Sports

QB BACK IN THE SADDLE FOR JSU

By Troy Schulte/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Friday, October 10, 2008 11:32 PM CDT

Just before last Saturday’s game against Southern, Trae Rutland scanned the crowd at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium and soaked in the atmosphere of more than 40,000 people.

Rutland approached Michael Mosley, the newcomer on the team who had two weeks prior taken his quarterback job and said, “Look at this. This is the time to step up.”

Rutland didn’t know it when he said it, but it turned out, he would be the one who had a career game and lead Jackson State to 16 fourth quarter points in an eventual 35-28 loss.

“It was a big game,” Rutland said. “It’s all about how you step up in the big games. I think we did pretty good as a team. Besides the ‘L.’”

Jackson State’s loss to Southern last week may not have been the biggest surprise of the first half of the Southwestern Athletic Conference season. What is a surprise, though, is that it was the Tigers fourth so far. The 2007 SWAC champions have struggled this season and Rutland and Mosley have each played along the way.

After backing up Jimmy Oliver Rutland entered this season with the starting job and, what he thought was, a clear grasp of the offense. But Jackson State struggled through its first four games, all of which Rutland started and three of which it lost.

In those games Rutland led the Tigers — though Mosley played at times — to offensive outputs of 13, 17, 18 and 5 points. A 14-5 loss to Grambling State Sept. 20 led Comegy to replace Rutland with Mosley permanently.

Comegy said before the Southern game he made the move “to give us a spark.”

“It wasn’t hard to take, it was a coach’s decision,” Rutland said. “I just had to roll with the coach, roll with him and whatever he says.”

Rutland didn’t have to roll very long. In the first quarter against Southern Mosley went down with a knee and ankle injury. Rutland took over and ended up having his best game of the season. He passed for 181 yardsa and rushed for 101 and almost led the Tigers to their first win in three weeks.

Saturday, when Jackson State (1-4, 0-1) tries to put behind it the slow start against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-5, 0-1) , Rutland will again be the starter and Comegy said he has confidence in the junior.

“I think we’re finally seeing a Trae Rutland that can run the football,” Comegy said. “I think with him kowing that he has those free reigns, I think he’s more relaxed. And I think he’s going to be a threat running the football.”

A confident and relaxed Rutland is key if Jackson State plans to first beat the Golden Lions Saturday, and then rattle off enough victories to capture a wide-open SWAC East and put it in position to defend its title Dec. 13 in Birmingham, Ala.

Rutland thinks the team has the talent to do it. It just needs a little something to build on.

“We’ve got to step up for ourselves now,” he said. “Birmingham is still our goal.”

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