Stump Mitchell

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fifth of a nine-part series on Louisiana’s Division I college football teams other than LSU and Tulane, which will be covered in other areas on NewOrleans.Com. Earlier stories chronicled Southeastern Louisiana, Northwestern State, Nicholls State and McNeese State, and future stories will include Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) entries UL Lafayette, UL Monroe and Louisiana Tech and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) entry Grambling State. Today: Southern University.)

BATON ROUGE  – “New” doesn’t begin to describe Southern University’s Jaguar football team heading into the 2010 season.

There’s a new leader for the program, with Pete Richardson – the state’s longest-tenured head coach – departed and Lyvonia “Stump” Mitchell taking over and bringing 21 years of NFL experience to the job including 11 as an assistant coach of the Washington Redskins.

And there’s no question that Mitchell expects big things from the Jaguars.

“We think at the end of the season we’ll be 12-0,” Mitchell told a Baton Rouge writer during fall drills. “The way we’re looking at it is, we already have the ring. Somebody else has to take it from us.”

To keep opponents from taking that jewelry, symbolic of the Southwestern Athletic Conference title, the Jaguars will have to rebuild an offense that lost most of a strong set of skill players, and revamp a defense that ranked among the worst in the SWAC.

The Jaguars went 6-5 last year and had an uncharacteristic losing record (3-4) in SWAC play, losing their final two games. SU was handled 31-13 by state rival Grambling in the Bayou Classic and inexplicably lost at Texas Southern 30-25 to end the 2009 season on a down note.

“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel here,” Mitchell said, “just tighten up a few areas and get Southern back where it belongs.”

What the Jaguars are lacking in experience, they’re looking to make up in tempo. Mitchell has instituted an upbeat pace to practice with the hopes of carrying that over into the season.

“It’s definitely up-tempo,” said tackle Lee Almanza, one of four starters back in the offensive front. “That’s how we’re going to play in the game. The game’s not going to slow up just because we want it to.”

That offense will have to replace the SWAC’s leading passer (Bryant Lee) and receiver (Juamorris Stewart) and SU’s leading rusher (Brian Threat) as well as key tight end target Warren Matthews. Lee accounted for 29 touchdowns last season as well as 2,863 offensive yards in earning SWAC Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Likely starter Jeremiah McGinty, meanwhile, saw only occasional duty and only threw five passes in 2009.

“He’s about halfway there,” Mitchell said of McGinty. “But he can throw the ball and he definitely can run it, so I like what we have in him.”

Gary HollimonMitchell is equally high on Gary Hollimon, a former quarterback moved to running back and the team’s top returning rusher with 346 yards and a team-high six scores. “I am going to see that Gary Hollimon leads the SWAC in rushing,” he said.

Almanza and fellow returnee Ramon Chinyoung, an all-SWAC selection, head up the offensive front that will lead Hollimon and protect McGinty, while Curry Allen heads up a new-look receiver corps as the third-leading pass catcher from last season.

The Jaguar defense returns five of the top six tacklers from last season, but that unit also ranked ninth in the 10-team SWAC in total defense, seventh in rush defense and ninth in pass defense. New defensive coordinator O’Neill Gilbert expects that to change with a new scheme that emphasizes quarterback pressure.

“We have to get better up front, no question,” Gilbert said. “We weren’t very good there, and it showed by the number of tackles that everyone behind them had to make.”

Senior tackle Jordan Miller, who led the Jags in sacks last year and is the top returning tackler in the front wall, sees the difference.

“This is going to be a no-nonsense type of group,” he said of the new Jaguar staff. “They’re all about discipline.”

Returning starter Steven Williams and UL Monroe transfer Casey Narcisse will bolster that front line along with the return of senior Dexter James, who missed most of 2009 with a shoulder injury.

Andre’ Coleman, SU’s top tackler last year with 68, returns to head up a linebacker corps that also got starting time from returnees Justin Fletcher, Marcus Clark and Gary Chatman last year. Chatman alternated between linebacker and the secondary, an area that will be led by safety Jason House after his nation-leading 10 interceptions and 230 yards in interception returns.

Josh Duran was solid as a punter (41.3) last year but struggled on placements, so the Jags will be counting on a first-time freshman, William Griswold, to handle kicking chores.

--

SU AT A GLANCE
Location: Baton Rouge

Nickname: Jaguars

Colors: Columbia Blue & Gold

Athletic Director: Greg LaFleur

Stadium: Mumford Stadium (25,500, natural turf)

Head Coach: Stump Mitchell (1^st year)

Assistants: Ricky Diggs, assistant head coach/offensive coordinator; O’Neill Gilbert, defensive coordinator/DL; Paul Lounsberry, offensive line; Ted White, quarterbacks; Mike Jones, linebackers; Eric Dooley, wide receivers; Otis Flowers, defensive backs; Elvis Joseph, running backs; Jason Palermo, tight ends

Offense: Multiple

Defense: Multiple

Lettermen Back: 42 (21 offense, 18 defense, 3 special teams)

Starters Back: 16 (6 offense, 8 defense, 2 special teams)

---

2010 SCHEDULE

---

TENTATIVE TWO-DEEP

Offense

QB         

9              Jeremiah McGinty

6              Hasoni Alfred

RB          

15           Gary Hollimon

24           Brandon Rice

FB          

41           Lee Mitchell

83           Carlton Byrum

WR        

13           Curry Allen

2              Corey Cushingberry

WR        

3              Charles Hawkins

86           Jeremy Paul

TE          

89           Kesean Peterson

84           Javon Jordan

LT           

72           Chris Browne

74           Joshua Verrett

LG          

76           Taylon Jones

73           Charles Barkins

C            

61           Ramon Chinyoung

60           Aaron Hall

RG         

67           Roddrell Stewart

68           Johnathan Preston

RT          

78           Lee Almanza

n/a          David Henderson

Defense

LE           

97           Steven Williams

96           Dion Palmer

DT          

95           Casey Narcisse

70           Dexter James

DT          

90           Jordan Miller

56           Jeremiah Booth

RE          

91           Delwin Williams

92           Kedy Enabulele

WLB      

47           Andre’ Coleman

57           Corey Rayn

MLB      

53           Marcus Clark

43           Demetrius Bentley

SLB        

39           Gary Chatman

54           Detrane Lindsey

FS          

8              Jason House

23           Marlon Smith

SS          

1              Demetric Rogers

n/a           Cantrell McKinley

CB          

36           D’Mekus Cook

21           Pierre Warford

CB          

28           Ishmale Hart

30           Marcus Doss

Specialists

K            

1              William Griswold

17           Josh Duran

P            

17           Josh Duran

1              William Griswold