SU offense, defense almost even

Baton Rouge, LA - They couldn’t wait. Yes, as usual, it was a virtual steam bath Saturday at Southern University, with a heat index that crept into the 100s. Yes, the football team was still two weeks away from its Sept. 3 season opener in Nashville, Tenn., against Tennessee State. Yes, it’s often hard to make heads or tails out of one simple dress rehearsal.

Despite all that, a few hundred die-hard fans lined the practice fields Saturday for Southern’s second preseason scrimmage, clamoring for an early glimpse of Stump Mitchell’s team. What did they see? How much, exactly, have the Jaguars improved from last year’s 2-9 mess?

Was the offense ahead of the defense Saturday? Or was it the other way around? Call it a draw. Maybe.

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Lots of action in JSU's final scrimmage

Jackson, MS - This is what they came to see: Jackson State's pass-happy offense slinging completions and scoring touchdowns, the Tigers' defense sacking quarterbacks and causing turnovers. About 50 fans gathered Saturday for Jackson State's second and final scrimmage of fall camp. It didn't disappoint.

Quarterback Casey Therriault completed his first 12 passes, finished 13 of 16 for 202 yards and tossed two touchdowns.

It wasn't just offensive fireworks, though. CB Ryan Griffin, an incoming freshman, returned a bobbled option pitch 80 yards for a score. CB Anthony Johnson, seeing his first full speed action of camp, intercepted backup QB Dedric McDonald. The defense had three sacks and two tackles for loss, too.



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2011 DC Pro City Recap

SIAC: Miles College Football Practice

Miles College vs. Morehouse College

5th Annual Labor Day Golden Classic

September 4th @ 6:00 PM

Legion Field

Birmingham, Alabama

Fairfield, AL - First-year Miles College football coach Reginald Ruffin takes his Golden Bears through the physical training portion of a daily practice.

After warming up at the stadium, players sprint over to their grass field. Once there, they break into groups and go through training stations. Ruffin barks encouragement through a bullhorn and sounds a horn when they are to move quickly to the next station.

Miles is working toward its Sept. 4 season-opener against Morehouse in the fifth annual Labor Day Golden Classic at Legion Field.



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VISIT: MILES COLLEGE
VISIT: MILESGOLDENBEARS

Unshaken JSU's Therriault not fazed by preseason hype

Jackson, MS - One year ago, a transfer from Michigan was competing for the starting quarterback job at Jackson State. No one knew much about him - except that he had spent six months in jail a year earlier. Folks couldn't even pronounce his last name - it's Terry-oh, by the way. And fans didn't expect a whole lot - after all, he had started just one season in junior college.

Now, Casey Therriault has already been the focus of two stories on ESPN.com, and he's expected to be featured in a segment airing on the network later this year. He's the centerpiece of the 2011 team poster celebrating the 100th year of Tiger football, is on the Walter Payton Award watch list and is the preseason Southwestern Athletic Conference offensive player of the year.

Feel any different, Casey?



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Long road ahead for Southern Jaguars

Coach Stump Mitchell

Baton Rouge, LA - A year ago at this time, Southern University second-year coach Stump Mitchell made the bold preseason prediction the Jaguars could go 12-0, nabbing a Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship and possibly a Black College National Championship.

Mitchell's hopes for a stellar inaugural season on the Bluff, however, never came to fruition. Instead, the former NFL running back coached SU to a 2-9 record, its worst season in school history. Since then, Mitchell and his coaching staff only have asked for one thing: change. And, as Mitchell says, it starts with him.

As the 2011 season approaches, there have been no such statements. No predictions. Only hard work.

"We look different academically. We look different in terms of the attitude of players. We're just a whole new team," Mitchell said. "This year our guys understand no one can stay pat and expect to retain their position. Same thing with me. I can't stay pat and expect to maintain my job. That's just the way life is, and everyone is doing things in order ...

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SCSU: 'We've got to put in some extreme work,' Ferguson says

Orangeburg, SC -- Ronell Ferguson should have been in good spirits Saturday at Willie E. Jeffries Field.

Following the Bulldogs' second preseason scrimmage, the senior defensive lineman was going to collect his third Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship ring as part of a special ceremony in conjunction with "Meet the Players Day." Instead, Ferguson was not in a smiling, celebratory mood after what he described as a "sluggish" effort from the defense.

"We came out a bit sluggish," he said. "We've got to get everybody clicking on the same cylinder. Other than that, we're going to be all right."

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