Football | 10/14/2016 9:09:00 AM

Braves Return Home to Host Texas Southern on Homecoming

Alcorn Game Notes | Braves All-Access | Live Stats

LORMAN, Miss. – In its first home game in four weeks, the Alcorn State University football program returns to Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium to face Texas Southern for homecoming at 2 p.m.
 
The Braves (2-3, 2-2 SWAC) wrapped up a three-game road trip, concluding it with a 42-19 victory over Alabama A&M last weekend. Alcorn outscored the Bulldogs 28-3 in the second half and 21-0 in the fourth quarter to come back for the win.
 
Last week marked the return of junior quarterback Lenorris Footman who made his first start since the opening game. Footman accounted for five touchdowns and went on to win both SWAC and College Sports Madness Offensive Player of the Week honors.
 
Alcorn has continued to pound it on the ground, where it leads the conference with 200.8 rushing yards per game. The Braves have run for at least 155 yards in every game this season including a contest at No. 20 Arkansas. Last week, Alcorn rushed for 287 yards which stands as the second-most in the conference in a single game this year.
 
Individually, junior Arron Baker is top-five in the league with 80.2 rushing yards per game, and junior De'Lance Turner is sixth with 48.0 yards per outing.
 
Texas Southern (3-2, 3-1) enters the game on a three-game winning streak with victories over Mississippi Valley State (31-0), Alabama State (31-27) and Alabama A&M (34-31). The Tigers dropped their season opener at Houston Baptist 24-20 before falling in their SWAC opener at Prairie View A&M 29-25.
 
Texas Southern is led by senior quarterback Averion Hurts who is top-five in the league in passing with 193.0 yards per game. The Tigers have also been strong on special teams, highlighted by senior kicker Eric Medina who is a perfect seven-for-seven on field goal attempts including a 51 and 49-yarder.
 
Defensively, Texas Southern has two of the league's top-five leading tacklers in senior linebacker Jamal Lucas and junior defensive back Archie Rice who both average at least eight tackles a game.
 
Saturday's contest can be heard via radio on 91.7 WPRL FM with play-by-play voice Charles Edmond on the call.
 
NOTES
- The Braves are going for their fifth straight victory over the Tigers after winning 65-13 last season, 40-25 in 2014, 20-13 in 2013 and 34-24 in 2012.
 
- Sophomore Trae Ferrell is the reigning SWAC Newcomer of the Week. Ferrell stepped up big for the Braves with six tackles, a key sack and a pair of tackles for a loss resulting in -10 yards. His six tackles marked a career-high, upping his previous best of four. The linebacker helped an Alcorn defense hold Alabama A&M to just three points in the second half, including zero in the fourth quarter.
 
- Alcorn has been sacked just three times this year, the fewest in the SWAC. The next closest teams are Prairie View A&M and Southern who have been sacked six teams apiece. On the flip side, the Alcorn defense has registered 112 sacks which is second-most in the conference.
 
- The Braves are just a half game out of first place in the SWAC East Division. They trail Jackson State which hosts Southern at 6 p.m.
 
- Alcorn moved up a spot to No. 9 in the BOXTOROW HBCU Top-10 Rankings. The Braves, who have been ranked in the poll each week this year, have been as high as No. 2 this season.
 
- Senior linebacker Darien Anderson ranks third in the SWAC in tackles with 8.4 per game. He was named Hero of the Week by HERO Sports on Friday, Sept. 30 after a monster performance against Grambling State which included 12 tackles and a career-high four sacks. Anderson has seven sacks on the year which ranks second in the league.
 
- Senior defensive back Daniel Franklin led Alcorn with eight tackles last week at AAMU. He ranks sixth in the league in tackles, averaging 7.6 per outing.
 
- Senior wide receiver Jaborian McKenzie ranks top-five in the league with 6.6 receptions per game. The big-play threat averages 11.5 yards per catch.
 
- Senior Haiden McCraney boomed a 70-yard punt earlier this year at Grambling State, which is the longest in the SWAC this season. It was the second-longest of his career after he blasted a 77-yarder last year against Concordia. McCraney ranks second in the league with 39.7 yards per punt on average.
 
- Against Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sept. 15, freshman Noah Johnson, who was making his first career start, went 30-for-41 in the air with 355 yards and three touchdown passes. He also rushed for 72 yards and three more scores. Johnson's six total touchdowns are tied for the most in a single game by a student-athlete in the SWAC this season. He's one of two players in the SWAC to rush for three touchdowns in a game this year.
 
- The Braves are the only team in the league to have two players rush for three TD's in a game as Footman did it at AAMU and Johnson against UAPB.
 
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