Southern Jaguars let one slip away

SHREVEPORT, LA — Henry Frazier III wasn’t worried. Saturday night at Independence Stadium, even when his Prairie View football team came up empty on a handful of great chances to score against Southern in the second half, Frazier felt good. His team had momentum. His team was in good shape.

Ultimately, by the end of the Panthers’ 30-16 victory, he was right. “I told (the players), ‘We’ll be OK,’ because our defense was playing so good,” Frazier said. “When your defense is playing that well ... I mean, we stayed on their side of the field the whole second half. So I was OK with it. Normally, I’m conservative, but I took a couple of gambles tonight.”

Panthers defense stiffens

SHREVEPORT — In the first half, the Prairie View A&M defense allowed 218 yards to Southern. The second half was a different story. The Panthers limited the Jaguars to 41 yards in the second half en route to a 30-16 Southwestern Athletic Conference victory in Saturday’s Shreveport Classic at Independence Stadium.

Prairie View defensive coordinator Heishma Northern said the Panthers made a few adjustments at halftime, but it was mostly about playing better. “We just talked to the guys about doing their job,” said Northern, a Baton Rouge native who played football at Southern and played and coached at Glen Oaks High School.

Prairie View breaks through in 4th quarter

SHREVEPORT — Through much of the second half of Saturday’s game at Independence Stadium, when Southern’s offense failed to move the ball and Prairie View kept threatening to take control, the Jaguars’ defense did everything it could to hold the fort. Or, in the words of defensive tackle Jordan Miller, the defense did almost everything.

Eventually, the Panthers broke through. “Our offense delivered. Sixteen points should be enough to win,” Miller said. “We can’t keep giving up so many touchdowns.” Really?

Panthers continue recent dominance over SU

SHREVEPORT — Another year. Another win. Another round of notable achievements for the Prairie View football program. The Panthers defeated Southern 30-14 on Saturday at Independence Stadium, their third consecutive victory over the Jaguars. It had been a while since Prairie View could claim that kind of dominance over Southern.

The Panthers hadn’t won three straight games in this series since 1962-64, when legendary William “Billy” Nicks still coached at Prairie View. Saturday’s game also marked the first time this season that Panthers quarterback K.J. Black — the reigning offensive player of the year in the Southwestern Athletic Conference — threw for more than 300 yards this season.

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ATTENDANCE: 19,979


Final: Prairie View, 30; Southern, 16

HOW THEY SCORED
First quarter
Prairie View – Donald Babers 3 run (Kyle Mathews kick) at 8:11. DRIVE: 10 plays, 83 yards, 4:25. KEY PLAYS: Prairie View converts on a third-and-10 with a throw from quarterback K.J. Black to tailback Devin Brown. Black throws to wideout Shaun Stephens for a 32-yard gain. SU safety Demetric Rogers is flagged for holding on an overthrown pass. Babers runs on the final five plays of the drive. Prairie View 7, Southern 0.

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SU showing signs of improvement

JACKSON, Miss. — It happened just after 9:20 p.m. Saturday night in Veterans Memorial Stadium, very late in the fourth quarter, while Southern’s sloppy, mistake-filled game against Jackson State turned into a bona fide thriller — easily one of the most exciting finishes in the long, proud history of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

It happened just after the Jaguars scored with 15 seconds left, presumably clinching their first signature win of the Stump Mitchell era. It happened while thousands of SU fans overflowed with joy and exhilaration, thinking— no, knowing — their team had pulled off the ultimate Houdini, in a hostile setting no less.

Mitchell bemoans bad play calls

Just minutes after his team lost 49-45 to Jackson State on Saturday in the last minute — quite literally the last minute, which included three touchdowns and three lead changes in a back-and-forth explosion of big plays — Southern coach Stump Mitchell, who calls the offensive plays, said this one was on him.

Even though the Jaguars had season highs in points (45), passing yards (293) touchdown passes (three), and committed no turnovers for the first time all year, Mitchell said his offense should have done even more.

Southern aims to cut down on penalities

Southern University head football coach Stump Mitchell doesn't need a stat sheet to tell him one area his team needs to improve. Still, the numbers jump off the page. Southern was penalized 16 times for 195 yards during the Jaguars' 49-45 loss at Jackson State on Saturday. Southern's 63 penalties are the most in the SWAC. The Jaguars' 119.8 yards in penalties per game also top the SWAC.

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JSU Tigers' Richardson scores with 2 seconds left to cap frenetic finish

Rico Richardson said it was a simple "go route."

With 9 seconds left in the game and Jackson State trailing Southern University by four points, the Tigers receiver raced straight down the field for what he hoped was a game-winning touchdown. Seven seconds later, Richardson fell head first across the goal line to cap one of the wildest finishes college football has ever seen and give JSU a history-making victory over its rival from Louisiana.

"This is destiny," linebacker Todd Wilcher said afterward. Said JSU coach Rick Comegy: "Unbelievable." Richardson's 28-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Casey Therriault with 2 seconds left lifted Jackson State over Southern 49-45, and capped a frantic fourth quarter that won't be forgotten around these parts for a long, long time.

Out-of-breath QB Therriault leads wild win

Jackson State quarterback Casey Therriault nicely asked a reporter for a moment immediately following his team's wild win Saturday night. He was granted it. "You'll have to give me a few seconds," he said, "my heart is pounding." Rightly so.

Therriault didn't have his best game Saturday in Jackson State's 49-45 win over Southern University. He threw an interception - he only had two all season - and forced plenty of balls into blanketed coverage. But in the end, the transfer from a Michigan junior college helped the Tigers get a fourth win in five years over Southern.

Photo Gallery: JSU - Southern

JSU outlasts Southern

JACKSON, Miss. — When all the madness finally ended, when there were no more wild plays, no more magic tricks left to pull, most of Southern’s football players stood on the visitors’ sideline at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Actually, most of them rested on one knee. The game clock flashed three zeroes, but they didn’t move. In complete and utter disbelief, they stared straight ahead, slackjawed, exhausted and emotionally spent. The final score — Jackson State 49, Southern 45 — was like the final frantic minutes of Saturday night’s game itself: Amazing, stunning and completely unbelievable. But absolutely true.

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Attendance: 42,053

Wells, Southern Jaguars relish role as underdog against Jackson State Tigers

Jackson State University head football coach Rick Comegy

His knee was at full strength again, but his hamstring still burned. It felt tight, and he couldn’t run like he wanted. Anthony Wells’ body kept betraying him. How was he supposed to make an impact like this?

He was missing from spring practice at Southern, and he missed summer workouts, too. There was, of course, a new coaching staff in town. As first impressions go, this one wasn’t much to brag about. This was not how Wells had envisioned his grand return.

QB makes most of his chance at Jackson State

Less than three years before Casey Therriault became Jackson State’s starting quarterback, he spent a night of his winter break hanging out with former Wyoming Park High football teammates in Grand Rapids, Mich.

On the way to their car, they were approached by a man who was inebriated. He traded insults with one of the guys. When Therriault laughed at something his friend said, the man turned his attention to him, striking Therriault, who, in turn, threw one punch and walked away.

Jackson State vs. Southern

When: Today, 6 p.m.
Where: Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
Television: None
Radio: JSU Network (WHLA-95.5 FM, Jackson)
Records
Jackson State: 4-1, 2-1 SWAC
Southern: 2-3, 1-2
History: Last meeting: Jackson State 22, Southern 14, 2009
All-time series: Southern leads 28-26-0

Touchdown issue getting to Richardson

Casey Therriault knows what comes with being the quarterback of a pass-happy, high-scoring offense like the one Jackson State runs. "Everybody wants to score," the Tigers star said.Add receiver Rico Richardson to the very top of that gradually shortening list.

Through five games, Richardson, a 6-foot-1, 185-pound sophomore from Natchez, has gained 256 yards - fourth on the team - on 15 catches and averages 17 yards a catch - tied for second on the team. He's among the six JSU receivers who have caught 15 passes or more this season.

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JSU Tigers aiming to feast on Southern Jags

For offensive coordinator Earnest Wilson and quarterback Casey Therriault, it can't get much better than this. Owner of the best passing offense in the Football Championship Subdivision, Jackson State (4-1, 2-1 SWAC) hosts a Southern team that struggles in defending the pass.

The Jaguars (2-3, 1-2) have a young secondary that has just four interceptions through five games this season - that's next to last in the conference. "We like to throw a little bit," coach Rick Comegy said when asked about Southern's struggling pass D.

Game site puts Jags AD in pickle

Greg LaFleur is in a tight spot. On one hand, the Southern University athletic director has to please the school's rabid fan base. On the other, he has to raise money for the university. When LaFleur moved Southern's home football game last year against Jackson State to 60,000-seat Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, it did two things:

It doubled the amount of money the school would have made had the game been played at the school's 24,000-seat A.W. Mumford Stadium in Baton Rouge. And it ticked off many Jaguar fans.

Worth repeating: Stump Mitchell

His team stopped a three-game losing streak last week, dumping Mississippi Valley State to move to 2-3. Now comes the really fun part for Stump Mitchell & Co: stopping Jackson State. The Jaguars and Tigers tee it up at 6 p.m. Saturday in Veterans Memorial Stadium.

"It’s definitely good to be back here after a win. It’s been a tough three weeks for Southernites. It’s been a tough three weeks for the players and coaches as well. We’ve been preparing to get a victory...

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Southern Jaguars hold on to win

Was this really about to happen? In the fourth quarter of Saturday night’s game between Southern and Mississippi Valley State, before they pulled away for a 38-20 victory in front of a nervous but happy homecoming crowd of 19,762 inside A.W. Mumford Stadium, the Jaguars had bungled a chance at collecting their first blowout win of the Stump Mitchell era.

Worse yet, the winless Delta Devils had scored back-to-back touchdowns; their sideline was full of life, and they were primed to get the ball back with plenty of time to take their first lead of the season. Was this really about to happen? This was Mississippi Valley. This was winless Mississippi Valley.

SU defense holds up

The fourth quarter of Saturday’s game between Southern University and Mississippi Valley State proved to be gut-check time for a Jaguars defensive unit that has struggled at times this season. This time, the defense was up to the task shutting out the Delta Devils in the final quarter while Southern tacked on two insurance scores to salt away a 38-20 win at Mumford Stadium.

Southern’s William Griswold kicked a 37-yard field goal to extend the Jaguars’ lead to 24-7 midway through the third quarter, but Valley scored twice to cut the margin to 24-20 entering the fourth. From there, the Southern defense made sure its offense would have plenty of breathing room.

Special teams play remains inconsistent

Five games into this first season under Stump Mitchell, Southern is still waiting for a clean, sound performance on special teams. The new coach has certainly noticed.

Saturday night, during the Jaguars’ 38-20 victory over Mississippi Valley State, the Delta Devils’ first touchdown came on another special-teams gaffe, when SU kicker William Griswold tried a 43-yard field goal and drove it low, into the line of scrimmage. Markkus Davis returned it for a 62-yard touchdown. Instead of leading 10-0, the Jaguars found themselves in a 7-7 tie.

Attendance: 19,762

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Southern's Mitchell sees things differently after 1-3 start

Stump Mitchell, the first-year Southern University coach, has a simple but not-so-subtle message for the fiery Jaguars fans who are more than a little frustrated with the team's 1-3 start to the season. "You know what?" Mitchell asked earlier this week, "they have to realize there's a reason for a new coach coming in."

The school fired longtime coach Pete Richardson after last season, ending the coach's 17-year run with SU that included five Southwestern Athletic Conference championships and five black college national titles.

Sacks not lacking for MVSU

Of all the defensive woes Mississippi Valley State has faced this season, the unit has one positive heading into Saturday night’s game at Southern: sacking quarterbacks.

The Delta Devils lead the Southwestern Athletic Conference in sacks with 12 through four conference games. Overall, Valley ranks second with 13 sacks in all games (five); Texas Southern leads the SWAC with 17 sacks in five games.

Line keys Southern’s best offensive effort

Even in an 18-point loss to Arkansas-Pine Bluff last weekend, Southern’s offense looked at long last like it might be on to something.

The quarterback, Jeremiah McGinty, stood back in the shotgun, stepped up in the pocket, threw well on the run and made quite a few nice plays.

Defensive coordinator Gilbert looks to simplify SU defense

O’Neill Gilbert had a vision.

As he drew up plans for a complex new defense at Southern University, he dreamed of disguised coverages, a dominant line and blitz after blitz after blitz — all of which added up to a unit that struck fear into the rest of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Four games into this season, however, no one seems scared. This was not Gilbert’s vision.

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SWAC coaches offer SU's Mitchell encouragement‎

SWAC coaches offer SU’s Mitchell encouragement

Three games. One thrilling win. Two ugly losses. The Stump Mitchell era has barely begun at Southern University, and already, the first-year coach must try to assure fans that his program isn’t doomed to fail. "I still love this football team,” Mitchell said Monday. “We just have to be consistent in doing the things that we want to get done.”

But of all the people to offer a ray of light, perhaps the least likely — Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones, who handed the Jaguars a 34-14 defeat on Saturday — was the one who gave some interesting, encouraging advice.

Jaguars nursing injuries to key defensive leaders

A 34-14 defeat at the hands of Alabama A&M wasn’t the only thing Southern University lost Saturday night in Normal, Ala. The Jaguars also took a blow to their defense when two key starters were injured.

Middle linebacker Corey Ray, who suffered a shoulder injury in the first half of Saturday’s game, is “day-to-day,” Southern coach Stump Mitchell said. The status of free safety Jason House is a little less clear.

Rough sailing could be ahead for Southern

At about 9 p.m. Saturday, after they shook hands with an Alabama A&M team that handed them a second ugly loss in as many games, members of the Southern football team removed their helmets and took a knee on the soft, wet grass at Louis Crews Stadium.

The rain kept falling, and somehow, that figured. The Jaguars were soundly beaten on the line of scrimmage and, after a first-play touchdown, seemed overmatched in a 34-14 loss. It had been, without any doubt, a night to forget.

SU preaches effort

As far as he knew, first-year coach Stump Mitchell said the charter bus Southern’s football team used this weekend was not equipped with a panic button. Even if it were, he said, the Jaguars did not intend to use it as they rode home from Normal, Ala., after a 34-14 loss Saturday night against Alabama A&M in their Southwestern Athletic Conference opener.

SU (1-2, 0-1 SWAC) faces Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-2, 0-1) at 6 p.m. Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium, the second of eight games in eight consecutive weeks.

Struggling defense loses leaders

NORMAL, Ala. — Southern’s defense struggled for the second consecutive game Saturday in a 34-14 loss to Alabama A&M at Louis Crews Stadium. It didn’t help that this time, the Jaguars lost two of their leaders to injury.

Middle linebacker Corey Ray suffered an injury to his right shoulder with 3:11 remaining in the first quarter, watching the second half in a T-shirt and a sling. Ray’s injury was noteworthy for two reasons: He has dislocated the shoulder before, and he is largely responsible for calling plays and checks for the SU defense.


Hollimon finally gets chance at quarterback for Southern

This is for all those afternoons when Gary Hollimon iced down his shoulder, having finished another practice with pride and purpose, even though he knew he’d never play on Saturday.

This is for all those times when coaches praised Hollimon’s work ethic and easygoing attitude, then told him to stay on the bench. This is for the time Gary Hollimon nearly got cut from the team he now leads.

Mitchell taking the heat

Stump Mitchell spent nine years as an NFL running back. He knows how to take a beating. Mitchell has lived in Georgia, Arizona, Texas and, since January, when he accepted the job as Southern’s football coach, Louisiana as well. He knows how to deal with heat. These days, he’s getting enough of both.

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A&M's Kearse is a big hit with NFL scouts after early struggles

HUNTSVILLE, Al. - When Sonja Braxton brought her son, Alabama A&M defensive tackle Frank Kearse, to school four years ago, she took his house keys when she left.

Kearse told his mother he loved football and planned to go pro. He had escaped the traps back home in Savannah, Ga., [- his mom and dad both worked two jobs to make sure he had everything he needed-]  and Braxton didn't want anything to distract him from reaching his goal.

Bulldogs look to fix O-line problems

f Deaunte Mason has one goal Saturday night against Southern, it’s that he spends more time standing on his feet as opposed to laying on the grass at Louis Crews Stadium.

Last week, Mason, a quarterback at Alabama A&M, was sacked seven times — knocked down and hit even more times — during a 32-9 rout by Texas Southern. With his linemen unable to protect him and Mason jittery, the offense managed just 197 yards of total offense, including 69 in the second half. Breakdowns up front occurred on both blitzes and base defense packages, drawing the ire of ninth-year coach Anthony Jones, who vowed improved play.

SU’s Cushingberry iffy

Southern wide receiver Corey Cushingberry, who suffered a left shoulder injury two weeks ago in the Jaguars’ loss to Arkansas-Monticello, is “doubtful” for Saturday’s game at Alabama A&M, coach Stump Mitchell said.

Cushingberry, a fifth-year senior from Istrouma High and a sprinter on the SU track team, hurt his shoulder on the first play of the UAM game, a 30-yard kickoff return that ended with him landing underneath two tacklers.

Hollimon to start at QB for Southern

In a surprise turnaround, Southern football coach Stump Mitchell said at his weekly news conference Tuesday he plans to start Gary Hollimon at quarterback when the Jaguars open Southwestern Athletic Conference play in Normal, Ala., against Alabama A&M at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Hollimon, a senior from Gulfport, Miss., has been the team's starting tail-back this season. He moved into the position following preseason camp last year after beginning his career at the school as a quarterback. Sylvester Nzekwe, a sophomore, will start at tailback for the Jaguars.

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Southern tries to regroup from defeat

First-year Southern head football coach Stump Mitchell has covered a wide range of emotions in just two weeks of the Jaguars' season. He experienced the thrill of a come-from-behind win in the season's first week against Delaware State. On Saturday, he got the opposite feeling as his team lost to NCAA Division II member Arkansas-Monticello at home.

"We had a bunch of mental mistakes in that ballgame," Mitchell said Monday. "It cost us. "It was the second week in a row we also had a special teams breakdown. We had a punt returned against us for a touchdown which put the defense in a bad position and we were inefficient in the red zone. We got down there a couple of times and were not able to score. As a result, we ended up losing that ballgame, 31-7."

State Roundup: Ark.-Monticello breezes past Southern

BATON ROUGE — Johnny Polite rushed for two touchdowns and Jywin Ceasar scored on a 94-yard punt return to help Arkansas-Monticello beat Southern University 31-7 on Saturday night. The Boll Weevils (1-1) jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter on Polite's 2-yard rushing score, Ceasar's punt return for a touchdown and a 1-yard touchdown by Nakita Myles.

Scott Buisson led Arkansas-Monticello with 101 yards rushing on 13 carries. He also completed 9 of 15 passes for 164 yards. Polite finished with 37 yards rushing on 11 attempts.

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Southern's Stunning defeat

The Jaguars had minus-22 rushing yards on 24 attempts.

They had the entire fourth quarter to accept what happened Saturday night, when a Division II team called Arkansas-Monticello came into A.W. Mumford Stadium and manhandled the Southern University football team in Stump Mitchell’s home debut. The 31-7 final score was no fluke.

Still, when time ran out, some of the SU players were motionless on the sideline, in a fog, stunned at the outcome. Defensive tackles Casey Narcisse and Jordan Miller sat on the bench, staring directly at the grass in front of them. Later, linebacker Corey Ray shook his head in disbelief. “We didn’t come to play,” Ray said. “We didn’t do what we were coached to do. ... It wasn’t about Xs and Os. We just didn’t give the effort we were supposed to give.”

Ground game freezes

Center Ramon Chinyoung glanced at the game clock during the final seconds of Saturday night’s 31-7 loss to Division II Arkansas-Monticello, visibly disgusted at himself and offensive teammates. That’s because Southern University finished its nonconference game with minus-22 rushing yards, what should be one of the worst efforts in recent memory.

Chinyoung, one of the team captains, could only point the proverbial finger of blame at himself. “I feel like I’m the reason why we lost the game because this is my O-Line,” said Chinyoung, a fifth-year senior. “Because I’m the general.”

Team Effort Leads Boll Weevils Past Southern

The University of Arkansas at Monticello football team responded from its season opening loss with a 31-7 rout of Southern University on Saturday at A.W. Mumford Stadium. The Boll Weevils even their season record at 1-1 with its third victory in as many seasons over an NCAA Division I-Football Championship Subdivision. UAM defeated Arkansas-Pine Bluff in each of the past two seasons. The Jaguars also evened their record at 1-1.

UAM had production in all aspects of the game with 371 yards of total offense, only 117 yards of total offense allowed, 149 punt return yards and a blocked punt. In the first half, UAM pitched a shutout, holding a 24-0 advantage going into the locker room.

Southern says it wasn't ready to play in loss to Arkansas-Monticello

Led by senior quarterback Scott Buisson's 274 total-yard performance, Arkansas-Monticello (1-1), a Division II school, routed Southern (1-1) 31-7 at A.W. Mumford Stadium in Stump Mitchell's first game on the bluff as Southern's coach. Southern gained only 117 yards and allowed 371, along with 18 first downs and 149 returns yards. Mitchell and players admitted they weren't quite ready to play against Arkansas-Monticello.

"We've just got to do what we're supposed to do. That's just the bottom line. And that starts with me, " Mitchell said. "I was really pleased with the turnout of the fans -- not pleased with how we played. That's part of the game, though."

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Stunning defeat

Big win behind, SU readies for home opener

Their collective heart rate has slowed a little, and with a few days to zoom out, to look at everything that happened in that wild season opener on Sunday, the Southern Jaguars have two main things on their mind.

No. 1: Fix mistakes. Upon further review, mistakes were aplenty.

No. 2: Get ready for the next challenge. That would be Arkansas-Monticello, a Division II opponent that comes into A.W. Mumford Stadium for the Jaguars’ home opener at 6 p.m. Saturday.

No, the Boll Weevils — yes, that really is their nickname — don’t have the kind of appeal that the MEAC/SWAC Challenge brought. This second game isn’t on live national television, like Sunday’s thriller on ESPN against Delaware State.

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Southern Notebook for September 2, 2010

SU's Nzekwe answers the call

ORLANDO, Fla. — During a long, hot offseason, first-year Southern coach Stump Mitchell famously said he thought Gary Hollimon might lead the nation in rushing. As it turns out, Mitchell may have picked the wrong guy.

In Mitchell’s wild debut, a walk-on — sophomore running back Sylvester Nzekwe — came off the bench to lead all players with 98 rushing yards and a touchdown in the Jaguars’ 37-27 comeback victory against Delaware State in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge.

It was the first time in his college career Nzekwe played with the offense in a meaningful moment; all last season, the Seattle native played almost entirely on special teams. Sunday, with a national ESPN audience watching, voters selected Nzekwe as the Jagaurs’ team MVP.

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SU Jaguars casual as season nears

Here they go. When Monday morning came, full-blown game-week preparations began for the Southern football team, and the players and coaches could almost feel the first kickoff coming. They practically tingled with excitement. Right?

That long-awaited season opener in Orlando, Fla., against Delaware State. That first game under new coach Stump Mitchell. No more two-a-days. No more grunt work. The MEAC/SWAC Challenge is close at hand, and the Jaguars and Hornets play at 11 a.m. Sunday — on ESPN, no less.

Emotions ran high. Right?

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MEAC/SWAC CHALLENGE

Southern vs. Delaware State
WHEN: 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 5
WHERE: Citrus Bowl Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
TV: ESPN.
RADIO: KQXL-FM, 106.5. (Baton Rouge)

Southern’s football season will begin Sunday in Orlando, Fla., against Delaware State at Citrus Bowl Stadium — the same place where LSU’s 2009 season ended. When the Jaguars arrive, however, they’ll find the playing conditions to be much, much nicer. LSU’s game, a 19-17 loss against Penn State in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1, was best remembered for the sloppy, muddy field conditions, caused by heavy rain and freshly planted sod that didn’t have time to take hold.

On Sunday, Southern won’t have to worry about any of that. Thanks to newly installed artificial turf, the Jaguars will play on a clean, even, mud-free surface. During the offseason, the city of Orlando paid to remove natural grass from the stadium and replace it with GameDay Grass 3D, a modern version of plastic grass manufactured by AstroTurf.

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New faces abound in Southern Jaguars secondary

On the football field, Demetric Rogers was accustomed to looking good. A versatile-but-undersized athlete, Rogers played offense and defense at Northeast High School. Then he walked on at Southern University last summer, and the coaching staff issued the 5-foot-10, 190-pound strong safety his gameday uniform. He got No. 45. Forty-five? Isn’t that for fullbacks? Linebackers? Kickers?

“I was upset, all the way to the (first) game,” Rogers said. “After a while, I figured I might as well make the best of this number. The number doesn’t make the person. It’s the other way around. So after that, I got my first start and made some plays, and before long, everybody knew there was a No. 45 out there.”

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise of the Southern football team last season, Rogers played strong safety for the first time in his life and slowly worked his way up the depth chart during preseason camp, from fourth-string to second-string.

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Dog days winding down at SU camp

By Louisiana standards, Wednesday was downright comfortable, one of those rare August days where you could stand outside and not have your internal faucet turned on by the heat and humidity. It was a day where the undershirt could stay pretty dry.
The comfort didn’t escape the notice of Southern football coach Stump Mitchell.

“I think God has taken better care of them than I am,” Mitchell said, nodding towards his Southern University football players who were making their way back to the locker room after Wednesday afternoon’s practice. “We’ve had some pretty nice weather. We’ve had a breeze and if I had to, I would not have ordered the breeze. He’s taking care of them and giving them exactly what they need.”

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Southern D-line stresses effort‎

Jordan Miller doesn’t need people to remind him about last year’s Bayou Classic.

For 3 hours and 26 minutes on the ground floor of the Superdome, he lived it. Remember that game? Or, perhaps, trying to forget it? On play after play, archrival Grambling pounded Miller and his fellow defensive linemen, wearing down the Southern Jaguars with a slow, steady, brutal attack.

The final numbers — 308 rushing yards and 37 minutes of ball-control offense for the Tigers in a 31-13 wipeout — were indeed lopsided and convincing. But numbers told only part of the story. At this time last summer, Miller thought he and the Southern defensive line had worked hard enough to win in crunch time. He thought they were prepared for almost anything. They learned, in humiliating fashion, that they were wrong.

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Jaguars not settled on starter at QB

Fall semester is under way at Southern University, and on most nights, the Human Jukebox is hard at work, preparing and refining for the start of football season. It’s less than two weeks away now. As for the team, it doesn’t yet have a starting quarterback. Not officially, anyway.

First-year coach Stump Mitchell hasn’t named his starting No. 1 — but after Saturday’s preseason scrimmage, sophomore Jeremiah McGinty may have re-established himself as the leading candidate.

McGinty sat out the Jaguars’ first scrimmage of the preseason Aug. 14, having been hospitalized...

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Heat, fatigue no excuse for Southern University

(Photo by ryanpknight.com)

Ninety-five degrees. One hundred seven with the heat index. Two hours of brutality. No excuses. Upon further review, after Southern’s up-and-down second preseason scrimmage Saturday afternoon, that’s what first-year coach Stump Mitchell said he wanted more than anything. Yes, it’s hot outside. But that, Mitchell said, was no reason to give up on the finer points of the game. As if to prove a point, Mitchell wore a longsleeve jacket the entire afternoon.

The season opener, against Delaware State in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, is less than two weeks away now. It is Sept. 5 in Orlando, Fla., and kickoff time is noon Eastern. In other words, conditions are sure to be warm and steamy. All preseason, Mitchell held afternoon practices at 3:30, partly because he wants the Jaguars to be in shape for Orlando.

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