Kryptonite needed
Jackson State quarterback Kent lives up to nickname
11/06/02
By REGGIE BENSON
Times Sports Staff reggieb@htimes.com
Down in Jackson, Miss., they call Jackson State quarterback Robert Kent ''Superman.''
Who can blame them?
Kent, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound redshirt junior with a cannon for an arm and quick feet to escape the rush, has certainly looked the part, throwing for almost 9,000 yards and 78 touchdowns in his career.
''Kent is a special player,'' Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones said. ''He has all the tools you look for in a Radio: Alabama A&M at Jackson State, Saturday, 1:30 p.m., WJAB-FM 90.9. quarterback. He has size, speed and a great arm. He's the total package.''
A&M certainly knows. Kent has beaten the Bulldogs almost single-handedly each of the last two years.
Jones hopes his team can keep the streak from reaching three in a row.
A&M (6-2 and 4-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference East Division) visits Jackson State (4-4, 2-2) Saturday afternoon at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m.
A&M owns a two-game lead over Jackson State and a one-game lead over Alcorn State. The Tigers must win out to have any chance to play in the SWAC Championship Game next month.
In 2000, Kent used his legs to turn a busted play into a touchdown in overtime against the Bulldogs. Last season, he threw for 438 yards and four touchdowns, two of them in the second half as the Tigers broke a 14-all tie to win 26-14.
''Looking at last year's film, I thought we had a good game plan for him, but the secondary didn't play to the level we needed them to,'' A&M defensive coordinator Brawnski Towns said. ''The defensive line and linebackers played great, but the secondary let us down.''
A&M's secondary is the most improved unit on this year's team.
Kent isn't mild-mannered on the football field Kryptonite Continued from page D1 Just ask Texas Southern's Jacob Chavan, Mississippi Valley State's Carey Weaver and Alabama State's Jermaine Crenshaw, all ranked among the league's top passers.
The Bulldogs are third in the SWAC in pass defense this season - allowing just 174.2 yards per game - after being ranked last in that category in 2001. More importantly, the Bulldogs lead the league in pass efficiency defense. A&M has 14 interceptions and has allowed just seven touchdown passes through eight games.
''We've gotten better every week,'' said free safety Levernonte Turner, who was beaten for three touchdowns by Jackson State last year. ''This is our next big test and we'll be ready for it.''
A&M leads the league in scoring defense (16.8), total defense (274.1) and is second in rushing defense (99.9).
The Bulldogs' defense will be severely tested.
With ''Superman'' pulling the trigger, Jackson State is averaging nearly 30 points and 500 yards in total offense. Kent accounts for more than 340 of that total, having completed 176-of-302 passes for 2,553 yards, 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He completes better than 58 percent of his passes.
''We'll see if he's Superman Saturday,'' A&M inside linebacker Lionel Macklin said. ''He is a talented quarterback, but he hasn't seen a defense like our defense. We'll see what he can do against us.''
Kent has carved up opposing defenses with the exception of Southern Miss and Grambling. Southern Miss beat JSU 55-7, while Grambling came away with a 52-31 victory.
Macklin suggests that Kent will have to play like ''Superman'' if the Tigers are to beat A&M.
''We're going to blitz him and see if he can handle the pressure,'' Macklin said. ''When he tries to pass, our defensive backs are going to step up and get some picks.''
Towns knows the Bulldogs will have to come up with some turnovers to beat the Tigers. But he says Kent is equally dangerous running the football and can also create havoc that way.
''He's capable of running and he will run if you put enough pressure on him,'' Towns said. ''We've talked about using a spy, but we haven't decided yet. It's going to be a chess match in terms of when to put pressure on him and when not to go after him.
''When we go after him, we've got to get to him or he'll hurt us.''
Jackson State quarterback Kent lives up to nickname
11/06/02
By REGGIE BENSON
Times Sports Staff reggieb@htimes.com
Down in Jackson, Miss., they call Jackson State quarterback Robert Kent ''Superman.''
Who can blame them?
Kent, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound redshirt junior with a cannon for an arm and quick feet to escape the rush, has certainly looked the part, throwing for almost 9,000 yards and 78 touchdowns in his career.
''Kent is a special player,'' Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones said. ''He has all the tools you look for in a Radio: Alabama A&M at Jackson State, Saturday, 1:30 p.m., WJAB-FM 90.9. quarterback. He has size, speed and a great arm. He's the total package.''
A&M certainly knows. Kent has beaten the Bulldogs almost single-handedly each of the last two years.
Jones hopes his team can keep the streak from reaching three in a row.
A&M (6-2 and 4-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference East Division) visits Jackson State (4-4, 2-2) Saturday afternoon at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m.
A&M owns a two-game lead over Jackson State and a one-game lead over Alcorn State. The Tigers must win out to have any chance to play in the SWAC Championship Game next month.
In 2000, Kent used his legs to turn a busted play into a touchdown in overtime against the Bulldogs. Last season, he threw for 438 yards and four touchdowns, two of them in the second half as the Tigers broke a 14-all tie to win 26-14.
''Looking at last year's film, I thought we had a good game plan for him, but the secondary didn't play to the level we needed them to,'' A&M defensive coordinator Brawnski Towns said. ''The defensive line and linebackers played great, but the secondary let us down.''
A&M's secondary is the most improved unit on this year's team.
Kent isn't mild-mannered on the football field Kryptonite Continued from page D1 Just ask Texas Southern's Jacob Chavan, Mississippi Valley State's Carey Weaver and Alabama State's Jermaine Crenshaw, all ranked among the league's top passers.
The Bulldogs are third in the SWAC in pass defense this season - allowing just 174.2 yards per game - after being ranked last in that category in 2001. More importantly, the Bulldogs lead the league in pass efficiency defense. A&M has 14 interceptions and has allowed just seven touchdown passes through eight games.
''We've gotten better every week,'' said free safety Levernonte Turner, who was beaten for three touchdowns by Jackson State last year. ''This is our next big test and we'll be ready for it.''
A&M leads the league in scoring defense (16.8), total defense (274.1) and is second in rushing defense (99.9).
The Bulldogs' defense will be severely tested.
With ''Superman'' pulling the trigger, Jackson State is averaging nearly 30 points and 500 yards in total offense. Kent accounts for more than 340 of that total, having completed 176-of-302 passes for 2,553 yards, 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He completes better than 58 percent of his passes.
''We'll see if he's Superman Saturday,'' A&M inside linebacker Lionel Macklin said. ''He is a talented quarterback, but he hasn't seen a defense like our defense. We'll see what he can do against us.''
Kent has carved up opposing defenses with the exception of Southern Miss and Grambling. Southern Miss beat JSU 55-7, while Grambling came away with a 52-31 victory.
Macklin suggests that Kent will have to play like ''Superman'' if the Tigers are to beat A&M.
''We're going to blitz him and see if he can handle the pressure,'' Macklin said. ''When he tries to pass, our defensive backs are going to step up and get some picks.''
Towns knows the Bulldogs will have to come up with some turnovers to beat the Tigers. But he says Kent is equally dangerous running the football and can also create havoc that way.
''He's capable of running and he will run if you put enough pressure on him,'' Towns said. ''We've talked about using a spy, but we haven't decided yet. It's going to be a chess match in terms of when to put pressure on him and when not to go after him.
''When we go after him, we've got to get to him or he'll hurt us.''
