bluedog
"Leader of Kings"
Southern defense awaits bigger challenge
By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
Advocate sportswriter
The offensive struggles of Mississippi Valley State and Prairie View can, to some extent, be attributed to Southern University's defense. Then again, those two units have combined for two touchdowns in four games.
So, it's safe to say that one of the chief concerns of Southern, its young defense, remains to be satisfied. So far, so good. But so far to go.
A bigger challenge awaits when Southwestern Athletic Conference member Southern (2-0) plays Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference member North Carolina A&T (2-0) in the first Las Vegas Classic at 8 p.m. CDT Saturday in UNLV's Sam Boyd Stadium.
In national rankings, Southern, seventh in the 10-team SWAC last season, is ninth in scoring defense (3.50 points per game), 10th in rushing defense (49.0 yards per game) and 10th in total defense (196.0 ypg). All those marks lead the SWAC.
The question is whether those numbers are inflated by weak competition.
"Defensively, we had some concerns about being young and inexperienced," Southern coach Pete Richardson said. "Any time you have an inexperienced team, they play a lot on energy and enthusiasm. But the chemistry is starting to come around."
The Aggies' run game, averaging 204.0 ypg, will test Southern. Valley, against expectations, stayed with the run (74 yards on 33 attempts against 16 passes) despite falling behind 20-0 in the first 19 minutes. With the Jaguars scoring at will, Prairie View turned to the pass (47 passes against 24 rushes for 23 yards), but was most effective on draw plays and middle screens.
"The key for us is we have to be able to stop the run," Richardson said. "They make no bones about wanting to run the football behind that fine offensive line."
While tackling and pursuit angles were a concern after the first game, coaches said they saw improvement in the second game. Both games showcased improved speed with newcomers like inside linebacker Tarus Morgan and defensive end Kevin Mack chasing down nimble quarterbacks.
"The thing I like best (against Prairie View) is they played the way you're supposed to play the game for all 60 minutes," Southern defensive coordinator Cliff Lewis said. "They could have easily taken it easy, but to Prairie View's credit, they played hard the whole game too."
A&T finished last season as the third-best defense in the nine-team MEAC. The Aggies, helped by a ball-control offense that eats 39 minutes off the clock, are 15th in total defense and tied with Southern in scoring defense.
m?RETURN TO SENDER: Two top-notch return men who both walked on to their teams, will be on the field Saturday, but Southern's All-SWAC Ezra Landry is 5-foot-4, while N.C. A&T's All-MEAC Curtis Deloatch is 6-4.
Landry leads Division I-AA with 50.33 yards per kickoff return, scoring on an 87-yarder against Mississippi Valley State, and is 17th with 14.43 yards per punt return.
Deloatch, 15th in punt returns at 14.5, was an All-American in 2001, when he returned a I-AA record five punts for touchdowns and averaged 26.5 yards per punt return (20 for 530 yards). A knee injury hindered Deloatch last season, but he's still so well thought of that he was named to the All-MEAC preseason team at both return specialist and defensive back.
"Special teams is a third of the game. The team that controls special teams has a leg up," Richardson said. "We have to really guard to make sure (Deloatch) doesn't get loose."
m?LAGNIAPPE: With Southern backup center/guard Jermaine Jackson (broken hand) out six-to-seven weeks, the team could slide over Lunda Wells from guard to spell starting center Brandon Jones. However, offensive line coach Gary Smith said he wouldn't hesitate to bring in true freshman Lance Gerard. Gerard played for the first time Saturday against Prairie View. ... A&T right guard Kareem Sanders is a BVQ magazine black-college All-American. ...
The Aggies have four graduate students, including Deloatch, listed on their roster. ... Richardson said linebacker Edgar Algere (Tulane, Florida A&M) and fullback Steel Adams (Southern Miss) have transferred and are in school but ineligible to practice or play this season. ... Before becoming the head coach at Kentucky State (1995-2000), first-year A&T coach George Small spent 1994 as a defensive coordinator at Grambling. Southern won the Bayou Classic 34-7 that season. ... In Small, Southern will face the third straight head coach who is also an alumnus of the opponent (Willie Totten at Valley, C.L. Whittington at Prairie View).
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