Bell to stick with plans
Bell to stick with plans
First-year coach set on running more balanced attack
By Mark Alexander
[email protected]
Chris Graythen/Special to The Clarion-Ledger
Jackson State's David Kennebrew runs the ball on a carry indicative of the Tigers' day against Northwestern State on Saturday. Despite JSU managing just 165 yards total offense, coach James Bell says he will continue to rely on the running game.
The JSU game
North Carolina A&T at Jackson State
Where: Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium, Jackson
Records: JSU 0-1, 0-0 in SWAC; N.C. A&T 1-0, 0-0.
TV: None
Radio: JSU network, WYJS 105.9 FM in Jackson
Tickets: Available, 979-2420
Remember the movie Hoosiers?
Small town school in Indiana hires an outsider, Norman Dale, to coach its basketball team. Dale quickly establishes himself as the boss of the team, and his dogmatic approach causes some players and members of the community to question his coaching ability.
After initially not understanding their coach, the players slowly come around and Hickory enjoys a magical trip to the state championship.
Although there are some big differences in the script, there's a similar situation unfolding these days at Jackson State, with first-year football coach James Bell, not Gene Hackman, playing the role of Dale.
Bell has scrapped JSU's once-high-octane, pass-happy offense in favor of a more conventional, balanced attack. And some of the players and fans aren't happy.
Those rumblings grew even louder during and after Saturday night's 23-7 season-opening loss at Northwestern (La.) State ? a game in which that new offense produced just 165 yards, nine first downs and one late touchdown. The Tigers ran for 20 yards on 26 carries and threw for 145 yards on 34 attempts.
Some of the players were critical of the offense afterwards, prompting Bell to make some of his players off limits to the media.
Why, detractors suggest, would Bell try to fix something that wasn't broken? Especially since the quarterback, Robert Kent, and his top three receivers return from last year's unit that ranked first nationally in Division I-AA in total offense and second in pass offense. Why try to force feed running the ball with a trio of unproven backs, no true fullback and an average offensive line?
Some of those in attendance Saturday said as much, only much louder and not nearly as nice. The obscenities, heard by Bell's wife and other family members who were seated in the crowd, flew early and often.
"That's just fans being fans", said Bell, who is quick to point out the old offense failed to get JSU to Birmingham the last three seasons, and yielded 71 sacks and produced 77 turnovers the past two seasons.
Also, No. 23 Northwestern State is no slouch. The Demons have been to the Division I-AA playoffs four of the last six years. And, besides, this is just the first game.
"I'm not going to throw the ball 50-60 times a game," Bell said. "They can forget it. I'm not going to change my philosophy; they might as well get used to it.
"We run a multiple offense, it's not a run and shoot offense. We're going to take what the defense gives us. We threw it 36 times the other night. Passing is not the difference in winning and losing, it's who makes the less mistakes. Look at Ohio State last year. They didn't pass the ball a lot and they won the national championship. We're trying to build a championship program here, and to do that you have to have balance."
When asked if he heard the fans, Bell replied: "No."
"Have I heard the fans the last 14 years as a coordinator? No. Why? Because they don't know all the intangibles and different things we're trying to do and achieve. Only we know that because we do it every day. My job is to take care of these kids. And the fans' job is whatever they decide to do. I'm fine with that. I have no animosity toward them."
While Bell says he doesn't pay attention to the fans, his players do. That's something he's trying to change.
"It's like I tell my players, people are going to talk," he said. "What they don't understand is the only thing that matters is what the coaches say. We can't get caught up in the hoopla and everything else. We've got to stay focused on our job. I think they understand that now, and they won't get caught up in all that stuff. They'll be more focused, and that's a big key to winning."
That's one of the issues Bell addressed during Tuesday's weekly meeting with his seniors, who also had some issues of their own to air out with Bell. Namely, what's up with the offense?
"We were very frustrated, very concerned about the offense," senior receiver Tim Manning said. "Some players felt like we should have been doing something else ... people have their own views. But I think it's going to be fine."
Quarterback Robert Kent was one of those.
"There was a lot of soul-searching (in the meeting)," Kent said. "I can't say all what was said because it was a closed door meeting. Some of us just felt like there were certain things we should've done that we didn't do.
"We didn't attack them as much as we should have with the deep ball. A lot of teams are scared of our passing attack. Why not have them back up? Then we can hit them with the run."
"Coach has a philosophy he's sticking with and it's up to us to go out and make plays."
Senior safety Lamont Woulard said he felt much better upon emerging from the meeting.
"Everybody's disappointed about the loss the other night," Woulard said. "But what happened last week is over. All we were trying to do is get in Coach Bell's head, and see what was going on with the offense and defense. We've got to stay positive, and everybody's got to be on the same page."
Said Bell: "Our seniors know the heartbeat of the team. It's important that they convey those messages to me, and that we try to take care of those needs. They have expressed those things, and it's time for us to move on."
