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Sunday, Aug. 31 • Florida Citrus Bowl
2 pm ET on ESPN2
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By Wesley Peterson
 The Jackson State Tigers had an outstanding ’07 season, as head coach Rick Comegy led his Tigers to the program’s 16th Southwestern Athletic Conference title (SWAC). JSU finished with an 8-4 overall record, and a 7-2 SWAC mark.
JSU stumbled to open the ’07 season, dropping the first two games of the season. The Tigers lost their season-opener 27-15 to Delta State and 16-13 to Tennessee State.
The Tigers picked up their first win of the season against Texas Southern, beating the TSU Tigers 28-7. JSU went on the win its next three games, defeating Mississippi Valley State 50-16, Alabama State 32-20 and Southern 32-26.
JSU stumbled against Grambling State, falling 30-20, but rebounded by picking up a 17-6 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Tigers followed that up with a 43-40 overtime win over Alabama A&M. JSU’s last loss came at the hands of Prairie View A&M (30-27).
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Marcellus Speaks anchors the D.
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JSU finished the regular season in strong fashion, defeating Alcorn State 31-19 in the Capital City Classic. The SWAC Championship was a rematch between Jackson State and Grambling State; this time the roles were reversed and JSU came out on the right end of a 42-31 decision.Throughout the season JSU’s resident “magic man” Jimmy Oliver helped pull out victory after victory for the Tigers. The senior signal caller passed for 2,550 yards and 20 touchdowns. Not only could he make plays with his arm, but also with his feet en route to leading the team in total offense. One of Oliver’s favorite targets was senior Jaymar Johnson, who caught 36 passes for 613 yards and seven TDs. Senior running back, Lavarus Giles finished the season as JSU’s second leading rusher and turned out to be a homerun threat for Comegy’s Tigers.
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Jaymar Johnson will be missed in '08.
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Defensively, JSU was led by senior linebacker/defensive end who recorded 49 tackles and 12.5 tackles for a loss. Linebackers Marcellus Speaks and Marcus Jamison were first and second in tackles with 85 and 70 tackles, respectively. JSU also had a strong secondary, led by Domonique Johnson and Malcolm Palmer, who each had five interceptions.
Jackson State University: 2008 Season Outlook
• Click here to see JSU’s ’08 schedule
• Click here to see JSU’s ’08 roster
Heading into Year 3 of the Rick Comegy era, the Tigers look to restore JSU’s legacy as a perennial contender for the SWAC crown. Throughout Comegy’s career as a head coach, his teams have continued to improve.
Trae Rutland will look to take over the starting quarterback reigns with the departure of Jimmy Oliver. Last season, Rutland played in eight games and passed for 302 yards. Rutland will have several targets available to him. Senior tight end Marcel Frost will be back on the field for JSU (he sat out last season with a broken leg). Frost has a combination of size and speed that will be a huge asset for the Tigers.
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Jimmy Oliver gone, the QB spot is up for grabs.
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Utility back Carlos Simpson caught 41 passes for 456 yards and a TD. Junior Rodney Gray will look to have a break-out season in ’08. Last season he caught 14 passes for 158 yards and three TDs.
Speaks, a senior, returns as JSU’s on-field leader. Palmer and Johnson will anchor JSU’s secondary. Senior linebacker Marcus Smith will look to regain his ’06 form after sitting out last season with a knee injury. Junior Sam Washington, and sophomore Emmanuel Muhammed should be solid on D-line for the Tigers.
EXTRA POINTS: JSU will play three non-conference games during the 2008 season. JSU will open the season on Aug. 31 with the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Orlando against Hampton University (Hampton leads the series 2-0).
• The Tigers will face Stillman College for their home opener on Sept. 6. On Sept. 13 JSU will face Tennessee State for the Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis, TN. The Tigers will remain on the road, as they head to Grambling to face the G-men of Grambling State University.
• The Tigers will open the month of October with a home game against Southern at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium (Oct. 4). The Tigers will then make back-to-back road trips.
• On Oct. 11 JSU will travel to Pine Bluff, AR to face the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions before heading to Houston to face Texas Southern. On Oct. 25 JSU will host in-state rival Mississippi Valley State for homecoming.
• The Tigers will make their final regular season road trip when they travel to Montgomery, AL to face Alabama State. The following week JSU will host Alabama A&M.
• On Nov. 22 JSU will end the regular season against rival Alcorn State for the Capital City Classic.
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