Jackson State, like Southern, has a decision to make at quarterback for the upcoming Boombox Classic on Saturday in Jackson, Mississippi.
Unlike Southern, the Tigers are pondering their choice from a position of strength.
Second-year coach TC Taylor said he would will choose between quarterbacks Jacobian Morgan and Cam’Ron McCoy to open against the Jaguars when the teams clash at 6 p.m.
Morgan (6-foot-5, 225 pounds) returns after helping the Tigers go 7-4 in their first post-Deion Sanders season, including a 27-14 win at Southern. McCoy (6-1, 192) is a sophomore transfer from Eastern Michigan who has shown flashes of his dual-threat talent.
“Cam is a great athlete who can throw the football,” Taylor said. “He’s a sophomore who hasn’t played a lot. He’s very explosive and can throw the ball a long way. Smart, too, and he knows how to spread the wealth.
“Jacobian is more of a seasoned guy; he won some games for us last year. He can run and throw it. They both bring good knowledge of playing quarterback.”
McCoy passed for 100 yards and two TDs and rushed for 107 yards and two scores in last week’s 58-7 win over Lane College. Morgan was 9 of 11 for 150 yards and two TDs.
Morgan is the more established player and more likely to start. He completed 23 of 28 passes for 228 yards with a TD and an interception against Louisiana-Monroe in Week 1. McCoy threw one pass in that game.
Southern coach Terrence Graves said he expects to see both players.
“They have two good athletic quarterbacks just like us,” Graves said. “We (the defensive players) can’t get to a point where we try to make every play. Everybody just has to do their job and do it well.
“(We’re going to prepare) like we would for any athletic quarterback. We’re not going to do anything special. TC does a good job with what they’re doing offensively.”
JSU got off a fast start last week, jumping ahead 31-0 in the first quarter and 48-0 at halftime over their Division II opponents. The quarterbacks get good support from a receiver corps that features Isaiah Spencer and tight end Marvin Landy, who have combined for 10 catches for 201 yards and two touchdowns.
McCoy is the team’s leading rusher but Ahmed Miller rushed for 216 yards and averaged 6.4 yards per carry last season. He has 69 yards and a touchdown this year.
Defensively, the JSU front is anchored by tackle Jeremiah Williams and at linebacker with Reid Pulliam, who has 1½ sacks and leads the team with 12 tackles.
The secondary has a pair of stars in cornerback Jaheem Hazel and safety Esaias Guthrie. Hazel had four of JSU’s SWAC-leading 17 interceptions last season. Guthrie was a freshman All-American at Delaware State before transferring.
Last year, the Tigers rushed for 221 yards. The Jaguars had cut the lead to 20-14 early in the fourth quarter but the Jaguars defense gave up a 75-yard TD run on the next drive.