SU cracks rankings after 5-0 start

Photo: Southern University Head Coach Pete Richardson

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Undefeated Southern on Monday returned to The Sports Network’s top 25 poll of Football Championship Subdivision teams for the first time since December 2004.

The Jaguars (5-0, 3-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) are ranked 25th. The last time they played a game as a ranked team was when they were 20th in December 2004 before falling to Alabama State in the SWAC Championship Game.

SU hosts defending SWAC champ Alabama A&M (4-1, 2-1), which had been ranked 23rd before losing 31-6 at Grambling on Sept. 22.

“It speaks well for our program in respect that people are starting to notice what type of team we have,” Southern coach Pete Richardson said.

Since appearing in its second straight SWAC title game, Southern has had back-to-back losing seasons, going a combined 9-11. They are the only losing seasons in Richardson’s 15 seasons at Southern and 20 seasons as a head coach.

“He’s the dean of this conference for a reason,” Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones said. “He’s got his team back where they should be, at the top.”

SU has matched its win total from last season (5-6).

Jones said Southern’s improvement is there to see on film.

“This is an example of why coach Richardson is who he is and what he’s done,” Jones said. “There’s no doubt. You can look at them and see this is not something that just happened this week. He’s a great football coach.”

Bell honored

SU senior strong safety Glenn Bell was named the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Defensive Player of the Week.

Bell had a season-best 10 tackles, including seven solo and a key stop on third-and-goal, along with a deflection and a quarterback hurry Saturday. He was also named the Gulf Coast Classic’s defensive MVP.

The other LSWA honorees were McNeese State wide receiver Carlese Franklin and Grambling kicker Tim Manuel.

Malveaux likely out again

Southern junior okie linebacker Johnathan Malveaux (33 tackles, four pass breakups) is expected to miss his second straight game with a high ankle sprain.

“He’s still got some pain in it,” Richardson said. “The high ankle sprain sometimes takes awhile. It’s very unfortunate, because every time he gets to a level, something freakish sets him back.”

Quick look at A&M

Richardson said, “They’re a typical A&M team, they like to run to the football (on defense). They have probably the most experienced quarterback in the conference in Kelcy Luke. Defensively, they’re going have an eight-man front. That causes a lot of problems if you have an inexperienced line.”

Quick look at Southern

Jones said, “(Southern quartback Bryant Lee) is scary. He can do both (run and pass). He’s throwing the ball well. He’s making real good decision and he’s athletic enough, if he doesn’t like what he sees, that he can get out. When you quarterback is executing, you have a chance to win ballgames. They believe in what they do. They’re playing with a lot of energy, a lot of emotion.”

Wade to return
SU sophomore cornerback Ronald Wade, also a return man, can play Saturday after missing the past three games with a suspension for violating team rules.

Back to Louisiana

Jones said he was disappointed in his team in its last showdown appearance in Louisiana, with the Bulldogs getting shut down in the loss at Grambling.

“I think our focus (Saturday) will be different,” Jones said. “We started to believe what everybody was saying about us instead of keep working. Our kids got a little lax. We have their attention now and I plan on keeping it.”

Notes

SU has scored 12 points in the first quarter all season. The Jaguars had a 10-yard touchdown run wiped out by a holding penalty, with Lee subsequently throwing an interception, late in the first quarter Saturday. SU WR Gerard Landry needs 9 yards Saturday to move into fourth place, ahead of Connell Swain (1,726 yards from 1983-85) on the school’s all-time receiving chart. Landry has 1,718 career receiving yards.