Southern likely will be without sophomore quarterback Bryant Lee and senior wide receiver Gerard Landry when the Jaguars host Alcorn State at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Lee and Landry both went down with ankle injuries in the third quarter of a 32-26 loss to Jackson State on Saturday.
SU coach Pete Richardson said both are “questionable.”
Lee re-aggravated a right ankle sprain that has bothered him since the second game of the season.
Lee had a brace around the injury last week and sophomore Warren Matthews got most of the first-team reps throughout the week, then started and played the first series against Jackson State in place of Lee.
Matthews, who did not return to the game until Lee went out, will make his second start and this time he’ll stay in the game.
Lee, who started late last season, edged Matthews, who never played last season, in a preseason duel.
Photo: QB Warren Matthews will make his second start for Southern.“The only thing he’s lacking is experience,” Richardson said of Matthews. “And the only way to get that is to play.”
SU coaches want Lee (144-for-223 for 1,585 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions) to rest Saturday and then have the benefit of an open week. They’d prefer Lee not to risk further injury.
Junior C.J. Byrd, who started in the middle of last season, will be Matthews’ backup, Richardson said.
With fifth-year senior J.C. Lewis leaving the team last month, the team’s three healthy quarterbacks are Matthews, Byrd and redshirt freshman Gary Hollimon.
Matthews, who was 6-for-12 for 83 yards and one touchdown Saturday, likely won’t have the benefit of throwing to the team’s top playmaker.
Landry has a high left ankle sprain and, like Lee, needs rest.
Landry has a touchdown catch in all seven games and eight TDs overall, along with team highs of 34 catches and 409 yards.
“It’s just how much pain tolerance he’s going to be able to take,” Richardson said.
The injuries to Lee and Landry are just two concerning Southern.
True freshman linebacker Corey Ray (left shoulder) will need arthroscopic surgery that likely will end his season, Richardson said.
Ray had reconstructive surgery on the left shoulder in February after having surgery on the right one in late December.
“It depends on him. It’ll take awhile (to recover),” Richardson said.
Sophomore linebacker Allan Baugh (left knee) had an MRI on Monday. Baugh was on crutches Sunday when the Jaguars had a light practice. (SU did not practice Monday.)
Richardson said he expects junior linebacker Johnathan Malveaux to return Saturday after missing the previous three games with a high ankle sprain. Malveaux is the team’s most experienced linebacker and he was SU’s top tackler before the injury.
Malveaux dressed for the Jackson State game, and coaches considered playing him.
Richardson said he also expects junior wide receiver Del Roberts (back) and senior center Demarcus Stewart (calf) to return Saturday. Both missed the Jackson State game.
Roberts, with 30 catches for 279 yards and one touchdown and five rushes for 55 yards, plays a key role in the offense. With Roberts playing little in the loss to Alabama A&M and not at all in the JSU game, the SU offense lost a key component.
Also, Richardson said sophomore wide receiver Juamorris Stewart (concussion) to be fully recovered. Juamorris Stewart did not start, played sparingly and did not catch a pass for the first time this season.
Richardson said junior running back Kendrick Smith (foot), who has missed the last three games, is “questionable” to play Saturday. Smith is off crutches and out of his walking boot, but was still not walking smoothly.
Southern University Human Jukebox Marching Band and the Dancing Dolls (10/13/2007) vs. JSU Tigers
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