SU fearless away from Mumford Stadium

 
Jaguars take undefeated road record into Montgomery to take on the Alabama State Hornets.
Isaiah Crowell and Malcolm Cyrus don’t have an intimidating or witty nickname for their dynamic partnership in Alabama State’s backfield. According to Southern Jaguars free safety Omar Cook, they’re just Isaiah and Malcolm.
Southern (5-4, 5-2) will travel to Montgomery to host Alabama State (6-3, 6-1) on Saturday in a game that could put the Jaguars firmly in command for the West title and for an automatic spot in the Southwestern Athletic Conference title game Dec. 7. 
However, the Jaguars matchup against the Hornets is a big one. The game is a must win. Not only do the Jaguars owe ASU some humble pie after a failed two-point conversion attempt cost them in last year’s game.
“They can score with anybody,” said ASU head coach Reggie Barlow. “Its going to be another really, really tough game for us.”
Barlow’s team began to soar through the league winning six straight games after losing their conference opener in week two at Jackson State. Though the streak was snapped last weekend in a 48-14 loss against the University of Kentucky, Barlow still has an explosive offense, which is led by the Crowell and Cyrus.
The Hornets’ running back duo currently combines for 1,739 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. Crowell, a former University of Georgia running back who was the SEC Freshman of the Year in 2011, has 917 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns so far this season.
Cook said that the Hornets’ probably has the best backfield the Jaguars defense will face this season.
Crowell is more of the pounder, grinding out extra yards with defenders on his back, while Cyrus slips through arm tackles and wears the defense down. Both are averaging more than 6.1 yards per carry.
Southern enters the game allowing 228.4 rushing yards per game, which ranks eighth in the league. The Jaguars are also eighth in scoring defense, giving up an average of 34.2 points per game.
“We need this game no matter who we play,” said Cook, whose 56 tackles and two interceptions leads the Jaguars secondary.
            The Jaguars kept their title hopes alive with a 31-24 victory against Texas Southern last Friday night in Houston.
Cook isn’t going to get caught up trying to figure out what it will take for his team to reach the title game. He just knows that if Prairie View loses to Alcorn Thursday night and if the Jaguars win Saturday, they’re in.
“I probably won’t be watching that game,” he says. “I’ll probably be more focused on this game because if they lose we still going into this game to win.”
            The Hornets’ are second in the East Division, two games behind Jackson State with two league games remaining. JSU, who’s atop the East standings, is undefeated with two league games remaining also.  Alcorn fell to Alabama A&M last Saturday and will probably finish third.
“Like I told our guys we beat one football team that’s had a winning record,” said Jaguars head coach Dawson Odums, whose team is 3-0 in league road games this season. “Its time for us to start showing up against the good football teams in this conference.”
The Jaguars victory over Texas Southern not helped them regroup, but Odums said he was pleased with their performance and the way they came out and competed.