Five-a-Side: Jackson State's Casey Therriault

FCS Walter Payton Award

Jackson, MS - The timing would be impeccable if Jackson State senior quarterback Casey Therriault wins the 2011 Walter Payton Award.

This season marks the 25th anniversary of the most prestigious award in the FCS - the Heisman Trophy of the division which is presented by The Sports Network and sponsored by Fathead.com.

The legendary Payton, of course, played at Jackson State, which this season is celebrating its 100th year of football. Of course, the Casey Therriault story isn't ordinary regardless.

It was just over two years ago that Therriault was released from jail, having served a six-month sentence for his minor part in a January 2008 incident in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich., in which a 21-year-old man was killed at a bar and restaurant. At the time of the altercation, Therriault was home from junior college.

The man, who was intoxicated with a blood-alcohol level of 0.27, harassed one of Therriault's friends before the incident escalated to ...

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Jackson State QB's recovery is 'going well'

Quarterback Casey Therriault's recovery from a broken collarbone is "going well," Jackson State coach Rick Comegy said.

A right-handed thrower, Therriault broke his right collarbone in the second quarter of JSU's season-ending win over Alcorn State. Comegy said his quarterback is no longer wearing an arm sling and should participate in spring practice. "We're going to be very careful with him," Comegy said.

Therriault finished with the second most passing yards in the Football Championship Subdivision last season and a school record-tying 31 touchdowns.



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Jackson State offers Therriault an oasis

Therriault's Journey To Redemption

In this unlikely story of redemption, Casey Therriault, a white QB from Michigan finds a home and fans at Jackson State a historically-black university.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice."

-- Martin Luther King Jr., Aug. 28, 1963

JACKSON, Miss. -- Scenes from an oasis:

A fence separated the old black woman from the football field, but it didn't stop her. She wanted to meet the young white quarterback. She asked the coach to bring him over. If you don't have a place to go for Thanksgiving, the old woman told the quarterback through the fence, we will feed you.

In the stands in Memphis, Tenn., weeks earlier, a black stranger struck up a conversation with the white quarterback's father. He was easy to pick out, after all, a pale face in a section full of dark faces. By the end of the game, the quarterback's father had been invited to stay at the stranger's house for the next home game.

Everyone wanted to reach out to the white quarterback. He had come hundreds of miles from his native Michigan to this strange place -- to Jackson State University....

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Note: Exceptionally great story coming from the Southwestern Athletic Conference on quarterback Casey Therriault and the Jackson State University Tigers. Beautiful job by Pat Forde, ESPN.com.

Early TD aside, JSU defense shows up big time

They call this a scary start if you're a Jackson State fan. Mississippi Valley State quarterback Oliver Hughes hit receiver Paul Cox for a 57-yard touchdown on Valley's first play from scrimmage Saturday night. Cox out-leaped JSU defensive back Qua Cox and then ran into the end zone, stunning the partial crowd at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium.

Not to worry. The defense didn't allow another point in JSU's 43-7 win. A unit criticized heavily over the first three games - it allowed an average of 447 yards in those games - finally lived up to its Darkside billing.What changed - besides playing one of the worst offenses in the nation?

"I think we hit a little bit more in practice this week," coach Rick Comegy said. "We emphasized being more aggressive."

Tigers rip Devils

A good way to get over your first loss of the season? Why, play Mississippi Valley State, of course. A week after being physically pounded by Grambling, Jackson State whipped Valley 43-7 on Saturday night at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, beating the Delta Devils for the 16th straight year and showing fans just how potent JSU's new Air Raid offense can be.

Quarterback Casey Therriault had 291 yards passing - by halftime - as JSU cruised to a 30-7 lead at the break.He finished with 374 yards and four touchdown passes in about three quarters of work. Therriault, who struggled under pressure in last week's 28-21 loss to Grambling, completed 33 of 50 attempts, picking apart Valley's secondary.

Photo Gallery: JSU - Valley

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Jackson State Tigers disdain substituting on D

Jackson State's starting defensive linemen and linebackers rarely came out of Saturday's win over Delta State. Starting defensive end Sam Washington said just two non-starters made brief appearances in the game. Those were end Javarius Conner and tackle Tim Johnson. "Come first game, the coaches are very strict about the first team," Washington said. "You get some rotation, but when it comes down to crunch time there was very little rotation."



Starting inside linebacker Milton Patterson said John McNabb was the only non-starting ILB to enter the game. Patterson and Todd Wilcher are the starters. Assistant coaches were not allowed to talk to the media Tuesday, but defensive coordinator Darrin Hayes said during fall camp that his starters wouldn't rotate much.

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Slide Show by "SGT" Kevin Maurice Robinson. The former 1990 JSU Sonic Boom Member is here to deliver. His website is http://kevinr316.smugmug.com

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Therriault leads Jackson State Tigers Air Raid

Tigers' new quarterback sparks long-awaited offensive resurgence

Jackson, MS - Casey Therriault took the snap. He stepped right, left, backpedaled, moved forward. Jackson State's new quarterback eluded one would-be sack, then another - all the while keeping his eyes peeled in search of an open receiver.In what became a pattern Saturday during Jackson State's 32-17 win over Delta State, Therriault found that open man.

"He's a special quarterback," Jackson State coach Rick Comegy said. "I'm not going to sit up here and call him average. He's special."

Therriault threw for 404 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Tigers to their first season-opening victory since 2006. In front of an announced crowd of 12,655 at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Therriault helped...

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