I I 4ft CCLLEC
SWAC CONTINUED
can convert this into consistency,
things should fall into place."
Southern iostT2 letlermen from l$st
year's team, nine of them starters, but
the Jags still rank high in the SWAC in
the number of monogram-wearers
returning.
On offense, the best of the veterans
is quarterback Herman Coleman, who
-completed 87 of 202 passes for 1,610
yards and 15 touchdowns a year ago.
Though he'll be in the line-up come
September, Coleman was sidelined
after the Jags' spring game, suffering a
separated shoulder.
The running game may be
Southern's most questionable spot on
offense. Gone from the team is leading
rusher Tony Good (699 yards), now
with the New Orleans Breakers, and
backup Aaron Kent, now with the
Washington Redskins.
Defensively, Washington says, his
unit had a problem reading opponents'
offenses too much last year and not
pressuring the passer enough. Consequently,
he says, "We've got to put
1 A !_ A|_!^ / _!! * - -1
mure ricai un me passer mis ian. in me
spring, we worked hard on being aggressive
up front and blitzing.
"We're going to do a lot less reading
and be more aggressive and pressure
people."
ORAMBLING STATE
3P
/
Defending SWAC champion
Grambling State lost a slew of stars
from last year's 8-1-2 team, including
Robert Smith, Mitch Montgomery,
Rufus Stevens, Garrett Chase, Ed
Scott and Darryl Nichols, all USFL
draftees. Gone, too, are pacesetters
Mike Dennis, Mike Harrington\and
Hollis Brent. Nevertheless, "Blfcck
America's Team," which hails from
the university "where everybody is
somebody/' is again expected to be no
less than awesome.
Motivated by the legendary Eddie
Robinson's quest to become college
football's winningest coach ever, the
Tigers simply do not seem ready to
relinquish their crown. Despite return
ing only 28 lettermen from last year's
team, the lowest total among league
schools, the Tigers do have eight offensive
starters coming back as well as five
defensive first-stringers.,
4'Sometimes you get caught up in all
this record stuff and overlook what the
team accomplishes," said the 65-year^
old Robinson, whose 42-year career
total of 313 wins is just 11 victories
short of Paul "Bear" Bryant's record
of 323. Robinson also is quick to note
that his "team" has either won or
shared the SWAC title in nine of the
last 13'seasons.
On offense, the Tigers remain formidable,
even though Brent, ^heir
Page 16-September. 1984e55ii5S55iS555i5i
spot/ eevi
4
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"A V V* \v
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Good Hands, Quic
Grambling wingback Dwayne Jupit
quarterback, is gone. The SWAC's
No.4 passer a year ago, Brent completed
109 of 306 passes for 1,673 yards
and 18 touchdowns. Stepping into his
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311uw win uc a u-4 iupuuiuuic uaiucu
Anthony Anderson who completed 19
of 37 passes for 376 yards in 1983.
The strength of Reginald Pugh at the
fullback position, though, is the
strength of the entire GSU team. Molded
in the likeness of the legendary Tank
Younger, the 6-2, 225-pound senior led
How They'll Finish:
Southern Universitv
Qrambllng State
Mississippi Valley
Alcom State
the SWAC in rushing in 1983, garnering
831 yards and scoring six
touchdowns.
Defensively, Smith, an all-American
end who was the heart of the Tiger
defense, has graduated. But hk high
school all-America brother, Sean, &
hefty 6-5, 255-pounder, could assume
his big brother's role.
Robinson may have nightmares,
however, at the linebacker positions,
where all three starters have departed,
and at defensive back, where three of
last season's four starters are gone.
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY
Up front, the Delta Devils have the
^ X.-ss
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k Feet
er, a senior, boasts speed and good \
experience and* talent to bring the
SWAC championship to Itta Bena,
Miss., for the first time since they joined
the league some 16 years ago.
What's more, a greater desire to win
could key Mississippi Valley to an even
better showing than its 7-2-1 record last
year, the best ever by an MVSU team.
Add to those ingredients 40 returning
lettermen, 16 returning starters and
four potential all-Americas and this
Jaekson State
Texas Southern
Alabama State
Prairie View
team coukt be frightening.
Mississippi Valley's notoriety, for
sure, comes from its feisty offensive attack,
where Head Coach Archie
"Gunslingei" Cooley continually
?-' pledges to "live by the pass or die by
j^Re pass." Wife. all-America Willie
' i 'C a" tnttam lao/ISnn via ??>? ? <*
oatvin ib i uuwii ivauutg mv n ay at
quarterback and fellow all-America
Jerry "World" Rice leading the way at
wide receiver, it's no wonder that the
Delta Devils led the SWAC (even
Grambling) in passing and total offense
in 1983 and are expected to do
the same in '84.
Totten, a senior who was born on
the Fourth of July, knows how to set
J
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lands (photo by James Terry).
off fireworks on the field. His 1983
figures tell the story - 2,566 yards
passing, 27 touchdowns, just nine interceptions,
a 62.4 completion percentage
and a Division I-AA record 167.5
pass-rating points.
Dir>* u/hn o!ca ic a cont/?? ? mm U?.
n??V| TT I1W IMJV AO SA JVIUU1 I Id I1U 1CS3
than sensational. The SWAC Player of
the Year and Black College Sports
Review Black College Player of the
Year in 1983 led the nation last year in
receptions with 198 (a Division I-AA
record), receiving yards (3,011) and
- touchdown catches (23).
Don't think, though, that the Delta
Devils will be a two-man team. Ample
assistance on offense will come from
the likes of fullback Carl Bvrum. Guard
# f 0??
James Thompson, tackle Lorenzo
Clark and wide receiver Joe Thomas.
"We are looking for other players
and ways to score and become a
balanced team," notes Cooley. "We'll
continue to work on our passing game
but we've got to work on our ground
attack".
Defensively, MVSU will not be as
strong as Cooley would like. Tackle
Willie Green, the hnrlrhnn* r?f loc*
. ww..| wtav Vi , UliJV
year's defense - which gaVe up an
average of 302 yards per game ? has
graduated as has highly-touted end
James Haynes. In the secondary,
however, SWAC Freshman-of-theYear
Clarence Trotter should again
play a key role.
Should there be a downfall for
Mississippi Valley this season, look for
it to be a lack of adequate depth on