This Saturday, September 21, you can expect plenty of clawing when two of the biggest cats in the Southwestern Athletic Conference come out to face each other in the New Orleans Superdome at 1 p.m.
The Southern University Jaguars will face the Jackson State University Tigers in a well-anticipated match-up that will feature some of the SWAC’s premier players: JSU quarterback Robert Kent and Southern’s wide receiver Michael Hayes and linebacker Chris Cooper.
“We are going to have to put pressure on them,” said Cooper. “We are just going to ‘lock and load’, blitz, and play him (JSU quarterback Robert Kent) so that we can knock him out the game to make them run.”
The game is expected to be quite emotional. This game will break the tie in the series between the two with 22 games apiece and last season, the controversial ending only added fuel to the heightening fire that brew between the two teams.
“It’s a heated football game…,” said Jaguar Head Coach Pete Richardson. “It’s a situation where we can’t let emotions…get players taken out early in the game.”
Last season, the Jags went to Jackson, Miss. to tackle the Tigers before a crowd of 32,746. Jackson State came back from a ten-point deficit in the fourth quarter to lead the Jaguars 24-21 with only 2:17 left in the game. Southern failed to score in their final possession.
This season, the Jags do not expect to let JSU get the chance to come back from behind.
“We’re going to have to be able to slow them down offensively,” said Richardson. “We can’t give up any big plays.”
Stopping the Tigers offensively means stopping quarterback Robert Kent. Kent headed the 2002 Preseason All-SWAC Team. Last season, he averaged 330 yards per game and passed for over 30 touchdowns.
Jaguar cornerback Lenny Williams has no problems attempting to stop Kent.
“He has to go through three lines of defense and he ain’t going to get it,” said Williams.
On the other side of the ball, the Jaguars running game has been getting stronger, especially with the play of runningback Kenneth Peoples. Peoples had 98 yards on 17 carries and one touchdown in last week’s win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Reserve defensive back Kevin Moffett was also an important factor in last week’s win, and is expected to do big things in Saturday’s game. Moffett was named this week’s SWAC Player of the Week after his spectacular play on special teams. He blocked three kicks, including the kick that would have tied the game in the third quarter. He also was an important factor in forcing the UAPB punter to drop the ball, and tipping a punt.
“Special teams will always have some kind of impact,” said Richardson. “We go into the season trying to get three wins out of special teams.”
Just how much of an impact will Moffitt, standout punt returner Ezra Landry and the rest of the Jags’ squad have on the Tigers? We will be sure to find out Saturday at 1p.m.
