SU Jaguars show heart, character

Photo: SU Head Coach Pete Richardson

By SCOTT RABALAIS, Advocate sportswriter

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Jarmaul George stood on Legion Field’s legendary turf, dancing and swaying in time to the boisterous tune being belted out by the Southern University band.

Victory was Southern’s once again, by a 33-27 count Saturday over occasional MEAC rival Florida A&M. It was sweet music to George and his Jaguars teammates. Made sweeter still because it was dearly bought and even a tad unexpected.

An offseason of tumult and uncertainty — “distractions” as Southern coach Pete Richardson described with his low-key spin — left even him wondering how his team would perform in its maiden voyage without 15 players lost since spring practice.

“There were a whole lot of distractions to this point,” said Richardson, whose tenure at SU has moved into the embattled category after two straight losing seasons. “We didn’t really know how we would stand against a good FAMU team. We feel fortunate to come out on top.”

Fortune seemed to smile on the Jaguars from the start. Florida A&M looked like the more dangerous team starting out. But after allowing a first down, Southern forced a punt, taking over deep in a hole at their own 10. It was a hole tailback Darren Coates quickly sprinted out of, breaking through a big hole and tightroping up the FAMU sideline en route to the opposite end zone 90 yards away.

Southern missed the extra point and spent the rest of the first half playing catch up with the Rattlers. It didn’t help the Jaguars’ cause when, driving inside FAMU’s 30 down 7-6, Southern was victimized by another one of those classically dreadful officials’ calls.

Coates, taking a pass in the left flat from SU MVP Bryant Lee, bobbled the ball through his hands and replays clearly showed he didn’t have possession. But the play was ruled a fumble, the Rattlers took over at their 26 and marched for a touchdown and a 14-6 lead.

It was a ridiculously bad break. But what do you expect from an officiating crew that didn’t know enough to let FAMU run an untimed play at the end of the first quarter following a defensive penalty on Southern? If I were the SWAC or MEAC commissioner, my first priority would be improving officiating.

Southern’s season outlook can only be improving after taking the measure of a FAMU team that, while not great or predicted to win its conference, was supposed to be superior to the Jaguars.

Then again, the Jaguars have been here before. A 2-0 start last season dissolved into losses in five of the next six games leading to a 5-6 record.

“We’ll see what we’re made of,” George said philosophically. “We had a couple of games we didn’t close out last year when we should have. We closed one out here today.”

One. Just one. It’s first down and a long season to go. But the Jaguars showed a lot of heart and character to win this one. The kind of win you can build on. The kind of win that leaves you dancing for joy.