Southern LB Baugh has PVU ties

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Southern sophomore linebacker Allan Baugh’s mother, Judy, graduated from the University of Texas and his brother, Kenny, was a star pitcher at Rice.

But his father, Kenneth, and his sister, Erika, both went to Prairie View.

Southern (2-0, 1-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) hosts PV (2-0, 1-0) at 6 p.m. Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium in the Jaguars’ home opener.

After Southern’s shocking 26-23 overtime loss to PV a year ago, Allan said his dad, an electrical engineering major at PV who is now an attorney in Houston, didn’t tease him about the loss – My dad was rooting for Southern,” he said.

Big sister, also an electrical engineering major who now works for American Airlines in Dallas, may have had something to say, however.

“She probably gave me a little bit,” Baugh said. “She probably wasn’t used to them winning though.”

Baugh had been recruited by Rice and other schools, but chose Southern.

“They didn’t put any pressure on me to go to a (historically black college); whatever decision I made, they were fine with,” said Baugh, a civil engineering major.


Passing notice
Last season, Prairie View was 112th of 116 Division I-AA teams in passing (100.6 ypg), though a respectable 33rd in rushing (189.9 ypg).

So, shoring up the passing attack (13 interceptions to nine TDs) was a priority.

How’s it going? The Panthers are averaging 146.5 ypg on the ground — despite losing its top rushing tandem of last season, Arnell Fontenot and Kerry Wilson, and are averaging 143.0 ypg in the air.

“We’ve made a concerted effort to improve our passing game,” PV coach Henry Frazier III said. “That’s the last piece of the puzzle. We know we can run the ball. We’re going to see what happens. If you see us handing it over to the other team, you’ll see me grind it out.”

Senior quarterback Chris Gibson is 26-for-49 (53.1 percent) for 248 yards, two interceptions and no touchdowns. He is a career 42.0-percent passer for 2,143 yards, 16 interceptions and eight touchdowns.

Gibson has been PV’s top rusher, with 199 yards — averaging 8.3 yards per carry and third best in the SWAC — and two TDs on 24 carries. He’s run for 678 yards and 12 TDs in his career.

“Our mission is to try to control him,” Richardson said. “He likes to run the football. He’s an exceptional athlete and he makes a lot of big plays once he gets to the flank. We have to apply pressure selectively. And also we have to do a great job of man-to-man coverage.”

Gibson, who is 4-for-16 for 41 yards and an interception in his career against Southern, had an injured shoulder but came off the bench in the final few minutes to help the Panthers to their stunning comeback.

Roberts can run, catch

SU junior wide receiver Del Roberts has been the ‘X’ factor coaches envisioned. Roberts has 10 catches, tied for the team lead with Gerard Landry, for 99 yards and has four rushes for 37 yards (9.9 yards per carry).

Saturday, in a 23-6 win over Mississippi Valley State, Roberts had 33 rushing yards (three carries) and a team-best 74 receiving yards (seven catches) for 107 total yards.

“They double-teamed (Gerard) Landry on the other side after (a 54-yard touchdown), and we had to go someplace else,” Richardson said.

Notes
PV’s top pass catcher is 5-foot-5 Anthony Weeden, with 10 grabs for 98 yards. SU QB Bryant Lee’s pass efficiency is 151.87, 19th best in the nation. Prairie View has been undefeated entering the Southern game all four seasons under Frazier – 2-0 in 2004 (losing 42-12), 1-0 in 2005 (losing 38-0 and 1-0 last season (winning 26-23 in overtime). Frazier is 13-21 in three-plus seasons at PV. That’s the best record of any coach since Hoover Wright went 17-53-1 from 1973-79. There were 10 different coaches from 1980-2003. Two had no wins, three had one win, one had two wins, one had three wins and Larry Dorsey was 5-27 from 2000-02.