bluedog
"Leader of Kings"
New season brings success for Southern, Alabama State
By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
Advocate sportswriter
Last season, Southern and Alabama State finished with identical 6-6 records.
Come Saturday, though, the two are poised for a showdown in A.W. Mumford Stadium.
Alabama State (3-1, 1-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) -- rapidly emerging as the story of the year in the SWAC -- and Southern (3-0, 1-0) meet at 7 p.m. in the Jaguars' first home game of the season.
The game begins a stretch of eight straight games for Southern, with five of those counting toward SWAC play. The game at Jackson State on Oct. 18 does not count.
"We're in conference play now," Southern coach Pete Richardson said. "From here on in, the games are very instrumental in our goal, which is to get to the championship (game)."
Alabama State, the Eastern Division champion in 2001, had a disastrous 2002, finishing 2-5 in SWAC play. But the Hornets' disaster on the field had nothing on what happened off the field.
ASU head coach L.C. Cole and offensive coordinator Johnnie Cole (and linebackers coach Richard Freeman) were suspended last month -- the same day as the conference's media day at which L.C. Cole participated -- in the wake of an internal investigation into the program.
ASU President Joe Lee said last week that, as a result of what was found in the probe (not disclosed by the school), the school would face "extensive fines and penalties" and likely would forfeit its 2001 Eastern Division title.
The Coles have since started a lawsuit seeking to be reinstated, with a status hearing scheduled Friday.
Meanwhile, Charlie Coe, a former Memphis assistant, was hired as interim head coach the same Monday the team was supposed to start preseason camp.
Even before the dismissal of the Coles, the team had been picked to finish fifth in the Eastern Division.
Instead, the Hornets stunned Florida A&M 38-22 to start the season. Then, ASU also nearly beat sixth-ranked Bethune-Cookman, before falling 31-26. The Hornets are on a two-game winning streak, including a 49-28 win over Alcorn State, considered a contender in the Eastern Division.
"We're talking about one of the top teams (in the Eastern Division)," Richardson said. "We have to be ready to go. We're going to find out exactly where we stand in our conference. We know we have to play hard for 60 minutes."
Southern, on the other hand, has proved little in its first three games.
The Jaguars' three wins came against teams that are a combined 3-8 (although two of those came against Division II or NAIA competition).
North Carolina A&T, a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference team that's 2-1, looked like the toughest challenge. For a half. Then, Southern pulled out to a 32-point lead in a 35-16 win.
"The question mark people had at the beginning of the season, we answered it," Southern linebacker Kendrick Paul said. "But it's kind of in pencil. We need to put a statement on."
Still, the Jaguars have at least found momentum.
"We wanted to get off to a good start. We did that. We wanted to get out without any major injuries. We're all right from that aspect," Richardson said.
Alabama State has been solid in all three phases.
Tennessee transfer Keldrick Williams (375 yards and four touchdowns) at tailback and Arkansas transfer Tarvaris Jackson (41-for-92, 635 yards, four interceptions and four touchdowns and another 216 yards and two TDs rushing) at quarterback have solidified the offense.
"This back is really good," Paul said. "We watched him on film. He has a lot of leg power. He's real elusive. As a defense, we have to come together to stop him."
ASU also has the top three tacklers and top two sack artists in linebackers Ronald Dillon (44 tackles, five sacks) and Marcus Winn (34, five sacks) along with Amster Fertille (34 tackles). Plus, Erlin Sanders has scored on an interception return and a fumble return.
What's more, Richard Rowe, ranked fifth in Division I-AA, is averaging 21.1 yards per punt return, with one touchdown, and 23.8 per kickoff return.
"I look at this as just another game that's standing in our way of winning the championship," Southern nose tackle Perry Davis said. "We have a lot of chemistry and a lot of camaraderie on the defense. That's been working for us. Hopefully, that will stay strong and even get stronger."
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