Football Preview: Jackson State
SWAC.org
If one team in the SWAC has the capability of emerging as a sleeper, it would appear to be the Jackson State Tigers.
Despite coming off consecutive losing seasons, the pieces are in place for immediate improvement under first-year head coach Tony Hughes.
Hughes spent 31 years as an assistant before accepting his first head coaching position in December. At JSU, he inherits nine starters on both sides of the ball.
Hughes is looking for more production from an offense which ranked seventh in the conference in scoring (22.9 points per game), ninth in rushing (101.1 yards per game), second in passing (273.2 ypg) and fifth in total offense (374.3 ypg). Closing out the season on a four-game losing streak, the Tigers (3-8, 3-6) were the league's most heavily-penalized team with 86.6 yards per game in markoffs.
A healthy LaMontiez Ivy would be a major step toward upgrading the offense. Despite missing three games with an ankle injury, the senior quarterback completed 60.6 percent of his passes for 2,199 yards with 15 touchdown and eight interceptions last year.
Junior running back Robert Johnson (94 carries, 409 yards, 2 TDs), the team's top leading rusher, is expected to be ready for preseason practice after sitting out spring drills with a shoulder injury.
Top receiver Devi Fosselman (58 receptions, 872 yards, 5 TDs) was lost to graduation, but two of Ivy's primary receivers return in seniors Dan Williams (54 receptions, 800 yards, 7 TDs) and Jairus Moll (40-421-5). Besides earning first-team All-SWAC accolades at wide receiver, Williams returned seven kickoffs for a 19.6-yard average.
All five offensive linemen are back, led by senior Markus Cook and junior Frank Carter. Rounding out the quintet are seniors Alem Amores and Christian Marshall, along with sophomore Duante Fisher.
Defensively, the Tigers ranked seventh in scoring (34.4 ppg), seventh in rushing (187.8 yards per game), third in passing (198.6 ypg) and 10th in total defense (386.5 ypg).
Splitting time between end and outside linebacker, senior All-American Javancy Jones (107 tackles, 7.5 sacks) led the nation with 25.5 stops in the backfield.
Junior Keontre Anderson (59 tackles, 12 TFL, 3.5 sacks) and senior Cornelius Henderson (61 tackles, 8 TFL, 3 sacks) join Jones on a potentially formidable front line.
Seniors Stacy Noble (85 tackles, 4 TFL) and Kwame Bowens (94 tackles, 9 TFL, 1 interception) and junior Shawn Bishop (55 tackles, 5 TFL) man the linebacker posts.
Senior cornerback Zavian Bingham (37 tackles, 1 INT, 7 pass breakups), junior safety Brandon Maiden (27 tackles) and senior safety Derrick Bobo (19 tackles) return in the secondary.
Senior Darcy Williamson punted 61 times for a 38.3-yard average. However, the Tigers are searching for a kicker following the loss of first-team All-SWAC performer Ryan Deising (16-of-21 field goals, long 49).
2016 JACKSON STATE SCHEDULE
Sept.1 at UNLV (Thurs.) 9: 00
Sept. 10 Tennessee State (at Memphis) 6:00
Sept. 17 Grambling* 6:00
Sept. 24 at Arkansas-Pine Bluff* 4:00
ct. 1 Mississippi Valley* 6:00
Oct. 15 Southern* 6:00
Oct. 22 at Texas Southern* 2:00
Oct. 29 Prairie View* (HC) 2:00
Nov. 5 at Alabama State* 2:00
Nov. 12 Alabama A&M* 2:00
Nov. 19 at Alcorn* TBA