LORMAN &045; Martin Jackson’s family got out of their New Orleans-area home just before Hurricane Katrina hit.

And thankfully so. The Alcorn State defensive end has been in contact with them occasionally now that they’re safe in a shelter in Eunice, La. It could have been worse for Jackson, whose biggest worry earlier this week was the condition of his home back in Marrero, La., after finding out his family was fine.

Now he can just focus on football. Jackson and the Braves will visit Southeastern Louisiana at 4 p.m. today.

&uot;They’re doing all right,&uot; Jackson said. &uot;They’re really not going to tell me how they’re really doing. They want me to stay focused. It’s hard to stay focused because you can’t go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. The people are really taking care of them in Eunice. They’re giving them food, water and shelter.&uot;

This week has been better for Jackson and the number of Alcorn players from the New Orleans area and the Mississippi Gulf Coast following Katrina’s destruction. So many players were from those areas or had families affected by the storm that school officials sought to have last week’s season-opener against Grambling postponed.

There’s been other distractions, too. The campus was without power most of last week and nearly out of water. Sophomore defensive linemen Mark Butler was hospitalized after being struck in the face by falling branch near the school cafeteria.

The Grambling game was in limbo for a few days before it was finally postponed, much to the chagrin of GSU head coach Melvin Spears.

&uot;It’s always tough,&uot; Alcorn head coach Johnny Thomas said. &uot;It’s always tough when you lose your whole house and you can’t back where you used to live. Knowing that, that’s tough. But I think they’re strong enough to get over it and remain focused. That’s what they’re trying to do at this particular point.&uot;

Now the Braves may be finding some sense of normalcy heading into their opener today, although it may be hard to imagine things ever being normal this week or the entire season.

Areas in New Orleans the Gulf Coast may never see normalcy for the rest of the year if not longer. And that’s in the backs of minds of players like Jackson, Tabari Lott of Gautier, Robert Browne of Wiggins and Lester Mosley of Mobile, Ala.

&uot;(My family) was going to check on the house,&uot; Jackson said. &uot;I keep hearing on the news about diseases, toxins in the water and dead bodies. But it’s not that bad in Marrero. The only thing is about two feet of water. I live around the swamp, and they probably have a lot of alligators and snakes, too.

&uot;But some of the others guys &045; everybody was freaking out. But everybody found their parents, and everything is good.&uot;

Several players with Southeastern had the same harrowing week as many with Alcorn, and it’s put a damper on the contest today. Yet it may serve as a means of not thinking about the storm’s damage and help them focus on something else.

It’s been easier to focus this week for sophomore quarterback Oliver Bozeman, who will make his first collegiate start today. But he won’t be alone &045; SLU’s Trey Willie will be doing the same for the Lions at quarterback.

Bozeman, who said prior to camp he felt everyone turned their back on him when prized recruit Tony Hobson arrived, is ready to go.

&uot;Right now I’m not too nervous,&uot; Bozeman said. &uot;Like last season, I came into the Jackson State game and really got the feel things and I know what to expect. I have a lot of confidence. Everything that went on before the season started, me and Tony Hobson competing for the job, I was motivated to work harder.&uot;

With the new starter at quarterback, everyone at Alcorn is predicting to see the all-out blitz and plenty of it. The Lions were already a blitzing team last year and finished among the national leaders in sacks, and the Braves are figuring they’ll try to rattle the new kid.

Yet there’s the unknown factor Thomas and his staff has battled all week in preparation. The Lions have an entirely new coaching staff.

&uot;The new defensive coordinator they got from Sam Houston State (Mike Lucas), he’s been doing it for 14 or 15 years,&uot; Alcorn offensive coordinator John McKenzie said. &uot;he likes to blitz. They say last year they didn’t blitz as much as they’ll blitz this year. With a new quarterback, you’ll expect that. We don’t have anything on them since they’re a new staff. You’ve got to pretty much make the adjustments on the fly.&uot;

Players like Jackson know all about making adjustments on the fly. No one knew how bad things would get following the hurricane, and reactions ran the gamut following the worst natural disaster in history.

But there’s hope. Jackson remembers SLU for the simple reason he got his first significant playing time last year there when Bryan Woods went down with a knee injury.

&uot;I got two sacks,&uot; Jackson recalled. &uot;I’m prepared to get more than that. I’m pretty much ready. I believe the same offensive tackle will be blocking me. I look to have another good game.&uot;