Hiring Hal Mumme is a Hail Mary for JSU that just might pay off

JACKSON, Mississippi -- Imaginations ran wild as rumors persisted about Jackson State coach Tony Hughes adding air-raid guru Hal Mumme to his staff as offensive coordinator.

What would it mean for a Tiger team built around running the football? Can any quarterback on the current roster run that kind of offense? What role would the 26-year head coaching veteran play on the recruiting trail?

More to the point — is this a smart hire or a Hail Mary for head coach Tony Hughes?

"Look, we've struggled offensively the last two years," Hughes said. "The bottom line is we've got to be more productive and we've gotta score more points. What we were doing just wasn't working."

Mumme's offense, he hopes, will do just that. Despite Belhaven's 2-9 record last season, the Blazers rolled up 445.3 yards of total offense a game.

That's a lot more productive than JSU, which ranked dead-last in the SWAC in both scoring offense (12.7 points a game) and total offense (231.8 yards) last season and averaged just 128 yards passing with five touchdowns and 14 interceptions.

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