Driving through tireless effort and fatigue in the fourth quarter, the Southern University Jaguars (2-2, 1-0) bombarded the Prairie View A&M Panthers (0-3, 0-2) to seal the deal once again with a 34-24 win.
Not only have they experienced fatigue in this game but also it has been since the three non-conference matchups at the beginning of the season, Southern has been waiting to dig their claws deep into Southwestern Athletic Conference play not only to face overtime threat Prairie View, but also to overcome the adversity since the beginning of the season.
This game was a bounce-back performance after the 51-27 loss against Northwestern State in the previous week. This victory was even sweeter knowing that the defense lost its starters, Kevin King, D’Andre Woodard, and Dionte McDuffy and Southern still used its young guys to come out on top.
On the other hand true blue freshman quarterback, Austin Howard started at quarterback that night and scouted the ball down the field to gather the win for the team. At the beginning of the season, Head Coach Dawson Odums said that the quarterback position was up for grabs and Howard went forward and took that spot. He was 8 for 15 for 108 yards and a single touchdown when he cruised through the endzone in the second quarter and heavily relied on the run game.
Redshirt sophomore running back, Lenard Tillery in his first drive down the middle for 36 yards, made the first touchdown of the game. This was the team’s first in SWAC play this season to light the field up with such impressive openings.
Baton Rouge native and rival, Johnta Herbert, scrambled all night and tried to show up Tillery but both ended with a touchdown and high carries for their team. Tillery came out with 24 carries for 147 yards and Herbert had 21 carries and 133 yards.
“Coach Odums always tells us, when offense got problems, defense got your back, and when defense has problems, offense has your back, and special teams has everyone’s back,” said Tillery.
Thus having everyone’s back, we cannot forget the lightning quick feet that junior wide receiver, Willie Quinn, has when on special teams, he went for 98 yards on kick return for a touchdown and gripped the lead for Southern in the second quarter before the end of the half. When Quinn gets his feet planted there’s nowhere to go but the endzone.
With the defense backing up the offense to no avail, redshirt junior, Demetrius Carter gained 15 impressive tackles. Panther’s senior quarterback, Jerry Lovelocke had no idea that the fresh young players were going to surprise him while he was at the snap. Even with certification issues, Coach Odums mentioned in past weeks that there was always a front-runner up. In the first quarter, true freshman defensive back, Blake Anderson caught an interception and ran it back for 30 yards. Following up in the second quarter, redshirt junior Rhaheim Ledbetter caught another interception and ran it back for 18 yards and also claimed six tackles on the Panther’s offense.
Southern was 34-10 for 3 quarters until Lovelocke snapped back in the pocket and handed off the ball to Tillery’s rival as Herbert rushed for 61 yards and after Southern’s unsuccessful drive, the Panthers once again closed the gap when running back Arthur Lockett rushed for 31 yards.
It was a flashback as the team did not want to end up effortlessly not repeat an overtime run through for the sake of fatigue.
“They had nothing left in the tank and they’re aren’t supposed to if they’re giving it their all,” said Odums.
It was the last two drives that decided the fate of the Jaguars as Odums finished and pleaded, “Just get a stop, one stop.”
The Panthers did not seem to reach that endzone to send the team into overtime and the young players and fresh team came out with a win.
The Jaguars contend against Alcorn State in Lorman, Miss after Alcorn battled former Jackson State Head Coach, Rick Comegy and came out with a win against Mississippi Valley 52-9. With both Southern and Alcorn being second in their division, it will be a once again a matchup to determine if the Jags can take revenge on a team they fell to last season.
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Welcome to SWAC play
September 23, 2014
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