Righting the Ship, SU Makes It A Season To Remember

Immediately following Southern University’s dominant win over hated rival Jackson State in late October, Coach Dawson Odums stood before the media and made the following statement: “We accomplished our goal of going undefeated in October, now it’s time to make it a November to remember.” After Southern’s down-to-the-wire victory against Grambling State in the highest scoring Bayou Classic ever last Saturday, the month of November will not soon be forgotten.
The regular season concluded in exhilarating fashion, making Coach Odums’ proclamation a month ago sound prophetic. However, the start of SU’s football season nearly derailed its train before ever leaving the tracks. Prior to the team’s bus departing from Baton Rouge to take on the University of Louisiana-Lafayette in their season opener, several key players were left behind due to academic uncertainty. It didn’t help that on the first possession for the Southern offense, their number one option at wide receiver (sophomore Randall Menard) suffered a toe injury that would prove to be season ending. Combine that with the litany of injuries from the running back position, which was considered to be the deepest unit in fall camp, with two first-year quarterbacks auditioning on a weekly basis for the starting role. Any reasonable person would presume that those set of circumstances should culminate into a recipe for disaster. Fast-forward to September 27, Southern (with a 2-2 record) travels on the road to face the Alcorn State Braves. A Braves team, by all credible accounts, considered as this year’s “hottest team in the SWAC.” Southern gets crushed 56-16 by the Braves. After that game Coach Odums, drenched in sweat and visibly frustrated with his team’s performance, managed to compose himself. Odums reassured that despite how this season began, all of his team’s aspirations were still very much intact. “You’ll be measured by what you do going forward and still everything that you want to accomplish is in front of you. You have to rally the troops, get back to work, and get better.” Said Coach Odums.
Getting better is exactly what the Jaguars did and have not looked back since. Southern has reeled off seven straight victories in every conceivable way possible, getting valuable contributions from different players each week, en route to clinching their second consecutive SWAC Western division title. Affording them an opportunity to defend their throne in the 2014 SWAC Championship this weekend against none other than the last team SU lost to, Alcorn State. Beyond most average observers’ comprehension, the precipitated adversity clouding over Southern’s football team over the course of this season has galvanized a now very close bunch of coaches and athletes.
The once “patchwork” offensive line has become one of the key strengths to a rejuvenated Jaguar offense. The unit allowed a SWAC-low seven sacks in addition to helping running back Lenard Tillery tally over 1,000 yards rushing, the first time that has happened since 2003. Coach Odums, in his wildest dreams, could never have predicted this type of success eight weeks ago. “Y’all know how we started the season. So for us to be here, I wish I had the Las Vegas odds.” said Coach Odums. While mayhem ensued inside of the Superdome on Saturday evening when the referee’s confirmed that Grambling State quarterback Jonathan Williams did not cross the goal line as time expired. Coach Odums jubilantly sprinted across the field to shake hands with Grambling State head coach Broderick Fobbs, who looked him in the eyes during their brief exchange and told Odums boldly, “Go Win It.”
After overcoming the toils that held this season bound early on, one could argue that regardless of Saturday’s outcome in NRG Stadium, this season has already been won. The resiliency this team has shown and it’s valiant ability to flood out all of the surrounding noise speaks volumes about the future of this program. But for now, let’s get lost in the moment, because we’re currently witnessing the culture of Southern University football shifting back to it’s rightful spot, as a golden standard for other HBCU program’s to follow.
As of Monday the Sheridan poll has Southern ranked no. 1, as the top HBCU in college football. If SU defeats Alcorn in the SWAC Championship, they will become the 2014 Black College National Champions for the first time in eleven years. It would be a fitting way to sail into the sunset, righting the passage in time to produce one of the most memorable football season’s in Southern University’s storied history.