bluphiiijsu
Creative Director
October 28, 2001
Kent comes to rescue
Injured QB lifts Tigers out of funk
By Mark Alexander
Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer
The plan Saturday was not to use Robert Kent unless it was absolutely necessary.
Well, it was.
Kent, who didn't start because of a sprained right ankle, came off the bench late in the second quarter and provided the spark Jackson State needed to get past Arkansas-Pine Bluff 14-9 in a game that otherwise was about as uneventful as the final score indicates.
JSU, with redshirt freshmen Brian Green and John Flen alternating at quarterback, had the ball seven times in the first half with nothing to show for it. Underdog UAPB had just taken a 6-0 lead on a 11-yard blocked punt return by Tyrone Walker with two minutes, 37 seconds left before halftime.
That's when JSU's coaching staff decided they had seen enough. In hobbled Kent, who completed two of his first three passes, including a 52-yard touchdown pass to Tim Manning with 56 seconds remaining in the half.
Kent later led JSU on a 47-yard scoring drive, capped by a 1-yard run by fullback Laurence Nolen, for a 14-6 lead. The big play on the drive was a 39-yard pass from Kent to receiver Michael Goss.
"They are a whole different team when he's in there," UAPB linebacker Obbie James said afterward.
Kent waited impatiently along the sidelines as Green and Flen ? seeing their first considerable playing time of their careers ? combined to complete 5 of 16 passes (those numbers would've been better if not for a couple of dropped passes). Finally he got the call.
"I kept telling D.A. (JSU offensive coordinator Darrell) Asberry) to put me in; I was ready," Kent said.
Kent's first pass fell incomplete then he completed a 26-yard pass across the middle to Chris Jones. On the next play, Kent spotted Manning breaking wide open down the middle of the field and lofted a perfectly timed pass.
"I was really wide open so all I had to do was catch it," Manning side. "We were in a 5-wide set and their safeties were spying our outside receivers. Kent told me to go through and split the safeties and that's what I did.
"We really didn't know if he was going to play today or not. When he came in it gave us a big lift."
The Tigers were still held to a season-low in points and total offense (257 yards). But it would be enough against a UAPB team that came into the game ranked No. 118 out of 123 Division I-AA teams in total offense. And the Golden Lions were without their top three receivers, who were injured.
JSU's defense forced four turnovers and held UAPB to only three points on 210 yards of total offense. The Golden Lions' only points came on a 31-yard field early in the fourth quarter.
"The defense is getting better and better everyday," said JSU free safety Michael Caraway, who had two interceptions and a fumble recovery. "We knew it was on us to step up today, with or without Kent."
Said JSU linebacker Dewayne Johnson: "The defense did a great job. They couldn't get anything going on offense."
It won't go down as the most memorable three hours in JSU football history, but. . . .
"A win is a win," said JSU receiver T.C. Taylor, who had seven catches for 68 yards. "We'll take it any way we can get it right now."
Kent comes to rescue
Injured QB lifts Tigers out of funk
By Mark Alexander
Clarion-Ledger Staff Writer
The plan Saturday was not to use Robert Kent unless it was absolutely necessary.
Well, it was.
Kent, who didn't start because of a sprained right ankle, came off the bench late in the second quarter and provided the spark Jackson State needed to get past Arkansas-Pine Bluff 14-9 in a game that otherwise was about as uneventful as the final score indicates.
JSU, with redshirt freshmen Brian Green and John Flen alternating at quarterback, had the ball seven times in the first half with nothing to show for it. Underdog UAPB had just taken a 6-0 lead on a 11-yard blocked punt return by Tyrone Walker with two minutes, 37 seconds left before halftime.
That's when JSU's coaching staff decided they had seen enough. In hobbled Kent, who completed two of his first three passes, including a 52-yard touchdown pass to Tim Manning with 56 seconds remaining in the half.
Kent later led JSU on a 47-yard scoring drive, capped by a 1-yard run by fullback Laurence Nolen, for a 14-6 lead. The big play on the drive was a 39-yard pass from Kent to receiver Michael Goss.
"They are a whole different team when he's in there," UAPB linebacker Obbie James said afterward.
Kent waited impatiently along the sidelines as Green and Flen ? seeing their first considerable playing time of their careers ? combined to complete 5 of 16 passes (those numbers would've been better if not for a couple of dropped passes). Finally he got the call.
"I kept telling D.A. (JSU offensive coordinator Darrell) Asberry) to put me in; I was ready," Kent said.
Kent's first pass fell incomplete then he completed a 26-yard pass across the middle to Chris Jones. On the next play, Kent spotted Manning breaking wide open down the middle of the field and lofted a perfectly timed pass.
"I was really wide open so all I had to do was catch it," Manning side. "We were in a 5-wide set and their safeties were spying our outside receivers. Kent told me to go through and split the safeties and that's what I did.
"We really didn't know if he was going to play today or not. When he came in it gave us a big lift."
The Tigers were still held to a season-low in points and total offense (257 yards). But it would be enough against a UAPB team that came into the game ranked No. 118 out of 123 Division I-AA teams in total offense. And the Golden Lions were without their top three receivers, who were injured.
JSU's defense forced four turnovers and held UAPB to only three points on 210 yards of total offense. The Golden Lions' only points came on a 31-yard field early in the fourth quarter.
"The defense is getting better and better everyday," said JSU free safety Michael Caraway, who had two interceptions and a fumble recovery. "We knew it was on us to step up today, with or without Kent."
Said JSU linebacker Dewayne Johnson: "The defense did a great job. They couldn't get anything going on offense."
It won't go down as the most memorable three hours in JSU football history, but. . . .
"A win is a win," said JSU receiver T.C. Taylor, who had seven catches for 68 yards. "We'll take it any way we can get it right now."