Football coaches frequently talk about winning the turnover battle. Jennings’ defense has turned it into an obsession.

“The big thing about our defense is the turnovers,” Jennings head coach Bret Fuselier said. “That is one of the things we talk about that breaks a team’s spirit is turnovers and scoring off of them.

“That is one thing our defense has been able to do. We have proven to be pretty opportunistic on that end, and that is one thing that Coach (Anthony) Yruegas preaches is the turnovers. Our guys are playing.”

The Bulldogs have created 25 turnovers in seven games. Four times they have turned one into six points, which is equal to all other Southwest Louisiana teams combined.

The Bulldogs didn’t change much on the defensive side, but they did return a more seasoned and mature group. They have gone from allowing 26.4 points a game last year with four wins to 13.9 this year and a 5-2 record with three weeks left in the regular season.

Yruegas, a former McNeese State defensive lineman (2013-2016), is in his third season as the Bulldogs’ defensive coordinator.

“Of course, I wasn’t here last year, but we did have a lot of returning starters on that side of the ball,” Fuselier said. “Coach Yruegas is still calling it.

“It is the same system and the same thing that they have been doing for a couple of years now. (Yruegas) has been the coordinator over here for a couple years now and the kids are comfortable with it. One thing is that we are able to line up sound, but the biggest thing is we are able to play fast because the kids are comfortable with the defense. That has been a big difference for us.”

In Week 2 against Eunice, Derian Edwards had a 54-yard pick-six. The following week Zae Douglas had a 25-yard fumble return in a 17-3 win over DeRidder. In Week 6, D.J. Moore’s 58-yard fumble return helped spur the Bulldogs’ 31-0 shutout of Kinder, and last week Humphrey Ned had a 35-yard pick-six against South Beauregard. Jennings picked off four passes in that game.

Ned, a strong safety, has 64 tackles, five sacks, 16 tackles for a loss, two interceptions, four forced fumbles and a fumble recovery, but he is hardly the lone contributor on the defensive side. Defensive end Davien Edwards had four fumble recoveries, Derian Edwards has a pair of picks, and Moore and Wyatt Fontenot have three recoveries each.

“(Ned) plays strong safety for us and he seems to be a big factor in a lot of these turnovers,” Fuselier said. “He had an interception return for a touchdown this past week.

“On the season, he has quite a few forced fumbles and fumble recoveries,” Fuselier said. “Zae Douglas is another one for us, a cornerback, who has a few interceptions for us.

“Those are the guys that have been the beneficiaries of things such as pressure from our front four, and, also, our linebackers do a good job of getting pressure on the quarterback. It is a kind of a team defense type thing that everybody does their part.”

Senior middle linebacker Walter Robertson runs the defense on the field. They will travel to Westlake on Thursday to take on a game in the midst of a four-game losing streak. But the Rams have a potent passing duo in quarterback Brody Anderson (64-127-3, 986 yards, 11 TDs) and wide receiver Kevin Rideau (30-594, 8 TDs).

“They are a well-coached team,” Fuselier said. “Coach (John) Richardson does a good job, and Coach (Lark) Hebert is over there running the defense.

“I know they are young this year, but they are athletic. They are a team that scares you for the simple fact that those guys won last year, and they were a second-round team last year. So those guys are hungry. They don’t like losing four in a row. They are playing at home so we have to be careful and not overlook these guys. We are going to get their best.

“They have shown they are capable of playing good football. I know the (Brody) Anderson kid is real young. He is a freshman, but he can throw the football. The (Kevin) Rideau kid, the slot receiver, is a playmaker, so we have to know where he is at all times.”