Jackson State to play six at home in 2011

Jackson, MS - A three-game homestand comprises half of the six that Jackson State football will play at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium during its 11-game schedule this season.

Jackson State will kick off the season on Sept. 3 against Division III Concordia College in the fourth annual W.C. Gorden Classic. The Tigers will play one other non-conference game, Sept. 10 against Ohio Valley Conference member Tennessee State in the Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis.

The Tigers' remaining five home games are against Southwestern Athletic Conference opponents, including...

2011 Jackson State University Football Schedule
Date    Opponent            Site      Time
September
3    Concordia College “Hornets” (Selma, AL)     Jackson, MS    1:30 PM
(4th Annual W.C. Gorden Classic)  
10    Tennessee State “Tigers”        Memphis, TN    6:00 PM
(Southern Heritage Classic)
17    Southern “Jaguars”          Baton Rouge, LA TBA 
24    Alabama State “Hornets”        Jackson, MS    4:00 PM

October
1    Texas Southern “Tigers”        Jackson, MS    4:00 PM
8    Arkansas‐Pine Bluff “Golden Lions”      Jackson, MS    4:00 PM
(Homecoming)
15    Mississippi Valley State” Delta Devils”    Itta Bena, MS    TBA
22    OPEN
29    Prairie View A&M “Panthers”       Prairie View, TX TBA

November
5    Grambling State “Tigers”        Jackson, MS    2:00 PM
12    Alabama A&M “Bulldogs”        Huntsville, AL    TBA
19    Alcorn State “Braves”         Jackson, MS    1:00 PM
(Capital City Classic)

December
10    SWAC Championship Game        Birmingham, AL TBA

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JSU's Hoskins aspires to be return man

JSU Tigers head football coach Rick Comegy

If Kerry Hoskins had something to say about it, the Jackson State safety would be the Tigers' starting punt and kickoff returner. He does, by the way, have something to say about it. "Being back there, if I get the ball," Hoskins said, "I know I can change the game and make big plays for my team and give them good field position or take it home to the end zone."

Hoskins is competing with a group of players to be JSU's returner. It's something he did in high school at South Panola. At Jackson State, though, he hasn't received much of a chance as a returner. "Being back there, if I get the ball," Hoskins said, "I know I can change the game and make big plays for my team and give them good field position or take it home to the end zone."

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Alabama State Hornets '09 Preview

THE CRYSTAL BALL SAYS...Quarterback Chris Mitchell, who was a rather solid passer two years ago, has returned from grade issues. That gives ASU's offense a boost. Offensive coordinator Richard Moncrief, a former Division I quarterback, understands the game and has the respect of the players. That means something. The defense, as it has been the last three years, should be very solid again. Just looking at the first 22, this is a solid team that could challenge for the SWAC. Depth, however, is a big issue -- one that will likely cost the Hornets a couple of games. ASU goes a respectable 7-4 and is in the SWAC East discussion until late in the year.

Hornets Coach Reggie Barlow (8-14 in two seasons at ASU), 2008 record 3-8 overall, 2-5 SWAC .






QUOTEBOARD...According to Barlow: "It's time to get this done and show some progress on the field. I've been here two years, and I feel like we've done some good things, but we have to start turning some of this into wins, because fans won't stand for it if that doesn't happen. I understand that. I knew the expectations and the situation going in here. I have to produce ... or find something else to do."

According to defensive coordinator Jo Nixon: "I'm just ready to get this season kicked off. When I was at (NAIA) Langston, we had some tight games with some of the teams from the SWAC. (The coaches) would always be like, 'We weren't really looking at y'all' and stuff like that. Things to just discredit us. Well, now I'm over here and everything's equal. I wonder what excuse they're going to use now?"

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2009 Hornet Schedule

9/5 Concordia College 7pm
9/12 at Savannah State 4pm
9/19 Edward Waters (Fla) 7pm
9/26 at Mississippi Valley State 4pm
10/10 Prairie View A&M 1pm
10/17 Grambling State 1pm
10/24 Alcorn State 1pm
10/31 at Alabama A&M 2:30pm (Magic City Classic)
11/7 at Jackson State 4pm
11/14 at Southern University (Mobile, AL) 2:30pm
11/26 Tuskegee 3pm (Homecoming/Turkey Bowl)

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After consecutive seasons of 5-6 and 3-8, who blames Coach Barlow for padding the schedule with lower division cupcakes like Concordia, Edward Waters and Savannah State. Add Valley, Alcorn, A&M and D-II, Tuskegee, the Hornets have an opportunity to finish with a 7-4 season. It's more important for Coach Barlow to just WIN, even if the Hornets opponent is Wetumpka High School. FAMU's A.D. Bill Hayes decided to delay a return date with the Hornets to play two money games at the University of Miami in '09 and '10. Sort of unfair to the Hornets schedule and for Rattler and Hornet fans that had waited more than a decade for this series to return.

Improving APR score big key for SU football

As Southern gets ready to welcome back its football players to the practice fields this week, the program’s future depends more on what they’ll do in the classroom rather than on the playing field. In May, the NCAA slapped Southern’s football program with the loss of scholarships and practice time because of unsatisfactory scores in the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate. Further troubles could result, by next year, in the loss of postseason play and, in two years, could mean the loss of the school’s Division I status.

Southern University Jaguars head football coach Pete Richardson

“It’s scary,” Southern Athletic Director Greg LaFleur said.

Effective immediately this season, Southern will lose 8.75 football scholarships — limited to 54.25 of a maximum of 63 — and four hours of practice time, reducing the Jaguars to 16 per week from 20. LaFleur said the four hours of practice time must be used in study hall. Also, Southern can sign no more than 20 players for next season’s class in February.

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FAMU QB robbed, threatened at gunpoint in campus dormitory

Photo: Mike Johnson, 6-1/208 quarterback, freshman transfer from Division I, University of Tulsa/Durham (NC) Hillside H.S.

Masked men wrote 'Mike + football = death' on son's mirror, says mother of football player.

The mother of a Florida A&M University football player says three masked men put a gun to her son's head and threatened that he would die if he stays on the team.

Mina Forte-Ferguson, of Durham, N.C., said it happened to her son, Mike Johnson, 19, in his campus dorm room. Johnson heard a knock at the door about 4 a.m. Tuesday. The three men rushed in and pushed him onto his bed. They wrote "Mike + football = death" on his mirror, television and refrigerator, his mother said. They also stole items from his room. She and her husband, Neil Ferguson, drove from Durham, N.C., to meet with FAMU officials Thursday.

Johnson is a freshman and enrolled at FAMU for the spring semester. He transferred from the University of Tulsa and was recruited as a quarterback.

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Johnson was a three-year letter winner and two-year starter at Hillside High School completing 65 percent of his passes for 3,142 yards and 27 touchdowns his senior season. He also rushed for 500 yards and five TDs and was a first-team all-conference, all-area and honorable mention all-state selection as a senior. Johnson had a two-star rating by Scout.com and Rivals.com coming out of high school. He threw for 1,524 yards and 12 touchdowns his junior campaign and was a second-team all-conference performer as a junior.

Florida A&M football is coached by Joe Taylor, who was hired in late December 2007.

Jones, Wallace connect for TD for Northeast in Heritage Bowl

FULLERTON, Calif. -- Chris Wallace threw a 70-yard touchdown pass to Arkansas-Pine Bluff teammate Jason Jones and the Northeast beat the Southwest 24-7 in the American Heritage Bowl on Saturday night.

Jones also had a 24-yard reception and was honored as the offensive player of the game, which featured seniors from historically black colleges and raised funds for severely injured military personnel.

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Juco QB oozing confidence at Jackson State

Terrence Onyiuke can rave about his current and future teammate A.J. McKenna. The Lackawanna (Pa.) Junior College defensive lineman and Jackson State commit is nearly in awe of McKenna's physical quarterbacking attributes.

"He's an excellent quarterback," Onyiuke said. "We went to the (conference) championship and he took us there. He's got a strong arm. He can throw at least 60 yards on one knee. He makes good decisions with the ball when it's needed." It doesn't take much of a conversation with McKenna, who has signed and is taking classes at JSU, to see where Onyiuke got that feeling.

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