Best (or worst) of Southern University season

Since elementary school, we’ve all known that, like snowflakes and fingerprints, no two words in the English language are identical. With that in mind, it’s important to remember that “memorable” does not always mean “enjoyable.”

Take, for example, the 2010 football season at Southern University. For fans and alumni, it was rarely enjoyable. But it was, indeed, memorable.

It started with the hiring of a bold new head coach in Stump Mitchell, who vowed to instill discipline in the SU program and, of course, win. A lot. The Jaguars, he said, had enough talent on hand to go 12-0. Instead, they won two times in 11 games, clinching their first nine-loss season in school history.

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SU Jaguars’ practice pace faster this year

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle: When the sun comes up, you’d better be running.

—origin unknown

Every so often, during the first three days of preseason football camp at Southern University, players placed their hands on their hips between periods, then strolled to various spots on the practice fields. The coaching staff was not impressed. Take, for example, Friday afternoon’s session. About halfway through, when too many players straggled on their way to team drills, the squad got a quick, blunt and alarmingly loud reminder from first-year coach Stump Mitchell and his assistants.

In so many words, the message went like this:

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Southern ‘D’ holds early edge at camp

SU Jaguars defensive coordinator, O'Neill Gilbert.

Fresh from a pair of beatings after the first two days of preseason practice, Southern center Ramon Chinyoung spotted his nemesis in the parking lot of the A.W. Mumford Field House late Thursday night. Walking toward the double doors, Chinyoung locked eyes with defensive coordinator O’Neill Gilbert. “Hey, coach O’Neill,” he said, pointing at Gilbert with his helmet. “Nice job today.”

As the Jaguars geared up for meetings and looked ahead toward their third day of football practice — they plan to wear shoulder pads for the first time today — first-year head coach Stump Mitchell made something crystal-clear: During team drills, the offense did not live up to his standards. Gilbert’s defense did. Mitchell offered a tip of the cap. Gilbert’s reaction: pleased, but not satisfied.

“We need to get stronger; we need to get in better shape; and we need to get in the playbooks,” Gilbert said. “We still have a ways to go in terms of learning what we’re looking for in the defense. We haven’t arrived. We just need to keep on, day by day, getting stronger and faster and continuing to learn.”

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Ex-QB Randall among 11 Southern University Hall inductees

As the sun dropped behind the Mississippi River late Saturday afternoon, scores of sharply attired Southern University alumni trickled into the Smith-Brown Memorial Union. Inside, Charlie Granger, chairman of the SU Sports Hall of Fame committee, sat on the edge of the dais, slowly, steadily directing some late traffic — folks who bought tables at the last minute or honorees who brought an extra family member. By the end of the day, Granger said, there were more people than tables, which made this event a success. Somehow, it all worked — and the best was still to come.

Long after the attendees dined, shared stories and listened to live jazz, they shared their loudest applause of the night for Eric Randall — star quarterback of the SU football team from 1992-95, one of the evening’s 11 inductees and now an assistant principal at Baton Rouge High. Hearing cheers long after he led the Jaguars to two Southwestern Athletic Conference titles, Randall made a strong, short speech, thanking nearly everyone in the city. But on the night before Mother’s Day, he gave high praise to three women in particular.

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Jaguars defense steals the show during SU game

Final score: defense 38, offense 14.

A.W. Mumford Stadium started to empty out. Most players, splattered with water and mud, retreated to a set of shower heads. A few others lingered on the field. Southern University’s spring football finale had wrapped up Saturday, and the Jaguars defense had scored a convincing TKO of the offense. Still, the trash-talking continued. Defensive coordinator Terrence Graves shuffled to a spot near midfield, where he sized up wideout Juamorris Stewart — the only receiver who, against a revamped secondary, did pretty much whatever he wanted.

Graves offered up a shove. It was payback. The way he saw it, officials hadn’t flagged Stewart for pass interference all afternoon. “No one called a push-off,” Stewart admitted, flashing a grin. “Those were some nice refs out there today.” At any rate, on a gray, drizzly Saturday afternoon at SU, spring practice officially reached the finish line. From any angle, Graves’ unit got the best of the Jaguars offense.

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Deeper Jaguars hitting stride

One week into Camp Richardson XVI, and Southern University coaches still like what they’ve been seeing. “It’s starting to come around on both sides, especially offensively,” Southern coach Pete Richardson said. “I thought the defense would be further ahead (in pace), but the offense is coming around.”

While the entire team has benefited from improved numbers and an infusion of youth, both the offensive and defensive lines have been helped most — far from the spare, patchwork jobs of a year ago. That has given Southern a strengthened core.

As a program, SU evolved to an 8-3 mark last season, and the push is clearly on to hone a more veteran group, whereas recent camps might have gone slower as coaches concentrated more on teaching.

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Defection, injuries take toll on Southern's LBs

First, Southern University’s defense suffered a blow when the Jaguars lost emerging eagle linebacker Brian Lewis, who left the program this semester.

Then, a rash of injuries throughout the linebacking corps further complicated matters as SU tries to adjust during spring practice.

Eagle Corey Ray (back), okie Johnathan Malveaux (pectoral muscle) and okie D.J. Bolton (knee surgery) aren’t expected back this spring. Of those, Ray practiced some before getting injured Saturday. Meanwhile, eagle Allan Baugh (knee) isn’t expected back until next week.

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Southern's Michael Williams: Going through it all

Photo: SU Michael Williams #7 (5-11/195 DB, Natchez, LA/Natchez H.S.) makes open field tackle on FAMU Rattlers' sensational TB Philip Sylvester #30 (5-10/185, Marianna H.S./Marianna, FL) in last season's MEAC/SWAC Challenge, won by the Jaguars 33-27.

Southern DB keeps up solid play despite adversity

Michael Williams will graduate at Southern with his concentration in early childhood education and child development on May 9.

He’s not going anywhere right away, though. Williams will return in the fall to enter graduate school for administration and supervision and he has his final year at cornerback, where he’s started the past three seasons after redshirting in 2004.

“I’ve seen it all,” Williams said. “I’ve seen the good times and bad times. I’ve seen a lot of people come and go.”

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Southern University stadium expansion to start in February '08

Photo: Jackson State University Sonic Boom of the South performing at half-time in A.W. Mumford Stadium, 2007.

After years of delays and criticism, Southern University officials said Friday that the expansion of A.W. Mumford Stadium is finally set to begin next month. The expansion will add 2,500 seats to the 26,500-seat stadium. Southern borrowed $60 million through bonds for construction, with about $14.5 million for the stadium. The cost now comes in at $16.5 million, but Hughes said reserve funds will adequately cover such overruns.

The 18-month construction of the north end zone enclosure and new football complex is expected to be completed in July 2009. Along with the stadium enclosure, the project will include new training facilities, lockers rooms, offices, a weight room, sports memorabilia spaces, meetings rooms, about 500 club-level seats and 2,000 end zone seats.

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Two years of procrastination (politics) and everyone wanting to have input into the project will cost the university $2 million plus before the project is completed. Bottom line, this expansion of A.W. Mumford Stadium is very good for Southern University to stay competitive in Louisiana and Southwestern Athletic Conference athletics.

To view the plans, budget and architectural drawings for the project, please click on this .pdf file link and view pages 8-12 of the document: http://members.cox.net/trey636/BOND%20PROJECT.pdf

-beepbeep

Defense is Southern's comfort

Photo: SU Head Coach Pete Richardson has the Jaguars playing championship football.

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

Pete Richardson has put together a pretty good worksheet in his 14-plus seasons at Southern.

During Richardson's first 11 seasons - from 1993 through 2003 - the Jaguars won 11 games or more five times, five Southwestern Athletic Conference championships and four black college national championships.

However, Southern hasn't been nearly as good in recent years.

Since winning the SWAC and the black college national championship in 2003 and finishing 12-1, the Jaguars have gone 17-15 over the last three seasons, including back-to-back losing seasons.

Entering this season, Southern officials informed Richardson that he would be evaluated before receiving a contract. He is in the last year of a deal that pays him $200,000 annually.

Through the first five games, Richardson has had the last laugh.

The Jaguars are 5-0 overall, including 3-0 in the SWAC, and are ranked 25th in the nation.

"A lot of good things have happened," said Richardson, whose team was picked to finish third in the league's preseason poll. "We're playing well and we've had great senior leadership. Defensively, we're able to put pressure on the quarterback and offensively, we've protected the football. When you can do those two things it increases your chances of winning."

Southern will try to run its record to 6-0 Saturday when it hosts Alabama A&M for homecoming. Kickoff is 5:30 at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

Richardson said some of his players didn't believe the Jaguars were capable of having a big year when preseason practice began. However, as the wins piled up, the players started to believe.

"You see the attitude starting to change in our football team," he said. "We've come from a point where a lot of individuals didn't think we had a chance to win any games to now being 5-0. A lot of them are gradually starting to believe maybe we can get to that championship game.

"I see the enthusiasm and passion they're playing with and also the attention in practice is starting to pick up."

Defections and injuries forced many young players onto the field last season. While that was a problem a year ago, it has been a blessing this season, Richardson said.

"The difference between last year and this year is experience," he said. "We were decimated with injuries last year. A lot of those kids came back and created competition. We finished strong last year and had a good spring practice.

"We were in a lot of tight games last year and made some growing mistakes and we're not making those mistakes this year."

Southern has always been good offensively. This season, however, the Jaguars have been among the top defensive teams in the league.

Free safety Jarmaul George was the SWAC's preseason defensive player of the year, while defensive lineman Vincent Lands was named to the second team.

Cornerbacks Michael Williams and Efe Osawemwenze are all-conference caliber players along with strong safety Glenn Bell.

Why has Southern been so much better on defense this season?

"There's really no secret," Bell said. "It's hard work."


SU Band vs. Alabama State University Band 2007- 5th Quarter Band

Coates leads rejuvenated Southern running game

Photo: Darren Coates, SU RB



















By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Headlining Southern University’s muscled-up running game has been senior Darren Coates.

Coates had his best game as a Jaguar in a 41-34 win over Tennessee State on Saturday, running for 115 yards and a career-high two touchdowns and making three catches for 45 yards and his first career receiving score.

Coates, a two-way star at West Feliciana High School, was a nonqualifier as a freshman at SU and was academically ineligible another season. He ran for 119 yards and one touchdown and had seven catches for 56 yards last season.

“Of anybody who is playing well and is consistent for us this year, it’s him,” Southern coach Pete Richardson said. “He’s finally weathered (the eligibility issues) and developed into quite a fine football player.”

So far this season, he has 48 carries for 341 yards, averaging 7.1 yards per carry, and four touchdowns on the ground and seven catches for 62 yards and the TD through the air.

“Catching and running the ball, he did a great job,” SU offensive coordinator Mark Orlando said. “I’m really excited.

“He’s a kid who has been in the program and to come to his last year and be productive like he is. And he’s a great kid, just works hard. For him to have the success he’s had early is a big plus. He’s really helping us.”

Factor in that Coates’ production comes as SU has balanced the running game with sophomore Brian Threat (22 carries for 110 yards — 5.0 yards per carry) and junior Kendrick Smith (135 yards on 24 carries — 5.6 per rush — and six catches for 48 yards and two touchdowns).

SU averages a SWAC-best 184.0 rushing yards per game.

“You’ve got three guys there who can tote that mail and make things happen,” Orlando said. “And the O-line is doing a good job up front of creating some running lanes for those guys, and they’re hitting them.”

Landry hurting
Southern senior wide receiver Gerard Landry had his left arm in a sling and got rehab for a shoulder injury Tuesday.

“I think he’s going to be all right,” Richardson said.

Landry, a second-team All-SWAC selection last season, has 14 catches for 199 yards and a team-high four touchdowns this season.

He has scored in all four games this season and six of SU’s last season. He also has a catch in 29 consecutive games.

He served a suspension in the first half of the Tennessee State game, with RaShon Jacobs starting in his place. Jacobs scored in the first quarter, and Landry caught a TD in the third quarter.

Passer to punter
What to do with a former starting quarterback? Alabama State’s Alex Engram, the team’s top quarterback last season and the starter of the season opener, is the punter. Pretty good move. Engram was named the SWAC co-specialist of the week after averaging 42.2 yards on six punts, with a long of 54 and two inside the 20-yard line, Saturday in a 28-25 win over Alcorn State.

“I love him,” Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow said. “This is a guy who had the starting quarterback job, instead of pouting he found a way to help us. He taught himself how to punt in one week. He not only did a good job, but he took a lot of pressure off Jeremy (Fetterhoff) and you can see how it helped (Fetterhoff’s) kicking.”

Fetterhoff went 4-for-4 on PATs.

Making the move
Engram was 59-for-137 (43.1 percent) for 787 yards, seven interceptions and six touchdowns and ran 86 times for 399 yards and five TDs last season. He was 4-for-9 for 32 yards and two interceptions a year ago in a 38-20 loss to Southern.

In the season opener, Engram was 3-for-6 for 44 yards and an interception when he was pulled in favor of Chris Mitchell. Mitchell went 10-for-11 for 206 yards and two TDs in a come-from-behind 24-19 win over Jacksonville State.

“We went last year with Alex and were kind of inconsistent,” Barlow said. “I just felt like I didn’t want to start the season off with the same stuff we had been through last year. &hellip If you’re making mistakes and you’ve been in the program for a while, we might as well go with someone else who hasn’t been in the program. We just decided to go with Chris, and he’s been doing pretty well.”

Harry back to defense
SU junior Frank Harry moved back to defensive tackle in practice Sunday. Harry worked at that spot in the spring after transferring from South Florida and at the beginning of preseason camp before moving to guard on offense.

Richardson said Harry could go back to offense in an emergency but said “he’s too good of an athlete” to keep on the sideline. Outside of a few snaps on defense, Harry’s been used just on special teams in games.

Notes
Barlow is the older brother of former Southern basketball player Darrell Barlow, whose last year for the Jaguars was 1997-98. Of SU’s five wins last season, the Jaguars’ largest margin of victory came in the 38-20 win over Alabama State. SU remains the least-penalized team in the SWAC, with 20 penalties for 168 yards. SU sophomore CB/RS Ronald Wade will miss Saturday’s game as the third game in a three-game suspension for violating team rules.

SU Lands doesn’t let up for victorious Jaguars

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

A year ago, Southern defensive end Vince Lands couldn’t stop Prairie View from its stunning overtime victory, having already been carted off the field on a stretcher with dehydration.

A year later, Prairie View couldn’t stop Lands or his defensive mates.

The Jaguars defense, with Lands sacking Chris Gibson twice and teaming on another sack of backup Mark Spivey, came up with two fourth-and-short stops in Southern territory and totaled three interceptions to power a 12-2 Southwestern Athletic Conference victory Saturday night at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

“It really burned inside, because I couldn’t finish the game,” Lands said of the 26-23 overtime loss that started a tailspin after a promising start last season. “I felt like I left my team down, so I tried to lay it all on the line and stick it out, even when I was tired. It was just pride tonight.”

That time, in Prairie View’s first win over Southern since 1971, the Panthers turned two Southern fumbles into 14 points in the final 2:33. And that time, after the SU offense coughed up the ball on consecutive bad snaps, the defense didn’t hold up, even against a PV offense that struggled then and all season to pass the ball.

This time, Southern’s offense never could get rolling like the Jaguars had in their first two games, with SU totaling 223 total yards (67 rushing after 293 the week before) and getting a fourth-quarter touchdown on a fake field-goal try. But this time, Southern’s defense held strong and refused to let PV score — stopping the Panthers six times in Southern territory.

“The defense, we really stepped it up tonight,” said Lands, who had eight tackles, including 4&permil for losses.

Photo: Defensive end Vincent Lands sacks Prairie View A&M quarter-back Chris Gibson.










Southern (3-0, 2-0 SWAC) has kept opponents out of the end zone for six straight quarters. If not for a fourth quarter safety, for holding in the end zone during a punt, Prairie View (2-1, 1-1) would have been shut out.

Prairie View had 77 yards in the second half. The Panthers, down 6-0 at the time, were stopped after an incomplete Gibson pass on fourth-and-3 at the Southern 28-yard line and, after getting to the SU 15 down 12-2, free safety Jarmaul George picked off Spivey.

“We got a little more pressure on the quarterback, and once we started to do that, then he started to get a little antsy and we were able to do some things,” SU head coach Pete Richardson said. “That’s the thing we have to do: make them move their feet. Once we started doing that, Lands did a great job coming off that corner.”

How different than getting medical attention on a stretcher was this night for Lands? After sprinting to drag down the mobile Gibson from behind five minutes into the fourth quarter, Lands raced over to the SU sideline to leap into a chest bump with SU defensive coordinator Terrence Graves.

“That’s just Coach Graves’ swagger. That’s just our chemistry,” Lands said.

Prairie View looked to take that oomph away early in the game, driving 46 yards on the opening drive to the SU 17. But on a fourth-and-1, Gibson saw a gap in Southern’s line and gambled, only to get denied for no gain. Cornerback Efe Osawemwenze intercepted Gibson on PV’s next touch.

“We want to come out of the locker room, playing fast, playing hard and making things happen,” Graves said.

Gibson finished 11-for-26 for 69 yards and two interceptions, with Spivey, entering in the fourth quarter, going 11-for-18 for 76 yards and an interception.

Although Calvin Harris rushed for 69 yards, Gibson, averaging 99.5 yards per game on the ground, had minus-17.

“We made some plays on defense,” Richardson said.

Meanwhile, Southern’s offense, which has had slow starts in all three games, made the most of two drives - finished by clutch plays—after good field position.

First, as free safety Anthnony Beck blitzed hard, quarterback Bryant Lee, who was 22-for-36 for 144 yards, zipped a 15-yard touchdown pass to Gerard Landry for a 6-0 lead with 52 seconds before halftime. The PAT by Josh Duran was no good.

Second, holder Nick Benjamin, a former high school quarterback, tossed a 12-yard TD pass to tight end Evan Alexander for a 12-yard TD five seconds into the fourth quarter.

On the possession after the safety, getting PV within 12-2 with 12:39 left in the game, the Panthers started at the Southern 49 but finished at their own 35. First, Lands hauled down Ben Boyd for a 7-yard loss. Then, PV went back 5 yards for a false start. Then, after a 2-yard gain, Lands blasted Gibson from behind.

The next PV touch was a three-and-out. The next ended in the George interception. The next closed out the game.

“Just a credit to the defense. Those guys are just playing hard,” Graves said. “We call it, and those guys are just executing at a high level.”

Southern has won four straight games, dating to last season. And after two straight losing seasons, the Jaguars are off to their first 3-0 start since 2003, when the team went 12-1 and won the SWAC and black college national titles.

“We’ve got to just live from week to week,” Richardson said. “We’re real thin on that offensive line. Injuries could make things real ugly for us. We just have to regroup and come on back.”

SU Jaguars take advantage of Landry’s size and strength

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Prairie View at Southern
WHEN: 6 p.m. today.
WHERE: A.W. Mumford Stadium (25,500).
TV: Tape-delay (4 p.m. Sunday, CST).
RADIO: KQXL-FM, 106.5.
RECORDS: Southern 2-0 (1-0 SWAC), Prairie View 2-0 (1-0 SWAC).
LAST MEETING: Prairie View 26, Southern 23, OT.
SERIES: SU leads, 48-19-2.

What does it feel like to be 6-foot-2 and 223 pounds and simply run through players, just mashing defensive backs?

“Like I say, I’m in the weight room, so I’m not even feeling the licks happen,” Southern senior wide receiver Gerard Landry said.

Landry certainly knows.

Two weeks ago, on a 46-yard touchdown against Florida A&M, Landry ran through two sets of two guys. One guy got the treatment twice. That defensive back bounced off the initial hit and tried to chase Landry down and team with another defensive back before the end zone, only to have Landry crash through.

“It’s not normal,” quarterback Bryant Lee said. “I really didn’t see it until I got in the film room, and I was amazed by it. I didn’t think he did all that to score the touchdown.”

A week ago, Landry shoved away Mississippi Valley State’s Jean-Pierre Marshall, one of the better cornerbacks in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, en route to a 54-yard touchdown.

“It just happens in the heat of the moment,” Landry said. “When I catch the rock, I’m trying to make something happen. If somebody’s in my path, I just do what I can to shake them off. The running over part, it just happens.”

As SU (2-0, 1-0 SWAC) hosts Prairie View (2-0, 1-0) at 6 p.m. today in A.W. Mumford Stadium, Landry, with 1,604 yards and 13 TDs, is sixth on the program’s all-time receiving ledger (having passed former Philadelphia Eagles great Harold Carmichael at 1,601). He needs 370 yards to move past Calvin Magee (at 1,973), the assistant head coach/offensive coordinator at West Virginia and a former SU All-American, into second place behind Michael Hayes (3,056 yards and 30 TDs).

Landry has caught a pass in 27 consecutive games. He was a second-team All-SWAC selection last season (727 yards and five TDs on 55 catches).

“He’s a big athlete,” SU head coach Pete Richardson said. “A lot of defensive backs don’t want to see him coming. If they try to arm-tackle him, he’s going to go through that.”

Here’s where things get really bad for defensive backs.

Southern coaches emphasized downfield blocking from receivers as part of the improvements from the season opener to the second game.

So Landry, one of two team captains, took one guy into the bench area after a pass to Del Roberts. Another had to plea for mercy — “Man, lay off,” SU offensive coordinator Mark Orlando relayed.

“He responded to coaching,” Orlando said. “Gerard is a kid who wants to get to the next level. He knows scouts will be looking at tape to see if he’s loafing on the blocks.”

To provide positive reinforcement after SU totaled 293 rushing yards (the most in one game since September 2003), coaches wanted to reward the blocks. So SU baseball coach Roger Cador donated a bat for what will be the “Big Hit” award. Landry was to get the first one Friday night.

“I felt like I left something out there (against FAMU). I didn’t block as well as I could’ve blocked,” Landry said. “I remembered coach Orlando talking about a pancake award. So I started going out there trying to kill all the little DBs. Every time I went to the sideline (a week ago), I told coach to give me that pancake award.”

Here’s where things get even worse for defensive backs.

Landry wasn’t even 100 percent for the first two games and rated himself as only 85 percent earlier in the week. Despite getting himself in tremendous condition (and cutting his weight from 240 pounds in the spring), he missed two weeks of preseason camp after having oral surgery. He had one full practice day, a Tuesday, before the season opener (because he has class and misses most Wednesday practices and the team traveled Thursday).

“It really hurt me,” Landry said of the time off. “I was just in my prime. I could feel myself getting better and better every day as camp was going. Now, I’m working my way back into shape and feeling more comfortable.”

Even so, Landry still leads SU with 10 catches for 139 yards and the two TDs this season.

“He’s coming out just as I expected him to play,” wide receivers coach Eric Dooley said. “He worked hard over the summer on strength and conditioning as well as speed and he’s just ready to take over.”

The comparisons to Hayes (1999-2002), the school’s top receiver, are there because they are so similar physically and similarly physical.

Hayes was a little leaner, a tad taller and slightly faster. And what he excelled at was in going up to win jumpballs on fade routes. Don’t sleep on Landry’s speed, though. He’s run away from defensive backs in the past and is faster now after improving his speed in the offseason.

Said Richardson, “Both of them could go and body up on a guy. If you throw it up there, they could jump and catch the football.”

Said Orlando, “Mike could out-physical, do some things against defensive backs similar to what Gerard does. Gerard is a more physical receiver. I don’t remember guys bouncing off Hayes like they do (so regularly) off Gerard.”

Maybe this is just perception, but the defensive backs Hayes jousted with seemed bigger. Maybe Landry just seems so tank-like.

“Everybody looks like they’re 5-9, 5-10,” Richardson said. “They’re scuffling with him. It’s going to be interesting to see how they’re going to continue to play him.”

Southern U--PVAMU Matchups

SU Video: http://media.swagit.com/s/wbrz/The_Advocate_Sports/09142007-25.high.flash8.html

SU Video: http://media.swagit.com/s/wbrz/The_Advocate_Sports/09062007-10.high.flash8.html

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Southern LB Johnathan Malveaux

19 tackles, 1 pass breakup

Other than DT Joseph Selders, the junior is the most experienced defender among the Jaguars’ front seven. And like Selders, Malveaux is getting the job done. Malveaux leads SU with 19 tackles. His career has been held back by a series of minor injuries, but Malveaux seems to be at his healthiest and strongest these days. That’s a huge plus, because he’s always been a relentless, ferocious tackler and has plenty of speed.

PVU QB Chris Gibson

26-for-49, 248 yards, 2 INTs; 199 yards, 2 TDs on 24 carries

Gibson, a senior, is charged with both improving a horrendous passing game and shoring up the running game. Though suffering from a shoulder injury, Gibson came off the bench in the fourth quarter to help the Panthers to a stunning 26-23 overtime win over Southern. He scored on a 1-yard run and then marched PV to the tying and winning touchdowns.

WHO HAS THE EDGE?

Quarterbacks: SU

Running backs: SU

Offensive line: SU

Wide receivers: SU

Tight ends: SU

Defensive line: PVU

Linebackers: SU

Defensive backs: SU

Kickers: PVU

Kick returners: PVU

Intangibles: SU

Coaching: SU

PREDICTION

Southern has to prove to itself after the debacle that unfolded last season. SU’s offense — balanced and diversified — will get a test from a defense that was the best in the SWAC last season. PV’s offense begins and ends with QB Chris Gibson. The Panthers have also been getting contributions from special teams, a factor they didn’t have last year. Both teams, losers a year ago, bring a lot of confidence tonight.

Southern 34, Prairie View 9

-- Joseph Schiefelbein

Southern LB Baugh has PVU ties

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Southern sophomore linebacker Allan Baugh’s mother, Judy, graduated from the University of Texas and his brother, Kenny, was a star pitcher at Rice.

But his father, Kenneth, and his sister, Erika, both went to Prairie View.

Southern (2-0, 1-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) hosts PV (2-0, 1-0) at 6 p.m. Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium in the Jaguars’ home opener.

After Southern’s shocking 26-23 overtime loss to PV a year ago, Allan said his dad, an electrical engineering major at PV who is now an attorney in Houston, didn’t tease him about the loss – My dad was rooting for Southern,” he said.

Big sister, also an electrical engineering major who now works for American Airlines in Dallas, may have had something to say, however.

“She probably gave me a little bit,” Baugh said. “She probably wasn’t used to them winning though.”

Baugh had been recruited by Rice and other schools, but chose Southern.

“They didn’t put any pressure on me to go to a (historically black college); whatever decision I made, they were fine with,” said Baugh, a civil engineering major.


Passing notice
Last season, Prairie View was 112th of 116 Division I-AA teams in passing (100.6 ypg), though a respectable 33rd in rushing (189.9 ypg).

So, shoring up the passing attack (13 interceptions to nine TDs) was a priority.

How’s it going? The Panthers are averaging 146.5 ypg on the ground — despite losing its top rushing tandem of last season, Arnell Fontenot and Kerry Wilson, and are averaging 143.0 ypg in the air.

“We’ve made a concerted effort to improve our passing game,” PV coach Henry Frazier III said. “That’s the last piece of the puzzle. We know we can run the ball. We’re going to see what happens. If you see us handing it over to the other team, you’ll see me grind it out.”

Senior quarterback Chris Gibson is 26-for-49 (53.1 percent) for 248 yards, two interceptions and no touchdowns. He is a career 42.0-percent passer for 2,143 yards, 16 interceptions and eight touchdowns.

Gibson has been PV’s top rusher, with 199 yards — averaging 8.3 yards per carry and third best in the SWAC — and two TDs on 24 carries. He’s run for 678 yards and 12 TDs in his career.

“Our mission is to try to control him,” Richardson said. “He likes to run the football. He’s an exceptional athlete and he makes a lot of big plays once he gets to the flank. We have to apply pressure selectively. And also we have to do a great job of man-to-man coverage.”

Gibson, who is 4-for-16 for 41 yards and an interception in his career against Southern, had an injured shoulder but came off the bench in the final few minutes to help the Panthers to their stunning comeback.

Roberts can run, catch

SU junior wide receiver Del Roberts has been the ‘X’ factor coaches envisioned. Roberts has 10 catches, tied for the team lead with Gerard Landry, for 99 yards and has four rushes for 37 yards (9.9 yards per carry).

Saturday, in a 23-6 win over Mississippi Valley State, Roberts had 33 rushing yards (three carries) and a team-best 74 receiving yards (seven catches) for 107 total yards.

“They double-teamed (Gerard) Landry on the other side after (a 54-yard touchdown), and we had to go someplace else,” Richardson said.

Notes
PV’s top pass catcher is 5-foot-5 Anthony Weeden, with 10 grabs for 98 yards. SU QB Bryant Lee’s pass efficiency is 151.87, 19th best in the nation. Prairie View has been undefeated entering the Southern game all four seasons under Frazier – 2-0 in 2004 (losing 42-12), 1-0 in 2005 (losing 38-0 and 1-0 last season (winning 26-23 in overtime). Frazier is 13-21 in three-plus seasons at PV. That’s the best record of any coach since Hoover Wright went 17-53-1 from 1973-79. There were 10 different coaches from 1980-2003. Two had no wins, three had one win, one had two wins, one had three wins and Larry Dorsey was 5-27 from 2000-02.

No need to remind players of loss to PVU

VIDEO: http://media.swagit.com/s/wbrz/The_Advocate_Sports/09122007-28.high.flash8.html

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Southern coach Pete Richardson said he’s not talking up last season’s 26-23 overtime loss to Prairie View as incentive for his players before the teams meet at 6 p.m. Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium.

He’s either taking the high road or he’s choosing not to waste time stating the obvious.

“I’m not using that as a motivation,” Richardson said. “We have enough individuals who played in that game who understand what happened.

“Our thing is making sure we get focused, get ready to play. Our goal is to get to the championship; it’s not to kill anybody.”

That being said, SU’s first loss in the series since 1971 and the manner in which the game dissolved both stung hard.

“We’ve been looking for this game for 365 days,” said SU linebacker Johnathan Malveaux, who was carted off the field before overtime began and treated for heat exhaustion. “They really embarrassed us, but now we call this the payback.”

Southern blew a 14-point lead, at 20-6, and had the ball at the PV 15-yard line with 5:15 remaining before fumbling consecutive snaps, with the Panthers turning those into touchdowns to tie the game and bring on overtime.

“It was a game we should have won,” George said.

In the three preceding meetings alone, Southern had scored blowouts of 38-0, 42-12 and 62-7, continuing a series that’s been lopsided since the 1970s.

PV has improved under Henry Frazier III, and this season’s edition, at 2-0 like SU, may be the best yet. The school has restored scholarships after not having any in the 1990s, when PV set a record with 80 straight losses. Last season, though, even with five minutes left, the game didn’t seem to be the one that would provide a breakthrough against one of the SWAC’s traditional powers.

“It was horrible,” said sophomore running back Brian Threat, who had season bests of six carries and 26 yards that day. “I never want to re-live that again.”

The instant aftermath came with Prairie View players celebrating wildly and some taunting as Southern players stared on in disbelief.

“I have a memory of a guy taunting me, standing over my head, laughing at me,” senior strong safety Jarmaul George, a team co-captain this year, who was stretched out on the Tully Stadium artificial surface as a PV player danced atop him. “But now this is our year.”

Then, as Southern players got on the buses heading home, the cell calls started coming. And then they had to answer more questions from stunned classmates the next week.

Players this week have talked about how much last season’s loss hurt the older players.

“The main thing is, it’s payback week,” junior defensive tackle Joseph Selders said. “We were 2-0 going into Prairie View last year and we had a letdown late in the game. We’re going to try to pay them back this year.

“We’re going to show them Saturday who the real Jaguars are.”

Southern University 's 'Sunshine' walks off into sunset

Photo: #12 J.C. Lewis

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

There’s a redshirt sophomore running Southern’s offense these days, and Bryant Lee has shown he can be a pretty good one.

The thing is, though, the last guy to start as a redshirt sophomore, J.C. Lewis, can tell him all about how uncertain the road can be.

Lewis — a fifth-year senior known as “Sunshine” after the cool, California quarterback in “Remember the Titans” — walked into coach Pete Richardson’s office and called it a career Monday.

It’s a sad ending. It’s life. It’s football.

He finished as SU’s sixth-best passer all-time. And like Lee, Lewis once had so much going for him. Early last year, Lewis seemed a shoe-in to make the top two on that all-time list, behind Eric Randall.

First, the overtime disaster to Prairie View and a concussion/five-interception loss to North Carolina Central. Lewis, out for two games, started just one more game, in November against Texas Southern, but his last play came as he lowered his throwing shoulder on a block and got hurt. Lee has since become the starter.

So, after watching from the sideline for two games, Lewis went to see Richardson on Monday.

Said Lewis, “It was hard. Coach told me he appreciated the time I was here. It was more kind of a mutual thing. I guess he was kind of sad for me to go, but he also respected my decision to go.”

Said Richardson, “I’m kind of proud he made a decision he felt comfortable with.”

Lewis — who came to SU in June 2003 on a Monday after graduating that Friday — missed a lot of spring practice to finish his bachelor’s degree in mathematics in May. Then he spent the summer working for his mom’s real estate investment company in Houston.

He said he thought about not returning this fall, but when he was accepted to graduate school in mathematics, he came back.

But then his classes are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and conflicted with quarterbacks meetings.

“Eventually, that was going to put me further and further behind,” Lewis said.

Lewis has done what his parents insisted: gotten a degree and starting on another, while on scholarship.

“It really just came down to I just wasn’t going to play at all,” said Lewis, who will now sit down with his parents and talk about the future this weekend. “For me to play, two guys in front of me had to get hurt or we had to be doing really bad. I felt it was time for me to move on.”

Lewis also has done all a school can ask as well. He’ll be remembered for his coolness — as in easy-going, likeable and hard-to-rattle. Teammates named him a co-captain entering last season.

He’ll also be remembered for taking vicious blows (28 sacks in a nine-game 2005 season) that made Richardson, even after a lifetime around the game, wince. The elbow. The ribs. The shoulder. And most importantly, the noggin. Hits add up.

Lewis, who still throws a pretty ball, picked the right time to leave the pocket for good. The thing is, though, new days come, no matter how fondly the days of Sunshine are remembered.

SU Coates bursts onto national TV

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN, Advocate sportswriter

Teammates kept gently chiming the ESPN SportsCenter theme music as they walked by.

It’s nice to be Southern’s Darren Coates these days. It’s real nice to be Southern’s Darren Coates after going 90 yards for a touchdown on the first offensive play in his first start.

The burst, up the middle of the line and down the right sideline, made ESPN’s nightly top 10 as well as a college football recap top 10 later.

The telephone calls started coming as the Jaguars rode home Saturday night after their 33-27 victory over Florida A&M in Birmingham, Ala.

“The coaches came to the back of the bus where I was and told me about it,” Coates said. “It was a very exciting moment for me.”

The play — as well as the SportsCenter recognition — was reminiscent of the way Southern started its magical 2003 season, with Ezra Landry taking the opening kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown in a 29-0 romp over Mississippi Valley State.

Sophomore quarterback Bryant Lee, in his third start, told Coates to score before the offense took the field.

“I guess he knew what the play was going to be,” Coates said. “He told me from jump, ‘I’m going to hand you the ball, and it’s up to you to take it to the house.’ We got good blocks by our offensive linemen. The hole was open, so I just had to make a move and take it to the house.”

SU coach Pete Richardson said the TD run for a young team coming off two losing seasons “kind of psyched them up.”

Coates, a senior, had totaled 119 yards and one touchdown last season. Those were his only career stats, and 52 of those yards and his only touchdown came in the season-ending Bayou Classic.

Saturday, Coates had 142 yards and two touchdowns, adding a 3-yard plunge for the go-ahead score midway through the third quarter, on just 10 rushes — 14.2 yards per carry. That one-game performance already bettered the best from last season, Kendall Addison’s 133 yards against Texas Southern.

Coates’ day confirmed the difference made by the combination of his offseason work, the jolt of confidence from the end of last season and the addition of first-year running backs coach Elvis Joseph.

Coates looked like a different back — in body type and in running style — in preseason camp, and the improvements showed Saturday.

“Only good things can happen for him if our offensive line can hold up without any major injuries,” Richardson said.

Powered by Coates, Southern totaled 238 rushing yards. That total is better than the season-best 236 in the win over Texas Southern last season.

What’s more, in the season opener a year ago, SU had 1 yard on 20 carries in a 30-29 victory over Bethune-Cookman College (and the Jaguars totaled 226 yards on 113 carries, never breaking 100 yards, in their first four games).

Ahead comes a big challenge.

Valley clamped down on two of the conference’s best running backs, Martel Mallett (23 yards on five carries) and Mickey Dean (19 yards on nine carries) in a 16-9 win Saturday.

The Delta Devils also made four sacks and recovered two fumbles.

Southern (1-0) faces Valley (1-0, 1-0 SWAC) at 4 p.m. Saturday at Soldier Field in Chicago.

“They look to put everybody in the box (the area near the line of scrimmage), really like FAMU, with fast linebackers, bring it, push everybody to the ball,” Coates said. “So we have to bring the same intensity.”