In the FCS Huddle: SWAC spring football primer
Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) – Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Monte Coleman isn’t just the dean of Southwestern Athletic Conference head football coaches, he’s the dinosaur.
Change apparently is good in the SWAC. Among its 10 member schools, UAPB, with Coleman headed toward his seventh season, is the only school not to have a new head coach since the start of the 2012 season.
In a conference in which the standings shuffle quickly, one of the “veterans,” Alcorn State coach Jay Hopson, guided the Braves to the 2014 SWAC championship.
This year, there are new head coaches at Alabama State and Prairie View A&M.
Some SWAC programs are getting a better jump on the 2015 season than others as Alabama State, Mississippi Valley State and Southern are not having spring practices because of APR sanctions.
Here’s a look across the SWAC with spring practices getting underway across the nation:
STORY LINES
After winning its first SWAC title since 1994, the question for Alcorn State is, can it repeat this year? The return of quarterback John Gibbs Jr., the conference’s co-offensive player of the year, provides the Braves with a head start.
Alabama State has a new head coach in Brian Jenkins, who departed Bethune- Cookman after five successful seasons. Complaints have surfaced about Jenkins’ time at B-CU, but he appears to have support at his new school and he hopes to continue settling in with the Hornets despite the loss of spring practices.
Prairie View A&M seeks improvement under new head coach Willie Simmons, Alcorn State’s offensive coordinator the last three seasons. The Panthers also will have a new defensive coordinator for the fourth straight year and the fifth time in the last six years.
Grambling State improved by six wins in coach Broderick Fobbs’ first season, but it let the West Division lead slip away in their final two games, so the Tigers come back determined to finish the job this year.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff will seek dividends after playing a lot of freshmen and sophomores last season. The senior leadership will come from the likes of All- SWAC defensive end Demarcus Berry.
Alabama A&M coach James Spady has opened spring practices to the public to try to create a bigger connection with the surrounding community. The Bulldogs, 4-8 last season, lost three games by three or fewer points, so they don’t feel far off from success.
A delayed APR penalty has led to no spring football at Southern. Coach Dawson Odums, who has guided his program to the last two SWAC championship games, has to replace key seniors from both the offensive and defensive lines.
Eligible again for the postseason after a three-year ban, Texas Southern seemingly had a respectable 5-6 record last year, but it was 5-1 at one point. The Tigers have to find consistency at quarterback.
Mississippi Valley State only won one conference game last season, but it was the right one at Jackson State as the Delta Devils’ first-year coach, Rick Comegy, had been fired there after the 2013 season. They have lost their best offensive player, wide receiver Julian Stafford, but Comegy focused on speed in this year’s recruiting class.
Jackson State didn’t fare so well in the first season after firing Comegy. Second-year coach Harold Jackson needs his offense to continue evolving under coordinator Timmy Chang, while new defensive coordinator Alonzo Lee will flip his unit back to a 4-3 scheme after one season as a 3-4.
THEY’RE BACK
Prairie View A&M returns Johnta Hebert, who led the FCS in all-purpose yards per game (225.3) and led the SWAC in touchdowns (15).
Jenkins’ mantra at Alabama State is “Swarm and Sting.” He has the right Hornet in linebacker Kourtney Berry, who has begun his career with two straight brilliant campaigns.
Jackson State’s Javancy Jones has had two strong seasons, first as a defensive end and then as a linebacker. This year, he is moving back to defensive end.
Everywhere you turn, Bryan Brower is doing something for Alabama A&M, whether it’s the redshirt sophomore running back or his brother Bryan (same name), the team’s leading tackler at linebacker.
Prairie View is delighted to have back Courtney Brown, a 1,000-yard rusher in 2013, after he was injured last preseason and missed the campaign.
A healthy Amir Bloom will give Texas Southern a strong pass rushing defensive end. He had eight sacks in 2013.
Grambling State’s quarterback position had flip-flopped in recent seasons, but Johnathan Williams settled it with an outstanding junior campaign. Playing nine games, he led the SWAC in total offense, averaging 326.4 yards per game.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff will keep going to big-play wide receiver Willie Young, who caught nine touchdowns.
Having led Alcorn State in receptions (52) and receiving yards (637) in 2013, wide receiver Tollette George returns from a preseason injury which sidelined him last year.
Mississippi Valley State had a balanced defense last season, and it returns leading tackler Le’Trey Jones, a senior cornerback.
POSITION BATTLES
Quarterback is up for grabs at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. JUCO transfer Nolan Sorensen will battle with Collin Willis, who sat out last season, and returnees Marcus Terrell and Brandon Duncan.
Prairie View also has to settle its quarterback spot after losing standout Jerry Lovelocke. Trey Green and De’Auntre Smiley will compete for the top spot.
Southern basically uses a two-quarterback system, but it won’t stop Austin Howard and Deonte Shorts from trying to steal more playing time from each other.
At Alcorn State, Hopson may have to continue the running-back-by-committee approach. This year, he adds JUCO transfer D’Lance Turner to Darryan Ragsdale, Arron Baker and Josh Ivery.
Jackson State quarterback LaMontiez Ivy passed for a SWAC-high 3,209 yards last season, but transfer Jarin Morikawa comes in with experience in running a run-and-shoot. Either way, the QB will be pleased to pass the ball to 1,000- yardwideout Daniel Williams.
FIVE BREAKOUT PERFORMERS
Alabama State running back Malcolm Cyrus departed after a nearly 1,500-yard senior season. Junior Khalid Thomas, his understudy, is ready to take the lead role.
Grambling State is looking for improvement on the offensive line, which will make running back Jestin Kelly’s job a lot easier.
Jackson State is looking to replace running back Rakeem Sims. Robert Johnson, who played well in November, steps in with lofty expectations.
Prairie View defensive end DeVohn Reed showed plenty of promise as a redshirt freshman. He’s ready for the next step.
Randall Menard’s return from a season-ending foot injury just adds to a strong receivers corps at Southern, which is fronted by Willie Quinn.
NUMBERS NEVER LIE
Alcorn State led the SWAC in both scoring offense (44.0 ppg) and scoring defense (19.5) as well as total offense (493.8 ypg) and total defense (320.1).
No FCS team allowed more blocked kicks than Southern with 11 in 13 games. But the Jaguars had a combined seven touchdowns off kickoff and punt returns.
Grambling State racked up 45 sacks in its turnaround season.
Texas Southern has a difference maker in senior punter Cory Carter. He averaged 45 yards per punt to rank third in the FCS.
In need of allowing fewer sacks are Mississippi Valley State (44), Alabama A&M (43), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (42) and Jackson State (39).
Incredibly, all 10 SWAC teams had at least 90 penalties.
SPRING PRACTICE DATES
With 2014 records in parentheses
Alabama A&M (4-8, 3-6): April 1-May 2
Alabama State (7-5, 5-4): No spring practices
Alcorn State (10-3, 7-2): March 17-April 18
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (4-7, 3-6): March 30-April 25
Grambling State (7-5, 7-2): March 6-21
Jackson State (5-7, 3-6): March 17-April 11
Mississippi Valley State (2-9, 1-8): No spring practices
Prairie View A&M (5-5, 5-4): March 24-April 25
Southern (9-4, 8-1): No spring practices
Texas Southern (5-6, 3-6): March 24-April 11
Categorized in: NCAA Football