SU Notes -

[bluedog]

Pierce emerges for UAPB

By CHARLES SALZER

Special to The Advocate

Arkansas-Pine Bluff's football fortunes have mirrored those of one-time backup quarterback John Pierce this season.
Pierce, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound Dallas native, began the 2003 campaign behind fellow junior Antonio Lovelady. But as Lovelady's nagging injuries increased, so did Pierce's playing time.

Saturday night, Pierce is expected to start his third consecutive game for UAPB (2-3, 1-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference) as the Golden Lions take on Southern (4-0, 2-0) in a SWAC contest at A.W. Mumford Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

"It's always tough playing in Baton Rouge," ninth-year UAPB coach Lee Hardman said. "Coach (Pete) Richardson has done a great job this year. Southern is playing with a lot of confidence, and playing them at home makes it a little tougher."

Like Southern quarterback Quincy Richard last season, Pierce has improved his ability to read defensive sets. Pierce has emerged as a leader, as Richard did last season when the Jaguars laid a foundation for their strong start in 2003.

Starting with UAPB's third game of the season, a 42-28 loss to Central Arkansas, Pierce has seen substantial playing time. And, although the Golden Lions are 1-2 since then, Pierce's play helped keep them close in the fourth quarter of both losses.

During the three-game stretch, Pierce completed 48-of-99 passes (48.5 percent) for 730 yards with two interceptions and eight touchdowns.

"Lovelady has been injured off and on all year," Hardman said. "Pierce has done a good job for us and shown steady improvement.

"The last two games he's started and played well, so he'll probably start this week. Lovelady is ready to go too, and if Pierce isn't hot he'll be ready to jump in."

Pierce threw for 276 yards and two scores against Central Arkansas. UAPB trailed 28-7 at halftime, but rallied to within 35-28 in the fourth quarter before running out of gas.

Pierce threw for three scores against Alabama State in his first start, and had the Golden Lions in position to tie the game late in the fourth quarter. But a two-point conversion attempt failed and Alabama State hung on for a 24-22 win.

Against Kentucky State on Saturday, Pierce helped UAPB avenge a 39-36 loss last season with scoring tosses of 78, 65 and 26 yards. Pierce added a 76-yard touchdown run as UAPB pulled away after a 9-9 halftime tie.

"Pierce might have a little more mobility (than Lovelady) around the pocket," Hardman said. "He has a little more ability as far as bringing the ball down and turning upfield to run. He's got a strong arm and is getting better and better at reading defenses."

A sore spot for UAPB has been turnovers. The Golden Lions had nine interceptions and lost nine fumbles through its first four games, but committed no turnovers against Kentucky State.

"We've lost three ballgames, and part of the reason for that is we've been beating ourselves," Hardman said. "We've turned the ball over too many times. You can't play good teams and do that.

"Hopefully we've gotten that corrected, and hopefully we're ready to play some football."

Turnovers were a problem for Southern last season when it had four in a 14-13 win at Pine Bluff, Ark. The Jaguars jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead, and eventually had to sweat out a missed field goal in the final minutes before securing the win.

"We feel like we had an opportunity to win that game," Hardman said. "The field goal was only 31 yards which is normally a chip shot. But this is a different year and Southern is playing much better. We're improving so it's a situation where we'll come in, play hard and just let the chips fall."

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[bluedog]

Coordinators Lewis, Oliver have Southern looking good



By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN

Advocate sportswriter

Cliff Lewis used to joke that becoming Southern University's full-time defensive coordinator -- after splitting the job with Terrence Graves for three seasons -- added 50 percent more workload.
After four games, he's re-worked the percentages. Up to 60.

That's football at a small school.

Lewis is also the defensive line coach. His cohort and also no stranger to the Big & Tall Man's store, offensive coordinator David Oliver, does double duty, too, coaching the quarterbacks. And both help with special teams.

"I've enjoyed it. It's a labor of love," Lewis said, then smiled, "we're not getting rich."

The two towering coordinators -- Lewis is 6-foot-2 and Oliver 6-7 -- have been a big reason Southern (4-0, 2-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) is ranked 22nd in Divison I-AA.

The Jaguars have a key Western Division matchup with Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2-3, 1-1) at 7 p.m. today in A.W. Mumford Stadium.

So far, the key to both, in doing so much, is nevertheless cutting back to just the right balance.

"More than anything else, we've consolidated more," Richardson said. "We had a lot of things we decided to extract, simplify to fit the personnel we have.

"Less is more, because we get a chance to have more reps on the things we want to do. That's really helped us on both sides of the ball."

Certainly, there's much more to the season to go. But a 35-10 dismantling of Alabama State a week ago showcased what the two coordinators can do.

"It was almost like being on the practice field," said Richardson, who was in no way taking a jab at the Hornets -- only illustrating how well the game plan went.

"They've done a good job on both sides of getting us ready to see what we're going to see."

Southern's offense scored on four of its first five possessions. The scoring "drives" used 6:40 to carve out 28 points and pile up 219 yards. ASU, a play-making team which thrives on sacks and turnovers, got neither.

Southern's defense held ASU, averaging 34.2 points per game, to a field goal through three goal-line stands and forced a season-high four turnovers.

"I've enjoyed it, because I've got a good staff," Lewis said. "Everybody works hard and prepares their kids."

Doing some of the best coaching in the conference, Southern is 9-1 in its last 10 games. In October, the Jaguars turned around a 1-5, injury-plagued wreck of a season even though the team didn't have practice-field lights or a weight room (burnt out in a fire).

Southern still has no practice-field lights -- a predicament which will soon make it practice in the dark again -- and lifts weights in a temporary trailer.

The installation of the lights has been delayed for more than a year. And a proposed sports complex hasn't left the drawing board, even though construction was supposed to have started in the summer. As it is, there isn't a room big enough for units to meet together, and still no proper stadium locker room.

That's football at a small school.

You stretch what you have. For facilities and personnel.

"It's been a learning process for both offensive and defensive coordinators," Richardson said.

Both have grown with their units.

Lewis has adapted to his expanded role. In the process, he's moved out of the press box down to the sideline.

"You know, if he could, he'd put on a helmet and try to play with us," senior strong safety Eddie Woods said of having Lewis on the sideline. "He's just that fired up."

In two seasons with Southern, Oliver, a former tight ends coach at Tulane, has learned how to coach quarterbacks while taking his first job as an offensive coordinator in a new conference with a new team.

"He's come along a lot," quarterback Quincy Richard said. "He had come from a different style of ball. He adjusted his plays and technique to accomodate the SWAC."

Lewis, an ex-Green Bay Packers linebacker, has constructed dominating lines at Southern. And he was able to keep that concentration mostly as he and Graves, the linebackers coach, ran the defense together.

But with Graves becoming the defensive coordinator at Norfolk State in January, Lewis has had to elevate his game.

"It's forced me to pay a little more attention to what's going on in the back," Lewis said. "I've always understood the peripherals of it, but it makes you become a little more of a student of the whole package -- the finer points of the back."

Said Woods, "There's a little more film-watching for him, a little more strategizing for him. But he knows the game."

Southern finished seventh in the 10-team SWAC in total defense (343.6 yards per game) last season. A speedier unit this season, the Jaguars lead the conference and are 13th in I-AA (260.8 ypg) and second in I-AA in scoring defense (8.25 points per game). Southern has allowed only four touchdowns all season -- with none in the first half.

When promoted earlier this year, Lewis wasn't sure if he'd stay in the press box. Even after the season opener, he said how different the game felt, so up close and so near the fury.

But having Lewis -- a Harley rider -- on the sideline is a fitting trade off for the equally animated Graves.

Said Woods, "Sometimes, you need that pat on the back if you make a big play. Sometimes, you need it when you make a bad play to get in your face. It's always great having that intensity on the sideline."

Said Lewis, "It's an intense game. That's the way I've always been. Everybody has to coach to their personality. ... I'm intense about it, and I want them to be intense about it."

That sideline presence may prove just as vital as Xs and Os.

"He's a discipline coach," senior linebacker Kendrick Paul said. "I don't think he has all his marbles sometimes, but he's a hell of a coach. He believes in hard work and smash-mouth football. He impresses that on the defense."

Oliver, 33, can be just as volatile. For proof, see Tuesday's end-of-practice blowup. But more often, Oliver shows a deft touch, an ability to keep things light.

"It's not an uptight atmosphere, to where you're nervous about making mistakes," Richard said. "He'll crack a joke. You're more relaxed."

Oliver, an All-American tight end at Northern Colorado, has, perhaps as expected, brought the tight end more into the offense and added much more motion.

Learning how to sharpen quarterbacks has come as well.

Richard, battling an ankle injury last season, has improved his passing efficieny from 102.40 to 159.68 (ninth in I-AA) and his completion percentage from 49.8 to 65.4. He had 11 TDs to nine interceptions last season, eight TDs to two picks this season.

"Everything's a learning process," Oliver said. "As soon as you quit trying to improve or get better, you start getting beat. People catch up to you. I feel like I can learn something out of every game and every practice and hopefully put that to good use the next week.

"You have to try new things, try to perfect old things, find better ways to teach them and improve your football. If you're not doing that all the time, you're getting behind."

To that end, Oliver has pulled technique from film of Mid-American Conference teams.

"He watches a lot of film, studies a lot so every game he figures out a little mismatch here, something to exploit a defense," said Richard, who has learned to do the same.

Southern's offense has taken off in the last nine games, with the Jaguars averaging 37.4 ppg.

"You can really see the maturity in the second year of the system," Oliver said.

This season, Southern is ninth nationally in scoring offense (40.25 ppg) and 22nd in total offense (418.5).

"He's probably getting more comfortable, the more he gets a chance (as offensive coordinator)," Richardson said.

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[bluedog]

'Easy' win gives SU 5-0 start



By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN

Advocate sportswriter

This is easy, right?
The 22nd-ranked Southern Jaguars clocked yet another opponent, this time with a 53-7 count over Arkansas-Pine Bluff for a Southwestern Athletic Conference win Saturday night at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

The Jaguars' season scoring line? 214-40. Their biggest deficit? Three points, and that was weeks ago.

Too easy, maybe?

Not so fast.

"It's not easy," quarterback Quincy Richard said. "It's trying to do it and make it look easy. That's the hard part, week in and week out."

Well, from that perspective, the Jaguars (5-0, 3-0 SWAC) are getting that done -- in a big way.

This one was over as soon as UAPB made two mistakes.

First, the Golden Lions (2-4, 1-2) won the coin toss, but opted to kick to a Southern team that had scored on all but one of its first four possessions this season and was averaging 40.3 points per game.

Then, UAPB lined up a linebacker on jet-quick wideout James Vernon. Bye-bye. Vernon dashed past Haywood Small, caught a gently lofted Richard pass down the left sideline and was in for the touchdown on a 59-yard hookup less than two minutes into the game.

Then, with Southern going on to post the game's first 40 points and pile up 517 yards of offense by game's end, Richard went on to what should be considered a spectacular game -- well, three quarters, before being pulled -- but is becoming ho-hum, standard fare this season. Or is that ho-hum-baby?

Richard finished 14-for-16 for 255 yards and a career-high four touchdowns and ran for season highs of two TDs, 78 yards and six carries. He put together 12 straight completions from about five minutes left in the first quarter to little more than two remaining in the third.

"He's having a great year," Richardson said. "If we can protect him, we have a lot of confidence that he can take the ball where it's supposed to be and we'll be all right."

Already, Richard is a blazing 85-for-124 (68.5 percent) for 1,192 yards and a single-season career-best 12 touchdowns (against two interceptions) this season. He might have an even better completion percentage had he not tried so many downfield, low-percentage passes or had to throw so many away under pressure a week earlier in a laugher over Alabama State.

But that's just nitpicking.

As it was, Southern didn't suffer a sack for the fourth straight game and hasn't fumbled all season.

"It's just hard work. We're trying to keep that up," Richard said.

That task gets tougher this week. The victory kept in place a Saturday showdown at Mumford with defending Eastern Division champion Alabama A&M (4-2, 3-1), which has won three straight games by Southern-esque landslide scores. The Bulldogs beat Southern 27-11 last season in Indianapolis.

While Southern's offense is on a serious roll, so is its defense.

Southern's defense forced a season-high five turnovers, with a season-high four interceptions. The biggest of those picks belonged to cornerback Lenny Williams, who dashed 98 yards for a touchdown (and a 26-0 lead with 7:31 before halftime), believed to be the longest interception return in Southern history. Williams also recovered a fumble.

Importantly, the bend-but-don't break Jaguars set the tone by stopping UAPB inside Southern territory on the Golden Lions' first four possessions. Three of those came on turnovers -- cornerback Erin Damond's interception, linebacker Don Expose's fumble recovery and Williams' pick and dash. The other, the first one, was on true freshman free safety Jarmaul George's amazing, one-handed deflection in the end zone on a fourth-and-10 from the Southern 32.

The first-half shutout took place even as the Southern defense played without two key players: leading tackler Tarus Morgan, a linebacker, out with a high ankle sprain and preseason All-SWAC tackle Perry Davis out for the first half after throwing an elbow in the previous game. Plus, senior linebacker Kendrick Paul was also limited by injury.

And, with the Southern offense scoring so quickly -- with four first-half drives of 74, 68, 83 and 43 yards taking between 1:57 and 2:54 each -- the Southern defense had to spend 17:45 of the first half on the field (even trotting right back out after Williams' score).

That helped UAPB grind out 144 of its 242 yards on the ground (with 122 and a 25-yard touchdown by Billy Moody). But Southern held the Lions to 165 yards and 10-for-28 passing (with the four interceptions).

Still, the Jaguars feel an urge to get better.

"We still have to minimize our mistakes," cornerback Lenny Williams said.

Southern's biggest sins? Two blocked PATs (with one a burst through the line but the other an amazing, leaping, way-behind-the-line play by Zachery Barnett) and a failed two-point conversion try. And reserve quarterback Kurvis Sharp, on his first pass attempt, threw into double coverage, with Tyrone Walker snaring the pass at the UAPB 3-yard line.

All that or else the score would have been worse.

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[bluedog]

Rabalais: Season makes big difference for Southern



By SCOTT RABALAIS

Advocate sportswriter

A little more than a year ago, the Southern Jaguars' offense was broken down on the narrow shoulder of a twisting two-lane road somewhere between Baton Rouge and Pine Bluff, Ark.
The Jaguars eventually made it to Pine Bluff under their own power and returned with a 14-13 victory over UAPB, but it was hardly an impressive performance. Southern escaped by blocking what would have been a game-tying extra-point attempt and watching what would have been a game-winning 31-yard field goal try sail wide left with 1:22 remaining.

That game was hardly memorable for what Southern quarterback Quincy Richard was able to do in command of the Jaguars offense. Though he looked like a novice trying to pilot a cumbersome and balky craft back then, Richard and Southern are a wonder to behold now.

The Jaguars' 53-7 demolition of a game Arkansas-Pine Bluff team Saturday night wasn't merely an example of what happens when you trade one home-field advantage for another. This was a breathtaking widening of the gap between what last year were closely matched Southwestern Athletic Conference rivals.

If Southern hadn't been on the field at Mumford Stadium with UAPB, the Golden Lions wouldn't have been able to find the Jaguars unless they had borrowed the radar over at Metropolitan Airport. By halftime on Louisiana's election night, the governor's runoff might have been too early to call. But had Southern-UAPB been an race, political analysts would have been more than ready to call the game for Southern and award the Jaguars all the electoral votes Pine Bluff, Ark., has to offer.

While Southern's defense was stout once again -- the Jaguars gave up 399 total yards but allowed the Lions just the one touchdown after the game was long out of reach -- the real masterpiece was crafted by Richard and the offense created by second-year coordinator David Oliver.

After the game, they embraced on the field, a moment symbolic of the joy of football that Southern is experiencing right now and the simpatico that the coach and the player have found in each other.

"Quincy is obviously very smart, very solid," Oliver said. "It's coachspeak to say that you see the most improvement in a player from his first to his second year. But you are seeing the results of hard work in the film room and over the summer."

Richard is a senior majoring in secondary education, but he looks like a pre-med student the way he's dissecting opposing defenses as though they were laboratory experiments.

Going in, it seemed it would be difficult for Richard to improve on his already glitzy early-season numbers: a 65.7 percent completion rate, 234 yards passing per game and a 159.36 quarterback ranking.

Somehow, Richard did. He was a surgical 14-of-16 passing for 255 yards with a career-high four touchdown passes. To completely hog the spotlight, Richard was Southern's leading rusher as well with 78 yards and two TDs on six carries. None of those six were sacks, something the Jaguars haven't allowed in their last four games.

When they're in the groove, the zone, whatever you call the place where complex games unlock themselves in suddenly transparent ways, players often say the game slows down.

That isn't the way it is in his case, Richard said. The game seems simpler, not slower.

"After you learn the offense you expect things more," Richard said. "You expect things before they happen."

Anticipation revealed itself in tangible form on Southern's first possession. Richard rolled left, found wide receiver James Vernon in stride down the left sideline and, like that, a 59-yard touchdown strike gave the Jaguars a 7-0 lead and set the tone for the game.

Meaningful criticisms of Southern were few. Southern coach Pete Richardson left Richard in a little too long for safety. His 5-yard keeper for a touchdown put the Jaguars up 46-7 with 2:33 left in the third quarter but left Richard wide open to a possible cheap shot by the frustrated Lions.

Southern, somewhat vengefully, then called for an onside kick which the Jaguars recovered at the UAPB 45. Fortunately, Kurvis Sharp came out to quarterback the Southern offense, and he eventually scored his first career touchdown on a 9-yard keeper with 5:05 remaining.

By that point, the thin red line of tail lights had materialized along Harding Boulevard and began snaking across the overpass as Southern fans headed home. They'll return Saturday because the schedule says there will be another game at Mumford then, against Alabama A&M, a 63-0 conqueror Saturday of hapless Texas Southern.

Whether the Bulldogs are able to reverse the trend and provide a challenge for Southern is the unknown. The first step, though not an easy one, will be to try to complicate Quincy's Richard's life.

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[bluedog]

Notebook: Wide receiver Vernon shows magic touch



By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN

Advocate sportswriter

Southern sophomore wide receiver James Vernon had two catches in the first half, both for touchdowns.
He caught a 59-yarder in the opening two minutes and a dazzling, two-juke 11-yarder early in the second quarter of Saturday's 53-7 avalanche of a win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff in A.W. Mumford Stadium.

That gave him four touchdowns in nine catches this season.

Vernon also has the two longest TD grabs of the season (a 69-yarder against Mississippi Valley State) and, coincidentally, the longest catch of the season. He also scored on a 48-yard reverse against Texas Southern in November.

GAME BALL

To Quincy Richard. The Southern quarterback was his pinpoint self. He finished 14-for-16 for 255 yards and a career-high four touchdowns and ran for season highs of two TDs, 78 yards and six carries.

How good was Richard? After an incompletion 10 minutes into the game (broken up by Tyrone Walker in the end zone), Richard didn't throw another incompletion until 2:28 left in the third quarter, when hurried under pressure from a UAPB blitz. No problem, Richard dashed in for a 5-yard touchdown and a 46-7 lead on the next play.

Richard is 85-for-124 (68.5 percent) for 1,192 yards and a single-season career-best 12 touchdowns (against two interceptions) this season.

KEY PLAY

Well, in a landslide of election-night proportions like this, there really isn't so much of a key play. So, how about a tie for two "most spectacular plays?"

The first was Alfred Ard's juggling, spinning catch -- with cornerback Zachery Barnett sliding away at Ard's feet -- to the UAPB 27, good for a 41-yard completion down to the UAPB 20. That set up Vernon's spectacular run after the catch for the 11-yard TD and a 19-0 lead with 10:47 until halftime.

The second was a 98-yard interception return for a touchdown by Southern cornerback Lenny Williams, the SWAC preseason defensive player of the year. That snuffed out a Golden Lions threat and gave the Jaguars a 26-0 lead with 7:31 before halftime.

DID YOU NOTICE?

Southern wide receiver Chris Davis, who wore a compression sock on his lower right leg a week ago, did not wear the extra "legging" Saturday night. ... Southern's offense has scored on its first possession four times this season and six of its last seven games. And the Jaguars offense has scored on its first possession of the second half for the fourth time this season as well. ... Southern has not allowed a first-quarter touchdown -- and only six points in the first quarter -- all season. ... A Kurvis Sharp interception -- on his first attempt -- with 14:57 left in the game was Southern's first turnover after three straight turnover-free games. That was the Jaguars' first turnover and first interception in 240 minutes of game action.

KEY STAT

0-for-4. The Southern University defense pitched a first-half shutout by bending and not breaking, holding despite UAPB's first four drives getting into Southern territory. The Jaguars were without two key players: leading tackler Tarus Morgan, a linebacker, with a high ankle sprain and preseason All-SWAC tackle Perry Davis out for the first half after throwing an elbow in the previous game. The key plays: FS Jarmaul George broke up a fourth down pass in the end zone, CB Erin Damond intercepted a pass at the Southern 45, linebacker Don Expose recovering a fumble at the Southern 17 and Williams' interception return for a TD.

LAGNIAPPE

The game will be televised tape-delayed at 8 p.m. today and 7 p.m. Tuesday on Cox Sports on Cable Ch. 37. ... Southern senior defensive end Kevin Young and UAPB quarterback John Pierce were high school teammates at Duncanville (High) Texas. Young was a senior -- on his way to Tennessee -- when Pierce was a sophomore. ... UAPB coach Lee Hardman, who entered the game with a 62-53 record, is the Lions' all-time winningest coach. ... Sophomore fullback Mark Frederick's 11-yard catch in the first quarter was his first as a Jaguar. ... Senior quarterback Sharp's 9-yard TD run in the fourth quarter was the first of his career.

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[bluedog]

Defense stars in big win



By JASON MARTIN

Special to The Advocate

Despite playing without two of its top players and being on the field most of the first half, the Southern defense came through with multiple big plays and forced several turnovers that ended five UAPB drives in Southern territory.
While the Jaguars' offense poured on the points for a 53-7 runaway win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the defense held strong even though it was on the field for almost 18 minutes in the first half. With Southern pulling away late, the defense was not playing as often.

Southern was without junior linebacker Tarus Morgan, the team's leading tackler, who did not play because of a high ankle sprain in his left leg.

Defensive tackle Perry Davis, a pre-season first team All-SWAC player, was suspended by the NCAA for the first half of the game for throwing an elbow at an opposing player in last week's win against Alabama State.

Southern coach Pete Richardson said the team played well without the missing starters and other players stepped up.

"The young players came in and played well for us," Richardson said. "Our injured linebackers did not play much because of injuries."

The rest of the unit picked up the slack. After holding Alabama State to three points in the redzone on three goal line stands last week, the Jaguars continued the trend in the first half against the Lions.

Southern took advantage of four Pine Bluff interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries.

UAPB failed to convert on fourth down on its first possession, when Southern freshman free safety Jarmaul George tipped the ball away in the end zone. George added an interception for the Jaguars late.

With the Lions driving deep in SU territory, Southern linebacker Don Expose quickly ended the drive by recovering a fumble with 12:59 left in the second quarter.

Lenny Williams then did his teammate one better, intercepting UAPB quarterback John Pierce and going 98 yards for a touchdown with 7:31 left in second quarter. Southern leads the SWAC in scoring defense with 8.2 points per game.

Williams, a 6-foot-1, 194-pound senior cornerback, faked a defender out at the Southern 41 and scampered into the end zone for the longest interception return in school history. Williams said he had an idea of what the quarterback would do on the play, so he jumped the route.

"I kind of baited him (the quarterback) in," Williams said. "I ran in a little, made sure he threw the ball and I just broke on the ball and had a good play."

Williams said the play was big because it ended a sure scoring drive for the Lions.

"As a defense, we're always trying to play every game for a shutout. We watched film all week long and I was trying to make a play and I did."

Williams said the defense's solid play helped take pressure off the offense, and allowed it to put 53 points on the board.

"We've already got a pretty good offense," Williams said. "The turnovers only give them a boost and help them put more points on the scoreboard.

Williams' pick was the second of his career. He also tipped a ball later in the third quarter that led to defensive tackle Jonathan St. Cyr's interception, and later recovered a fumble with the Lions driving inside the SU 30.

"Lenny's having a good year," Richardson said. "We practiced on some things to help him. He's a gifted athlete and anytime he has an opportunity to play, we're proud of him. He's started every game.

Cornerback Erin Damond, an LSU transfer, also had interception for Southern, but his 57-yard return was negated because of a block in the back.

UAPB scored its only touchdown with 9:22 left in the third on Billy Moody's 25-yard run. The Jaguars' defense has only allowed five touchdowns on the season, only one in the first half.

The Lions did manage close to 400 total yards of offense, including 234 rushing on a Southern defense that came into the game giving up an average of 93.5 yards on the ground and 260 total yards per game.

Receiver James Vernon said the defense really helped the offense.

"Our defense is really good," Vernon said. "They might bend a little bit but they won't break."

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[bluedog]

Mistakes still hurting UAPB



By CHARLES SALZER

Special to The Advocate

Sometimes old habits die hard.
Arkansas Pine-Bluff came into its SWAC contest against Southern with a reputation for shooting itself in the foot.

The Golden Lions lived up to the billing with turnovers, costly penalties and dropped passes contributing to Southern's 53-7 win Saturday night at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

UAPB kept pace with Southern statistically, but not where it counted most -- on the scoreboard.

"We were taken out of our game plan a little quicker than we thought we might," UAPB coach Lee Hardman said. "When we got down inside the five a couple of times and came away with nothing it gave them opportunities.

"Southern is a good team and they have good schemes. They were very effective tonight."

UAPB's troubles began in the first half, when it drove into Southern territory three times but came away empty.

"It really hurt us," Hardman said. "When you get down there you have to score and we didn't do that."

The Golden Lions had been outscored 74-36 this season in the first half, but looked as though they would add to their own total early on. Instead, the Jaguars offense rolled while their defense used a bend-but-don't-break philosophy.

With Southern leading 7-0, UAPB quarterback John Pierce overthrew Brian Jones at the SU 10. Instead of scoring, the Golden Lions eventually were forced to turn the ball over on downs at the SU 32.

On UAPB's next series, Erin Damond picked off Pierce's errant throw, and topped it off with a 57-yard return. A Southern holding penalty negated the return, but the Jaguars still led 13-0 after a quarter.

UAPB responded with a drive deep into Southern territory, but the turnover bug hit again. Aaron Anderson fumbled away yet another scoring chance at the SU 17.

"I thought we would come out and set the tone," UAPB wide receiver Brian Thomas Miller said. "But they jumped on us and took the air out of us."

After Southern drove 83 yards to stretch its lead to 19-0, UAPB moved from its 30 to the SU 3 where Southern's Lenny Williams came through with a backbreaking turnover.

Williams stepped in front of Pierce's pass for Brian Thomas Miller near the right pylon and was off to the races. After putting a move on Pierce at the UAPB 40, Williams completed a 98-yard interception return for the score, the longest return in Southern history.

"The cornerback was running with (Miller), and he's pretty quick," Pierce said. "He turned and made the pick. It was a good play on his part."

Pierce, who had thrown for eight touchdowns in UAPB's last three games, finished the night 9-of-23 for 142 yards with two interceptions and no TDs.

In the first half, UAPB picked up 12 first downs to Southern's 10. In total offense it was respectably close with 205 yards to the Jaguars 284, but there were no similarities on the scoreboard.

UAPB's troubles continued into the third quarter with turnovers on two of its first three possessions. Billy Moody's 25-yard run finally got UAPB on the scoreboard, but the deficit had ballooned to 40-7.

"You just have to keep trying hard and come back to play," Miller said.

"We've been a second-half team all year but it didn't happen tonight."

Another problem for the Golden Lions was third down conversions.

Before the contest, UAPB had converted just 22 percent (16 of 72) third downs. The trend continued against Southern as UAPB was successful on 3-of-10 chances.

"We've just got to go back and work some more," Hardman said. "We still have a chance to have a good season."

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[Dr. J]

Jags getting old swagger back.

Jags getting old swagger back. Article from Clarion.

Swag is definitely back in Jags. Will saturday game be another preview of the SCG?

 

[bluedog]

Schiefelbein: Support would be nice for Southern




By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN

Advocate sportswriter

Bring enough charcoal for the tailgating. Get to campus early. And pay a visit to A.W. Mumford Stadium come Saturday.
Oh, and before you do, get some directions. Let's see, turn onto Harding Blvd., head west and look for a big stadium.

A mega-showdown, with Southern hosting defending Eastern Division champion Alabama A&M at 6:30 p.m. for homecoming Saturday, is upon us. Or has the Jaguar Nation noticed?

Southern has to do better than the 15,236 who showed Saturday for a 53-7 romp over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Hey, you could have just made a commitment for a half -- that's all the Jaguars needed anyway -- and then gone on your way after the Human Jukebox does its thing.

Sure, the paid crowd of 21,998 is good, but the Nation can do better.

Maybe Southern needs to play all its games way out in Las Vegas, where the Las Vegas Classic drew 20,514.

Here was a Saturday night with LSU off and the game tape-delayed on local cable stations until Sunday, and an undefeated Southern team can't fill a stadium.

Count the 11,164 empty seats. Where did everybody go in a week (after a sellout against Alabama State)?

Note to those dreamers who want to add an extra tier of seats to the east side of Mumford: channel your energies into a complex in the north end zone to finally give Mumford some proper locker rooms, medical facilities, team meeting rooms and the like.

As it is, at substantial expense, the school leases a set of extra temporary bleachers in the north end zone every season. By now, instead of shelling out the money year after year, Southern could have been well on its way to having that sports complex.

Outsiders say fans follow Southern football because the games are events, packing the stadium for homecoming or the season opener or a big-time, black-college rival like Jackson State or Florida A&M.

If it's a ranked Division I-AA team, like Nicholls was last season, then only 17,863 come. If it's a so-so UAPB team, they're not so interested. If it's a question of asking fans to help pay for a new field, well, not nearly enough put their money up. (At least the administration, to its credit, came around to making the $510,000 project a reality.)

Sure, Southern draws well and is the envy of most I-AA teams across the nation, but one week, it's a sellout, showing how much potential there is. The next week, there's a dropoff of 42.3 percent, disappointingly showing how much unrealized potential there is. Those swings are hard to comprehend. Those swings give the outsiders ammo for their argument.

Being a fan of a team means being there week in and week out. Sometimes, it requires digging into your pocket and helping out your school.

Homecoming is usually no problem.

But in case it seems to be, here are some reasons to come out and see the Mighty Jaguars:

Southern (5-0, 3-0) is ranked 22nd in I-AA and has blown out five foes by a combined score of 214-40. A&M (4-2, 3-1) has won three straight games by a combined score of 150-10 despite juggling three quarterbacks and nursing an injured marquee running back.

The game matches the brightest young coach in the conference, Alabama A&M's second-year coach Anthony Jones, against the proven champion, Southern's 11th-year coach Pete Richardson.

A&M beat Southern 27-11 in the Circle City Classic in Indianapolis a year ago.

The winner gets that much closer to the Southwestern Athletic Conference title game.

So, what do you say, how about cheering for the Jaguars this week? In Mumford this time.

THE GOOD: How decisive was Southern's 53-7 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday night?

Southern played without its top tackler for the game, its most veteran linebacker for all but two plays, an all-conference defensive tackle for the first half and its top pass catcher for most of the game.

Linebacker Tarus Morgan, who should be ready to play Saturday, was out with a high ankle sprain. Linebacker Kendrick Paul (hip injury) said he played two plays. And wide receiver Chris Davis (hip) took off his pads in the first half after playing just a handful of plays, a luxury afforded by an early lead.

THE BAD: Southern struggled at third-down conversions, going 3-for-10. Then again, the Jaguars converted three fourth downs. That, then, essentially put them at about 6-for-10, which is a little ahead of the 56.8-percent success the Jaguars have had on third downs in their previous three games.

So, maybe that's not really "the bad." But, hey, the score was 53-7.

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[bluedog]

Jaguars secondary has lofty goals



By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN

Advocate sportswriter

For a guy who had enough confidence and talent to start one game at right cornerback as an LSU freshman in 2000, even Erin Damond was astounded by the pluck of Jarmaul George.
"He came to me and was like, 'You don't have to worry about nothing deep. I've got the deep. You just take care of yours underneath,'" said Damond, smiling about Southern's true-freshman free safety, "He looks young, but he proves to me every week he's got everything deep."

George has walked the talk.

George, already twice named the Southwestern Athletic Newcomer of the Week, has come up with a turnover in every game this season.

Maybe George was the missing piece. Maybe Damond, who transferred from LSU in the spring of 2002 but did not play last season, was the missing piece.

Either way, for a secondary that started the season with three new starters to mesh with senior left cornerback Lenny Williams, the SWAC's preseason defensive player of the year, there has been no lack of confidence or playmaking.

Southern (5-0, 3-0 SWAC), ranked 18th in Division I-AA, faces 2002 Eastern Division champ Alabama A&M (4-2, 2-1) at 6 p.m. Saturday for homecoming.

The Jaguars' pass efficiency defense is third in I-AA, at 80.98.

"We're trying to dominate, become the No. 1 secondary in the nation," George said.

Southern has 11 interceptions (with two by defensive linemen) and has held foes to a SWAC-low completion percentage of 43.1. The Jaguars have allowed only three passing touchdowns -- with two of those in garbage time late in the fourth quarter to North Carolina A&T and the other to an unintended Prairie View receiver.

The secondary features five of the top seven tacklers on the team, with Williams (31 stops) and senior strong safety Eddie Woods (26) at the top. That includes junior cornerback Kevin Moffett (19 tackles).

"We're real comfortable playing together," Damond said.

Woods, who had a single-game personal best of 10 tackles in Saturday's 53-7 mauling of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, took over for two-year starter Herman Hartman.

"He directs us all, directs the traffic, puts us in the right place to make plays," Williams said of Woods. "That's why we've really been gelling real good."

Southern coach Pete Richardson said the unit's starting four, and its reserves, are on par with a unit in Division I-A.

With that, Southern has more versatility in its defensive play-calling and lays off blitzing.

More than just physical abilities, the unit has thrived because of its film study, practice work and game adjustments.

"They pay attention to details during the week," Richardson said. "(A team) may show them something once (in a game), but then you can't come back with that."

Of the two interceptions returned for touchdowns -- a school-record 98-yarder by Williams on Saturday and a 39-yarder by George -- both came straight from the practice field.

Williams broke on a goal-line pass just like the team practiced during a period Thursday.

"When it happened, he just reacted," defensive coordinator Cliff Lewis said. "It becomes second-nature to them. ... We're teaching them how to play and not how to get lined up."

Williams has started every game since he came to Southern. George, who is tied with Williams for the team lead in interceptions with three and has 24 tackles, is doing the same after five games.

"I don't know if you'll find another safety like George," Richardson said. "He just goes after the football like it's his. He's improving, getting in the weight room and understanding the film watching, that plays just don't happen.

"We usually don't get an impact player who can come in and look like he's been here all the time."

Damond has had a similar impact, even though he's been hampered by a groin injury since preseason camp.

"Lenny's getting a lot of the pub, but Erin is on the same level," Richardson said. "He's finally getting to where he can react like he should. He's not 100 percent yet."

Not with the team last season, Damond missed the Prairie View game and the first half of the A&T game. Still, the fiery playmaker leads the team with six pass breakups and has two interceptions to go with 17 stops.

Said Williams, "He brings that experience to the other side. He has great ball skills and comes up and makes hits to support the run game. We play just alike. It's good to have two corners like that."

Secondary coach Henry Miller said, after Damond played the first part of the season on instinct, that with practicing full time since last week, "he's starting to feel his niche."

The best news for Damond is Southern confirmed last week he still has another season of eligibility after this season. In '04, Damond will move to left corner, in Williams' spot.

"We've got a lot of pieces," Williams said. "With a car, you need all the parts, the engine, the car seat, everything. We've got everything back there."

m?NATIONAL RANKINGS: Southern is ranked 18th in Division I-AA by both polls, The Sports Network and the USA Today/ESPN Coaches.

In I-AA statistical rankings, Southern is No. 1 in scoring defense (8.00 points per game), No. 1 in turnover margin (2.80, or plus-14, with 17 takeaways to three giveaways) and No. 2 in scoring offense (42.8 ppg). ... Quarterback Quincy Richard is No. 3 in passing efficiency (178.44), and return specialist Ezra Landry is No. 6 in kickoff returns (32.63 yards per return).

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Southern notebook



By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN

Advocate sportswriter

TIME CHANGE
The Southern-Alabama A&M game on Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium has been moved to 6 p.m. (from 6:30 p.m.) in order to accomodate telecast by the MBC Network on Cox Digital Cable Ch. 229.

HONOR ROLL

The Sports Network named Southern cornerback Lenny Williams as its Division I-AA Defensive Player of the Week after Williams had a school-record, 98-yard interception return for a touchdown and recovered a fumble in Southern's 53-7 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday.

Williams, who also had six tackles, paced a defense that forced a season-best six turnovers. He was also named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

Quincy Richard, who was 14-for-16 for 255 yards and a career-high four TDs and ran for 78 yards and two more touchdowns, was the SWAC co-Offensive Player of the Week and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association Offensive Player of the Week.

MORGAN TO PLAY

Junior linebacker Tarus Morgan, the team's leading tackler through the first four games, will play Saturday.

Morgan was cleared to play Friday but was held out to allow a high ankle sprain to heal.

"He should be able to go," Southern coach Pete Richardson said. "They hadn't cleared him, but he hadn't practiced a great deal. It's a long season. The magnitude of each game is going to intensify and you have to have your best people out ther."

Senior linebacker Kendrick Paul (hip) and senior wide receiver Chris Davis (hip), pulled in the UAPB game after brief appearances, are also expected to be ready for A&M.

FIVE ALIVE

Through five games, Southern has scored 214 points and allowed 40.

For scoring, that pace is the best in school history, bettering the 204 scored in 1997 and the 200 in 1958 -- the only previous times the Jaguars had at least 200 points through five games (the 1995 team had 199 points). The Jaguars scored 279 points in 11 games last season.

"We're scoring at an unreal rate," Richardson said. "That puts you in a different light as far as controlling the tempo of the game. We're taking people out of their gameplans trying to stay up with us."

For defending, that pace is just behind the 35 points in the first five games of the 1994 season. The 1999 team allowed 41 points.

BY GEORGE

True freshman free safety Jarmaul George has come up with a turnover in each game this season -- with three interceptions and two fumble recoveries.

"Every game, my confidence gets higher and higher," George said. "I try to come up with a big play every game, even if it's just one. But I want more than one."

Saturday, George came up with two big plays -- snuffing out UAPB scoring threats on its first and last touches of the game.

First, mirroring his one-handed interception against North Carolina A&T, George leaped in the end zone to knock away a fourth-and-10 pass intended for Amani Floyd with 6:22 left in the first quarter. Then, he picked off a pass at the Southern 2 and returned it 25 yards with 3:10 to play in the game.

LAGNIAPPE

Southern has outscored its foes 123-13 in the first half this season, allowing only one first-half touchdown (to Prairie View). ... The UAPB-Southern game will be rebroadcast at 7 p.m. today on Cox Sports Television (Cable. Ch. 37). ... Junior LB Gabriel LaFrance, who has emerged as the starting outside linebacker, and senior SS Eddie Woods each had a single-game best 10 tackles to lead Southern against UAPB. He'd entered the game with 10 tackles in eight career games. ...

Sophomore DTs LaDerrick Brazil and Delorean Rushing had their first tackles for Southern. ... Sophomore LB Greg Handy made his first career start, replacing Morgan (high ankle sprain). ... Senior WR/KR Ezra Landry had his first catch, a 9-yarder. ... G Jermaine Jackson, who had surgery on broken bones and pins placed in his left hand after the Prairie View game, returned to play against UAPB.



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[bluedog]

Deceptive speed sets Vernon apart



By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN

Advocate sportswriter

In motion, during a play, James Vernon's speed is deceptive, somewhat mind-bending. In motion, before a play, Vernon's versatility is problematic for defenses, quite confusing.
Despite having only nine catches this season, the sophomore wide receiver at Southern is making a huge impact. Four of those catches have gone for touchdowns, and two of those scores are Southern's longest pass plays of the season.

"I'm happy any time I can help this team in any way," Vernon said. "My main thing is, whenever I get it, to try to get in the end zone. Or if I can't get in the end zone, just to get big yardage."

Southern's longest offensive play of the season is Vernon's 69-yarder for a touchdown against Mississippi Valley State. It was little more than an underneath screen on a third-and-15. But a nice block, a burst of that speed and another nice block downfield produced the long score.

"That's a little exciting dude," Southern quarterback Quincy Richard said. "He doesn't look fast, even when he's running. You need somebody (trying to keep up) on the side of him to realize he's fast."

Vernon (6-foot, 175 pounds), who sharpened his moves working against the trees in his backyard as a child when he wasn't playing against the older kids, is averaging a team-best 22.6 yards per catch.

"When you look at him, you swear you're going to just rip him in half," Southern coach Pete Richardson said. "But once he gets that football, he made a couple moves on those defensive backs (Saturday) like they just weren't even there."

Indeed, Saturday, on another underneath screen, Vernon absolutely froze Arkansas-Pine Bluff's Krandall Pettway with a delicious stop-and-start number, then cut inside to the right and left Courtney McLemore flat-footed on an 11-yard TD catch.

That touchdown showed his playmaker skills.

His first touchdown showed how much trouble he can cause for a defense.

In a four-receiver set, Vernon was the slot receiver of the three to the right. He came in motion to the left side, and drew linebacker Haywood Small. Vernon dashed at least 10 yards past him, caught a gentle pass from Richard at around the 25-yard line, looked back to see how much space he had and dashed in for a 59-yard score that began a 53-7 rout.

"He's creating another avenue in our offense, because we can put him where we want him and most of the time the lesser (defender) is on him. There's no way in the world," Richardson said. "Your best will have trouble dealing with him. But your lesser is really going to have problems. ... We're taking some of their best players out of the game trying to zero in on him."

To that end, Southern has moved Vernon all over. In the backfield in shotgun sets. On either side of the line. In motion. Even if he doesn't get the ball, he forces the defense to adjust.

Said offensive coordinator David Oliver, "We always take in a four- or five-play package with him to try to get favorable matchups. By moving him around with motion, we usually can get the matchups we want. Then, when he gets the ball in his hands, every time he's a threat to take it to the house."

Said Richard, "He's a shifty player. By him moving in motion, he might get a linebacker. And no linebacker in the country can cover him. He gets the matchup, blows by them and all I have to do is find him and get it to him."

So far, Vernon is the prize of the 2002 signing class. That's as expected. He was The Advocate's Class 5A-4A-3A Offensive MVP after averaging an amazing 64.3 yards per kick return, with seven touchdowns, along with 1,236 yards and 14 touchdowns receiving as a senior at Glen Oaks High.

"When you watch him, he's the same type of athlete he was in high school: very elusive," Richardson said.

Though Vernon attended voluntary summer workouts in the summer of 2002, he didn't play until the eighth game of last season, getting one carry for 15 yards. By then, the Jaguars were 2-5 and not going anywhere. He finished with two carries for 63 yards, with the other touch a 48-yard touchdown against Miles College, and two catches for 18 yards.

"He probably would have ended up playing a bunch more earlier," said Oliver, if not for a hamstring injury.

As it was, Vernon still didn't get a lot of playing time in exchange for losing a redshirt. Even so, Vernon said he benefited from having that game experience.

"Last year, gave me a feel for the college level, the speed, the hitting," Vernon said. "I needed that, so going into the summer I knew what to work on."

Further polishing the skills, Vernon, teammate Dedrick Shelmire (a Southern tight end), Grambling All-American wide receiver Tramon Douglas and LSU quarterback Marcus Randall got together on summer weekends at their alma mater, Glen Oaks, to throw the ball around.

Vernon said Douglas helped with some pointers. "That helped me in a lot of ways," Vernon said.

NOTES: Southern has ascended to the top spot in both black-college national polls, the American Sports Wire (Division I-AA) and the Sheridan Broadcasting Network (all divisions). ... School officials said Saturday's game is a sellout. The only chance tickets would become available is if A&M returns some from its allotment, which could happen Thursday.

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[bluedog]

Southern winning with balancing act



By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN

Advocate sportswriter

Lashun Peoples isn't a fourth-quarter player.
That's not a jab at the Southern University tailback. It's more a reflection of how little the Jaguars have had to use their feature back, a preseason All-Southwestern Athletic Conference first-teamer.

Southern (5-0, 3-0 SWAC), ranked 18th in Division I-AA and atop both black-college polls, has blown out its opponents by an average of 34.8 points per game.

The Jaguars have led by a combined 63-6 after the first quarter, 123-13 at halftime and 186-27 after three quarters.

That's left Peoples on the bench in, by his count, at least two games and seeing limited action in the others.

"I'm just glad we're winning," said Peoples, third in the SWAC at 418 yards (83.6 per game) and already with a career-best five touchdowns. "Whenever they give me the ball, I just have to do what I have to do to be productive."

Yet even without Peoples, the Jaguars are just as balanced, just as committed to the run.

Southern is averaging 195.4 yards per game on the ground (61.5 ypg better than last season) and 242.8 through the air (13.8 better than last season). The Jaguars have run the ball 187 times -- with only one of those a sack -- and passed it 131 times (with 87 completions).

"We always strive for balance," offensive coordinator David Oliver said. "It's real quiet, but we're a lot more run-oriented than people think. We look wide-open, but we're going to try to establish that run game, because we've got the line up front to do it."

The balance will be crucial for homecoming at 6 p.m. Saturday against Alabama A&M (4-2, 2-1).

A&M rode its calling-card, a formidable defense, to Eastern Division titles in 2000 and '02. This season, the Bulldogs lead the conference in sacks (27) and forcing turnovers (19).

A&M sacked Southern five times in a 27-11 win last season. Only Tulane (seven sacks) and Northwestern State (five) got to Southern quarterbacks more.

"(A&M) just flies to the football," coach Pete Richardson said. "They do a lot of stunting, and that causes problems for the offensive line and the offensive staff."

Southern has been able to pick up the blitz this season. The one sack (a 4-yard loss in the season opener) was quickly erased by a 69-yard TD pass the next play. In the 265 minutes since then, Southern hasn't allowed a sack.

Southern ran for a season's-best 253 yards in Saturday's 53-7 blowout of Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

"We're going to run the football and establish that," Oliver said.

"It might not always look like the I-formation and 3 yards and a cloud of dust, but we're going to get those runs in at some point."

The Jaguars average 5.2 yards per carry. Backup and goal-line tailback Leon Miller (131 yards, three TDs) and change-of-pace quarterback Kurvis Sharp (159 yards, one TD) already have single-season, career highs.

A dozen Jaguars, including three quarterbacks, three wide receivers and both fullbacks, have run the ball. In particular, in the last two games, Richard has been given the green light.

Richard ran eight times for minus-6 yards, including a 1-yard sneak for a TD, in the first three games. Against Alabama State, he ran four times for 26 yards. And against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, he dashed six times for 78 yards, including a 36-yarder that is Southern's longest run this season, and two TDs.

"If it's there, he's going to take it," Oliver said. "But we're not going to put him in a position where he's getting pounded. The big thing was getting down and getting out of bounds."

Richard's health is important. With Richard in and out all last season after an ankle injury in the opener, Southern went 6-6. But the Jaguars were 4-0 in games he started and completed. That string has grown to 9-0 this season.

Richard said all the parts working together has kept the offense from negative plays.

"(The balance) makes it a lot easier on both, easier on the run, easier on the pass. The defense never knows which is coming," Richard said. "Everybody's doing their part. (The scoring) is a tribute to our whole team, our coaching staff, everyone doing a great job working together."

The balance extends to pass distribution as 14 players have caught balls, with six players with at least seven catches.

Alfred Ard (18.8 yards per catch, three touchdowns), Chris Davis (16.3 ypc, two TDs) and James Vernon (22.6 ypc, four TDs) give Richard speedy playmakers.

"(A&M) loves to blitz," said Ard, a junior wide receiver who leads with a career, single-season best 358 yards and 19 catches. "We have to pick up the odd fronts and execute. We have to get in the film room and try to figure out what they do."

Game-planning starts Sunday.

"We pare the game plan down to about 20-25 plays and come to a consensus on those," Oliver said "On game day, we feel like we've got a good chance to exploit something from the film. Sometimes, it's breaking a tendency we have. We do a good job of evaluating ourselves."

And the game plan starts with Peoples. Even if he is resting by the fourth quarter.

"The benefit of him being in there for the game plan is huge," Oliver said. "Teams have to gear up to try to take him away. If you take him away, you're sacrificing another area. That's where we're starting to find the mismatches."

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SU Notebook



By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN

Advocate sportswriter

ECHO! ECHO!
Southern (5-0, 3-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) and Alabama A&M (4-2, 2-1), who have a showdown at 6 p.m. Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium, are in the top two or three in 14 SWAC statistical categories.

The Jaguars, ranked 18th in Division I-AA, have won eight straight games (since Nov. 9), with its five wins this season by an average margin of 34.8 ppg. The Bulldogs, the Eastern Division champion in 2000 and 2002, have won three straight games by an average of 46.7 ppg.

Said Southern coach Pete Richardson of A&M, "They're executing on all cylinders. Their offense, defense and special teams are scoring for them. They're playing with a lot of confidence."

Said A&M coach Anthony Jones of Southern, "As a coach, you try to find weaknesses you can attack. I'm still searching."

ALUM TO PLAY

Southern quarterback Quincy Richard wore a Southern Alumni T-shirt Wednesday -- as well he should, since he graduated in secondary education over the summer.

The homecoming is the first as an alumnus for Richard and guard Chad Green (criminal justice).

"I have to represent for my fellow alumni," Richard said.

BULLETIN BOARD

Southern is getting absolutely zero respect from A&M, which beat Southern 27-11 last season.

Here are some quotes from the Huntsville (Ala.) Times:

Of Southern's defense that is first nationally in scoring defense and 21st in total defense, A&M wide receiver Travis Martin said, "They're not ready for us."

Added offensive tackle Robert Louis, "After watching film, I'm not really impressed. To me, they haven't played any good teams ... particularly teams that can run the ball like us. Their defensive line didn't show me much and their linebackers aren't as athletic as they used to be. That's why I feel we should be able to run the ball up and down the field against them."

Of Southern's offense that has allowed only one sack and has Richard third in the nation in passing efficiency, A&M defensive end Fernandez Shaw said, "They haven't faced anybody with the speed and quickness we have. They're overlooking that. They're going to be tested. They need to get ready."

Chimed in defensive coordinator Brawnski Towns, "Nobody has put any pressure on (Richard). We're going to put pressure on him and see if he can handle it."

When told of those statements, Southern linebacker Kendrick Paul said, "A lot of that stuff humors me. Coach (Richardson) tells us all the talk stops when you put the old Ridell (the helmet) on somebody. They know the truth. They know it's going to be a dogfight."

JONES ON SCORING

Senior tight end Rod Jones' 6-yard touchdown catch against UAPB gave him three scores in nine catches through his three-year career. It was his first catch of the season.

"I don't get the ball that often, so I have to make the most of it," Jones said. "I was just fortunate to be in the right place at the right time."

QUICK SIX

In six of its last seven games, including four of five this season, Southern's offense has scored on its first possession of the game.

"That tells you you've done a good job during the week and the kids are doing a good job of understanding the plan," offensive coordinator David Oliver said.

Southern is outscoring its opponents 123-13 in the first half, 63-6 in the first quarter (allowing no first-quarter TDs).

LAGNIAPPE

The Quarterback Club gave Richardson a birthday cake at the news conference Wednesday. Richardson turned 58 Tuesday. ... A&M leads the conference in sacks at 27 after leading last season at 51. ... A&M RB Jeremiah Bonds, despite missing most of the Prairie View game with a first-quarter hip injury and running for only 29 yards on 14 touches Saturday in a 63-0 laugher over Texas Southern, is 20th in I-AA in rushing at 105.00 yards per game.

Richardson named Richard (offensive), CB Lenny Williams (defensive) and KR Ezra Landry as his UAPB game players of the week. ... Southern had 10 penalties for 97 yards against UAPB, the third time in five games Southern has at least 10 penalties.



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[bluedog]

Alabama A&M coach focuses on strengths

By CHARLES SALZER
Special to The Advocate

A&M (4-2, 2-1) will play Southern (5-0, 3-0) at 6 p.m. Saturday in A.W. Mumford Stadium.
Read the story

Read the story

 

[bluedog]

Southern defense gets big test from hard-running A&M


Advocate staff photo by Richard Alan Hannon
Southern?s Tarus Morgan (59) and the rest of the defensive line face a run-oriented Alabama A&M today.

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
Special to The Advocate

Alabama A&M wants to, as All-Southwestern Athletic Conference offensive tackle Robert Louis said, "run the ball up and down the field against" Southern University.
Run-oriented A&M (4-2, 2-1 SWAC) wants to do just so against 18th-ranked Southern (5-0, 3-0) for homecoming at 6 p.m. today in A.W. Mumford Stadium.

Maybe the Bulldogs have every reason to think they can do that.

After all, Arkansas-Pine Bluff rolled up 234 yards, getting 125 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries from Billy Moody, who is not even among SWAC leaders. Even with adding that total, that's still almost 100 yards more than the Golden Lions' average.

"They're going to try to pound us," Southern coach Pete Richardson said. "I'm quite sure of that, because we had problems (in a 53-7 romp over UAPB)."

Read the story

 

[bluedog]

Jaguars' actions speak loud and clear

 

[BayouBandit03]

Pete Richardson....The Legend Continues

Although the status of someone being legendary an arguable issue, the Southwestern Athletic Conference has quite a few confirmed legends. Former men?s basketball head coach David Whitney of Alcorn State has been called a legend and no one would dare argue that former Grambling State head football coach Eddie Robinson is not a legend. Here at Southern, the legacies that A.W. Mumford and Ben Jobe have left are legendary. So, is it safe to say that Jaguars? football head coach Pete Richardson could be called a legend? If not, he is sure to be on his way.

"I would definitely call him a legend," said Eric Randall, former SU quarterback from 1992-1995. "He had a great influence on me. He made us understand that football was a business and every player had a place to play."

Randall said as a 20-year old, he initially thought that everything would be fun and games, but under Richardson?s tutelage, he learned different.

"He told us that the only way he could buy his wife nice things was if we as players won games," the former quarterback said. "He then would tell us that the only way we could keep our scholarships was if we produced. That year we went 11-1. Only someone great would break it down for you like that. You bet he is a legend."

Since his 1993 debut on "The Bluff," Richardson?s record to date is 90-33. Only Mumford?s record of 176-60-14 is better and it took him 26 years to do that. If Richardson chose to coach ten more years, he would be on pace to become arguably the greatest football coach in Southern?s fabled history. He has never suffered a losing season and his longest losing streak was four games in 1994, when the team went 6-5.

"I?d observed Coach Richardson before he was at Southern, when I was doing broadcasting with BET," said Grambling State football team head coach Doug Williams. "I can honestly say that he knows how to get his football team up and prepared to play."

Richardson?s arrival at Southern came after spending five seasons at Winston-Salem State University, where he went 42-14-1 and won three CIAA titles.

He came to Southern after the Jags endured three consecutive losing seasons. In his first year, the Jags finished 11-1- the first of four 11-win seasons. He has won four SWAC Championships, two Black College National Championships and four Heritage Bowl Championships.

"Coaches like Pete Richardson are wonderful in three aspects," said SWAC Commissioner Robert C. Vowels. "In the student-athlete aspect, the coaches? aspect and the ambassador aspect. His history of winning is consistent and he is a leader on and off the field. Plus, his reputation in the SWAC is great. In the short time that I have known him, he?s done everything right in joining the SWAC on the big picture and our new vision."

Since his tenure at WSSU, his numerous accolades include being named the 1998 Black Coaches Association Coach of the Year, SWAC Coach of the Year (four times) and the 1999 Nokia Sugar Bowl Louisiana Coach of the Year, just to name a few.

According to Richardson, a lot has changed since he has started coaching, especially in college football.

"College football has changed tremendously in the past years," Richardson said. "I think that the business aspect is almost controlling it. We now have games on Wednesday and Thursday nights and back then, that was almost unheard of. Also, there are the money aspects. It forces institutions to improve the type of program they have. It puts a lot of pressure on coaches also in order to be successful because you are talking about megabucks coming into the university."

Aspects in college football is not the only change that Richardson has noticed.

"I think that the biggest change that I see in myself is probably that I am more patient. I used to be a real energetic individual and I have understood over a period of time that I have to calm down," Richardson said. "But of course you see the different teams and the athletes that you have to deal with and a lot of them are not as committed as the ones in the past, so a lot of them are impatient also. They want to play right now. But a lot of them are good athletes and not good players. A lot of them are not patient enough to develop the talent of becoming a player."

Richardson said that two perfect examples of players with patience are quarterback Quincy Richard and senior defensive back Lenny Williams. He said that he was excited about coaching the two standouts.

"Both of them are first-class athletes," Richardson said. "They are in a situation where they are going to go out and get respect.

Throughout his coaching years, Richardson has had to deal with athlete?s attitudes, administration woes and particularly, the Jaguar Nation, who may be sometimes overbearing.

"That?s part of it, because I have set expectations of our program from the beginning. Being in this area, football is king and everyone who has knowledge for the game can be sort of impatient," Richardson said. "Also, when you don?t produce, they speculate that there will be some change and that is part of the pressure that is put on coaches in this area in order to produce. But I think that the main thing is to have knowledge of what you?re doing and the athletes that you have in those situations because those are the ones that hold you together. Then, of course, you have your wife."

That would be Lilian Raines Richardson, who is always at his side, win or lose, after the game. She knows all too well what football means to her husband and what he means to Southern. He also has a daughter, Deborale and two grandchildren.

After 11 seasons of coaching, Richardson, who recently celebrated his 58th birthday, has been making plans for his future

He is scheduled for surgery on his right leg at the end of the season and right now, standing up two to three hours a day in practices has recently been somewhat painful.

But he noted that if it were up to him, he would coach up to five more years if he could and then go into athletics administration.

So, does Richardson think of himself as a legend? Quite humbly, he shied away from such notoriety.

"When you start talking about legends, you start talking about individuals like Eddie Robinson," Richardson said.

"It feels good to have the respect of the people that have been around you because their knowledge of what type of job you?ve done and a larger part of that comes from the people around you."

To be a coach who has occupied what is arguably one of the most visible jobs in Black college football for over 15 years and never suffer a losing season, only a legend could do that.

And we have one here on "The Bluff."



http://www.southerndigest.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/10/10/3f86fe988086f

 

[JaguarNationAJL]

Congrads to coach Pete for all his hard work. Also congrads to all the great HBCU coaches of yesterday and today.

 

[bluedog]

Success aside, a lot of football remains

Don't be impressed. Don't be satisfied. So Southern put up another big score. So Alabama A&M couldn't back up its talk. There's so much more football left to the season.

Read more

 

[nickderiso]

SU's Richardson: 'We're not playing intelligently'

Success aside, a lot of football remains
By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
Special to The Advocate

Don't be impressed. Don't be satisfied. So Southern put up another big score. So Alabama A&M couldn't back up its talk. There's so much more football left to the season.

The Jaguars (6-0, 4-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) still need to play better -- so much better even -- than their 55-25 homecoming win Saturday night at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

"We're not playing intelligently," Southern coach Pete Richardson said.

More here:

http://www.2theadvocate.com/stories/101303/sou_joecol001.shtml

 

[bluedog]

Southern defense goes for points when given chance

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
Advocate sportswriter

Sure, Southern tries to spend two practice periods per day working on that ultra-fast transition of going from defense to offense after an interception.

Read story

 

[bluedog]

Jaguars clicking on all cylinders

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
Advocate sportswriter

At this point last season, Southern stood 1-5. That burned as the worst start in the worst season under Pete Richardson. The losses included four by double digits and the two worst margins in Southwestern Athletic Conference play under Richardson.



Read the story

 

[bluedog]

No. 17 Southern (6-0) at Jackson State (2-5), 7:00

Just take us straight to the Bayou Classic. No. 16 Grambling State and No. 17 Southern are the only two teams that look capable of winning the SWAC title this season, and their head-to-head matchup on Nov. 29 could be the only competitive game either plays the rest of the year. The Jaguars have defeated four league opponents by an average of 46.25 points, while the Tigers have wasted their four by an average of 35 points even. Whichever of the Western division powers makes it to the Dec. 13 SWAC title game will have the great pleasure of annihilating an Eastern division team like Jackson State, which is 2-1 in conference play despite its overall struggles. JSU was a 27-20 loser to Alabama State last Saturday, failing to stop ASU rusher Robert Randolph (108 yards) and not getting enough production from its running game (59 yards total). If Tiger head coach James Bell ever lets former All-American QB Robert Kent (1397 yards, 8 TD, 8 INT) air it out, JSU?s fortunes could change, but for now Bell will continue to stick with a rushing attack that ranks 115th in I-AA. Jackson?s troubles don?t bode well for this week?s tilt against Southern, which ripped through Alabama A&M by a 55-25 margin last week. Quarterback Quincy Richard (312 passing yards, 5 TD, 3 INT) posted another fine passing day, spreading his 25 completions among seven different receivers. The Jaguar defense was dominant, allowing the Bulldogs only 153 yards, including 48 on the ground for the day. Cornerback Lenny Williams once again paced the efforts of Pete Richardson?s team, chipping in with nine tackles and a pair of pass breakups. Though this game will be played at JSU, I don?t see that affecting an outcome that might as well be set in stone. Southern has been awesome, Jackson State has not, and the Jaguars will win by four to five touchdowns.

 

[bluedog]

Southern wants to halt slide to JSU

Southern wants to halt slide to JSU

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
Advocate sportswriter

Jackson State has owned 17th-ranked Southern (6-0) the last three seasons. Included in that: Last season JSU saddled the Jaguars with their worst Southwestern Athletic Conference loss in 11 seasons under Pete Richardson.
Read the story

 

[bluedog]

Jackson State head coach Bell says he won't budge



Jackson State head coach James Bell.

By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
Advocate sportswriter

JACKSON, Miss. -- The start of James Bell's tenure at Jackson State has produced 111 points and two wins in seven games.
Players have openly questioned the coach's conservative offense.

Impatient fans have vociferously expressed their displeasure with the new approach.

They better get used to it, because Bell has no plans to change his style.

"Like I tell the team every week, the team that commits the least amount of mistakes and the least amount of turnovers and plays the most consistent in all three phases of the game, that's the team that's going to win," the 44-year-old coach said.



Read more

 

[G-QUE]

Jags Lose Kick Returner

Notebook: Southern to use committee to fill in for Landry


By JOSEPH SCHIEFELBEIN
jschiefelbein@theadvocate.com
Advocate sportswriter

Southern will try a host of players to replace All-Southwestern Athletic Conference kick returner Ezra Landry, who had surgery on his left ankle Tuesday.
Wide receivers James Vernon and Antonio Overstreet have worked on returning punts, while wide receiver Chris Davis will return kicks. Senior cornerback Lenny Williams may also help.

"I did it in high school, but it's different in college -- the speed," Williams said.

Landry, second in Division I-AA in kick returns at 33.56 and 23rd in punt returns at 12.14, is expected to be out at least four weeks if not more.

"I'm ready to step in and try to pick up where Ezra left off. But that's going to be hard," Vernon said.

Vernon has averaged 20.0 yards on three punt returns and 11.5 on two kick returns this season. As The Advocate's Class 5A-4A-3A Offensive MVP at Glen Oaks High, he averaged 64.3 yards, scoring seven touchdowns, on kick returns.

"I feel comfortable doing it," said Davis, who returned kicks while at St. Helena Central High in Greensburg. He's averaged 13.5 yards on two kick returns this season. "It'll be something new. Hopefully, I won't be too nervous."

FOR STARTERS

Southern is 6-0 for the fourth time in 11 seasons under Pete Richardson.

In each of the previous three times, the Jaguars went to 8-0 before losing in the ninth week.

The 1993 team (11-1, Southwestern Athletic Conference, Heritage Bowl and black-college national champions), Richardson's first, fell 28-14 to Nicholls State for homecoming. The 1997 team (also 11-1 and SWAC, Heritage Bowl and black-college national champs) lost at Florida A&M 33-3. And the 1999 team (11-2, SWAC champion) lost at FAMU 65-18.

Including the four times under Richardson, Southern has started at least 6-0 in 13 seasons since the program's first year, 1918. The others: 1929 (6-1), 1931 (7-0), 1948 (12-0), 1950 (10-0-1), 1953 (9-2), 1954 (10-1), 1959 (8-2), 1960 (9-1), 1963 (7-3).

CONFIDENCE MEN

Southern, playing at Jackson State (2-5) at 6 p.m. Saturday, is full of momentum -- a big change from last season's frustrating 1-5 start.

Said Richardson, "The biggest thing I see is believing we can be successful. We go into a game with the attitude we're going to score on offense and stop them on defense. The players have a lot of pride in that. There are times when some of them get discouraged when they feel individuals aren't doing their part to maintain what we're doing. That keeps the competition in the ranks."

Said senior tackle Jonathan St. Cyr, who was suspended and didn't play in the final five games last season but has come back to post the best numbers of his career (24 tackles, two sacks, one interception), "What we were missing as a team was togetherness. Last year, we had individuals. This year, we have people who want to come together as a team."

KEY NUMBERS

JSU averages the fewest penalty yards per game in the SWAC (at 50.3 ypg). Southern, with two fewer penalties than JSU (at 52) is nevertheless second to last in the conference at 93.5 ypg. ... JSU has missed all three field-goal tries, while Southern is 2-for-5 after Breck Ackley missed his last three tries. ... JSU is minus-10 in turnover margin (tied with a SWAC-worst 20 giveaways), while Southern is leading at plus-13. ... JSU is last in punt returns (3.1 ypr), opponents' fourth-down conversions (7-for-10), red-zone defense (seven TDs and three field goals in 10 opportunities) and tied for last in PAT kicking (13-for-15).

LAGNIAPPE

Richardson named WRs Alfred Ard (77 yards, two TDs) and Davis (75 yards, two TDs) and St. Cyr (three tackles, one pass deflection) as his offensive and defensive players of the week for the 55-25 win over Alabama A&M. ... LB Tarus Morgan is still bothered by a high-ankle sprain. ... CB Erin Damond (broken thumb) will have the thumb taped and padded for the game. ... Southern already has 17 rushing TDs (after 16 in 12 games last season). And Southern has already tied the number of TDs (38) of last season. ... The Jaguars are averaging 44.8 ppg. They've scored more points in games against A&M, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (53) and Prairie View (62) than they've allowed to a combined five SWAC foes (49 total points).