By SCOTT RABALAIS, Advocate sportswriter
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Just as Florida A&M quarterback Leon Camel went back to throw, he could feel the cramp that started in his arm and would eventually put him on his back in full body agony.
He said the cramp took something off his deep pass over the middle, a pass that wound up in the hands of Southern free safety Jarmaul George. He returned the interception 24 yards to the FAMU 24, setting up the score that would permanently put the Jaguars ahead in Saturday’s MEAC/SWAC Challenge III.
The play typified a frustrating afternoon for the Rattlers. Afterward, Camel had to grudgingly admit the Legion Field scoreboards that read — Southern 33, FAMU 27 — didn’t lie.
But he contended the loss had as much to do with what the Rattlers did to themselves instead of what the Jaguars were able to do to them.
“We beat ourselves,” said Camel, who threw for a touchdown and ran for another in relief of starting quarterback Albert Chester. “Everything coach talked to us about in practice, we did.
“They beat us on the scoreboard, but the score doesn’t tell it all.’
Four turnovers, 13 penalties, numerous missed tackles. They all conspired to send the Rattlers down to their third season-opening defeat in as many years under coach Rubin Carter.
“A lot of it was our own fault,” Carter said. “Penalties. Turnovers. We didn’t take advantage of the situation before us.”
A defensive tackle who played in two Super Bowls during his 12 years with the Denver Broncos, Carter was especially critical of his team’s tackling.
The Jaguars rolled through the Rattlers for 453 yards of total offense, including 238 on the ground. Southern’s rush to victory was keyed by Darren Coates’ 90-yard touchdown sprint on the Jaguars’ first offensive snap.
“We’re going to have to evaluate every play and scheme,” Carter said. “I thought it (FAMU’s tackling) was horrendous. Awful. We didn’t wrap up very well and that led to a lot of missed tackles and yards after contact. That we can fix.”
Chester outperformed Camel, completing 14 of 23 passes for 150 yards to Camel’s 7 of 21 for 94 yards. Still, Carter said he made the switch because Camel was better at dealing with his team’s no huddle offense and the quick trigger officials put on the 25-second play clock.
After Camel’s interception led to Southern’s go-ahead touchdown, Chester returned. But he was unable to push the Rattlers into the end zone after they looked so impressive in taking a 20-12 lead at intermission. Meanwhile, Southern plowed through FAMU’s defense to score on three of their first four second-half possessions.
The Rattlers didn’t score again until there were 16 seconds remaining. An onside kick snared by SU’s Juamorris Stewart snuffed out FAMU’s last fleeting hope.
“It’s not a good feeling,” Camel said. “We have to build from this. This game is said and done.”
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Just as Florida A&M quarterback Leon Camel went back to throw, he could feel the cramp that started in his arm and would eventually put him on his back in full body agony.
He said the cramp took something off his deep pass over the middle, a pass that wound up in the hands of Southern free safety Jarmaul George. He returned the interception 24 yards to the FAMU 24, setting up the score that would permanently put the Jaguars ahead in Saturday’s MEAC/SWAC Challenge III.
The play typified a frustrating afternoon for the Rattlers. Afterward, Camel had to grudgingly admit the Legion Field scoreboards that read — Southern 33, FAMU 27 — didn’t lie.
But he contended the loss had as much to do with what the Rattlers did to themselves instead of what the Jaguars were able to do to them.
“We beat ourselves,” said Camel, who threw for a touchdown and ran for another in relief of starting quarterback Albert Chester. “Everything coach talked to us about in practice, we did.
“They beat us on the scoreboard, but the score doesn’t tell it all.’
Four turnovers, 13 penalties, numerous missed tackles. They all conspired to send the Rattlers down to their third season-opening defeat in as many years under coach Rubin Carter.
“A lot of it was our own fault,” Carter said. “Penalties. Turnovers. We didn’t take advantage of the situation before us.”
A defensive tackle who played in two Super Bowls during his 12 years with the Denver Broncos, Carter was especially critical of his team’s tackling.
The Jaguars rolled through the Rattlers for 453 yards of total offense, including 238 on the ground. Southern’s rush to victory was keyed by Darren Coates’ 90-yard touchdown sprint on the Jaguars’ first offensive snap.
“We’re going to have to evaluate every play and scheme,” Carter said. “I thought it (FAMU’s tackling) was horrendous. Awful. We didn’t wrap up very well and that led to a lot of missed tackles and yards after contact. That we can fix.”
Chester outperformed Camel, completing 14 of 23 passes for 150 yards to Camel’s 7 of 21 for 94 yards. Still, Carter said he made the switch because Camel was better at dealing with his team’s no huddle offense and the quick trigger officials put on the 25-second play clock.
After Camel’s interception led to Southern’s go-ahead touchdown, Chester returned. But he was unable to push the Rattlers into the end zone after they looked so impressive in taking a 20-12 lead at intermission. Meanwhile, Southern plowed through FAMU’s defense to score on three of their first four second-half possessions.
The Rattlers didn’t score again until there were 16 seconds remaining. An onside kick snared by SU’s Juamorris Stewart snuffed out FAMU’s last fleeting hope.
“It’s not a good feeling,” Camel said. “We have to build from this. This game is said and done.”
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