gets it,” Barlow said. “He understands what he’s here for. You know what you’re going to get out of him every day. He comes to work.”
Peck had six carries in 2005, but had 249 last season. He’s already rushed for a SWAC-best 492 yards and two TDs on 98 carries this season.
“We have to stop the run,” Richardson said. “I don’t know if we’ll be able to stop Peck. We’ll have to try to limit him.”
2007 Alabama State University Marching Hornets Band and Stingettes Dancers
Peck has the complete package after transforming from third-down back to workhorse back. ASU split him out Saturday, and Peck hauled in a key pass in a victory over Alcorn State. He has 10 catches for 116 yards this season.
“He’s always been talented,” Barlow said. “We knew he could run routes and catch the ball well. I’m not sure anybody knew he would be as good a runner as he’s turned out to be. He’s patient. He sets up his block well.
“We’re going to lean on him again to rush the ball and get us to where we need to be.”
Barlow credited offensive coordinator Maurice Harris with finding ways to get Peck involved all over the field — and the entire offense for allowing Peck to work, even though teams are keying on him.
“That’s a tribute to our O-line,” Barlow said. “Even though teams are preparing for him, those guys are still creating positive running lanes for him, and our receivers are doing a good job in perimeter blocking.”
The buzz on the Hornets’ defense
Alabama State is 14th nationally in scoring defense (16.0 points per game), 15th in total defense (286.0 yards per game) and is tied for 14th in tackles for loss (8.8 per game). The Hornets are second in the SWAC in scoring defense and rushing defense (101.0 ypg) and third in total defense.
Barlow called his defense “the backbone” of his team and its success.
“We’ll have to continue to rely on them,” Barlow said.
While Barlow, Alabama State’s quarterbacks coach, may be new to the role of head coach, much of the staff has remained intact. That includes Tony Pierce, in his fifth season as the Hornets defensive coordinator. Pierce was named the American Football Coaches Association’s I-AA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2004.
“Defensively, they’re real aggressive,” Richardson said. “They like to do a lot of blitzing, which puts a lot of pressure on you to get rid of the football.”
Said Southern sophomore quarterback Bryant Lee, “They’re physical. They’re going to attack us.”
SU vs. Alabama State
WHEN: 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
WHERE: Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Ala.
TV: ESPNU.
RADIO: KQXL-FM, 106.5
Both Southern and Alabama State — teams that dueled in the 2003 and ’04 Southwestern Athletic Conference championship games — went 5-6 last season and entered this season with little in the way of outside expectations.
Both, however, are off to 4-0 starts this season, and hopes are starting to inflate.
The Gulf Coast Classic at 2:30 p.m. Saturday will give one team a chance to equal last season’s win total and keep precious momentum going. The game will be played on Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala., and was picked up earlier in the season by ESPNU.
“It’ll be a good football game,” 15th-year Southern coach Pete Richardson said. “Hopefully, we can have a packed house to see two fine football teams play. This game is a conference game, and it’s huge for both teams. We want to be in a position to control our own destiny, so we don’t have to depend on anybody else.”
Despite being sapped by losing 18 players since the spring, Southern (4-0, 2-0 SWAC) nevertheless has gotten stronger as games progress, outscoring foes 58-16 after halftime. SU overwhelmed both Tennessee State and Florida A&M with second-half comebacks.
“We’ve won the close ones,” Richardson said. “That helps you out a great deal. It keeps your spirits alive. A large part of that becomes confidence in yourself.”
Alabama State (4-0, 3-0) switched quarterbacks, going to junior college transfer Chris Mitchell, and has won all four of its games in the fourth quarter. The Hornets have outscored the opposition 46-23 in the fourth quarter.
“I never had any predictions coming into the season, but you always want to win them all,” first-year Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow said. “This may not be the best way to win games, but I’ll take it.”
In the conference’s preseason poll, Southern was picked to finish third in the SWAC Western Division. That’s the Jaguars’ lowest projection since the SWAC went to divisional play in 1999.
“I’m kind of surprised,” Richardson said of his team’s 4-0 start. “I’m proud of this football team, the way they hung in regardless of the situation. They’re going to play hard for 60 minutes and they’re learning how to win.”
Richardson credited his assistants and his players for the Jaguars’ best start since 2003.
“To be in this position, we have to attribute that to the players themselves,” Richardson said.
Meanwhile, Alabama State was picked to finish last of five teams in the Eastern Division.
“We’ve got our work cut out for us,” Barlow said of Saturday’s game. “We’re going to come and give it our best shot. If we can pull it out, that will be huge for our kids, our community and our school.”
Powerful Peck
The player working the room at the SWAC Media Day in late July was Alabama State running back Jay Peck.
Peck had a reason to be confident and self-assured. After all, the former walk-on from Columbus, Ohio, — introduced to the school by an Alabama State alum who is a cousin —Peck had already graduated in marketing and had emerged from the shadows of Robert Randolph and Keldrick Williams to run for 1,139 yards and eight touchdowns, becoming a first-team All-SWAC selection in the process last season.
“He gets it,” Barlow said. “He understands what he’s here for. You know what you’re going to get out of him every day. He comes to work.”
Peck had six carries in 2005, but had 249 last season. He’s already rushed for a SWAC-best 492 yards and two TDs on 98 carries this season.
“We have to stop the run,” Richardson said. “I don’t know if we’ll be able to stop Peck. We’ll have to try to limit him.”
2007 Alabama State University Marching Hornets Band and Stingettes Dancers
Peck has the complete package after transforming from third-down back to workhorse back. ASU split him out Saturday, and Peck hauled in a key pass in a victory over Alcorn State. He has 10 catches for 116 yards this season.
“He’s always been talented,” Barlow said. “We knew he could run routes and catch the ball well. I’m not sure anybody knew he would be as good a runner as he’s turned out to be. He’s patient. He sets up his block well.
“We’re going to lean on him again to rush the ball and get us to where we need to be.”
Barlow credited offensive coordinator Maurice Harris with finding ways to get Peck involved all over the field — and the entire offense for allowing Peck to work, even though teams are keying on him.
“That’s a tribute to our O-line,” Barlow said. “Even though teams are preparing for him, those guys are still creating positive running lanes for him, and our receivers are doing a good job in perimeter blocking.”
The buzz on the Hornets’ defense
Alabama State is 14th nationally in scoring defense (16.0 points per game), 15th in total defense (286.0 yards per game) and is tied for 14th in tackles for loss (8.8 per game). The Hornets are second in the SWAC in scoring defense and rushing defense (101.0 ypg) and third in total defense.
Barlow called his defense “the backbone” of his team and its success.
“We’ll have to continue to rely on them,” Barlow said.
While Barlow, Alabama State’s quarterbacks coach, may be new to the role of head coach, much of the staff has remained intact. That includes Tony Pierce, in his fifth season as the Hornets defensive coordinator. Pierce was named the American Football Coaches Association’s I-AA Assistant Coach of the Year in 2004.
“Defensively, they’re real aggressive,” Richardson said. “They like to do a lot of blitzing, which puts a lot of pressure on you to get rid of the football.”
Said Southern sophomore quarterback Bryant Lee, “They’re physical. They’re going to attack us.”
No comments:
Post a Comment