BATON ROUGE, Louisiana -- It was just minutes before Southern’s Southwestern Athletic Conference opener last season when freshman quarterback Austin Howard learned he was about to make his first college start.
He had played a few series in relief of Deonte Shorts in the first three games but, as kickoff at Prairie View neared, Shorts’ sore elbow hadn’t responded well enough to treatment to allow him to play.
“I knew right then I had to buckle my chinstrap and do what I had to do,” Howard said. “I wasn’t a freshman anymore. I was the quarterback at Southern University. If you would have told me two minutes or two hours or two days before the game, it wouldn’t have mattered. I’m just a real competitor. When I go out there, I’m just like, ‘I’m here now; there’s no turning back.’ ”
The Jaguars’ running game and defense made things relatively easy for Howard, who played efficiently (8-of-15 passing, 108 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions) in a 34-24 victory that started Southern on its way to a second consecutive SWAC West Division title.
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