UAPB Outlasts Alcorn 45-43 in Triple Overtime

LORMAN, Miss. – Arkansas-Pine Bluff came back from a 16-point deficit halfway through the fourth quarter to snatch a 45-43 triple overtime result from the Alcorn State University football program Thursday at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium.
 
The Braves (1-1, 1-1 SWAC) led 30-14 with 12:50 left in the game after a six-yard touchdown run by freshman quarterback Noah Johnson. The Golden Lions (1-2, 1-0 SWAC) stormed back with a pair of touchdowns in the last six minutes and a pair of two-point conversions to level the score.
 
The team's exchanged fumbles in the first overtime, and touchdowns in the second overtime to keep it knotted 37-37. In the third overtime, Johnson rushed four yards for a touchdown on a 3rd-and-1 attempt, but was tackled outside the pocket on the two-point conversion. UAPB connected on a 25-yard pass to Willie Young on its very first play, and converted its two-point attempt on a pass to John Hawkins.
 
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 threw touchdowns to seniors Jaborian McKenzie and LaDarrien Davis, and junior Norlando Veals.
 
Junior running back De'Lance Turner led the ground game with a game-high 90 rushing yards. McKenzie caught a team-high 119 receiving yards, including his touchdown which went for 52 yards.
 
Defensively, senior Michael Hurns and sophomore LaShaun Ealey tallied a team-high eight tackles apiece.
 
The Golden Lions were led by Brandon Duncan who threw for 505 yards and four touchdowns. Two of his touchdown passes went to Willie Young who finished with 232 receiving yards.
 
PLAY-BY-PLAY SUMMARY
Both team's punted on their opening drives, but the Golden Lions struck first on a 27-yard touchdown catch to Young at the nine-minute mark on their second series.
 
After the Braves got stopped at midfield, senior Haiden McCraney booted a punt that landed at the UAPB two-yard line. Alcorn got on the board with a safety after a bad snap got under the hands of Duncan as he had to dive on it in the endzone at the 4:28 mark.
 
On UAPB's next drive, it tossed an 80-yard touchdown pass to Jaelen Collins on its first play to take a 14-2 lead with 2:10 remaining in the first quarter.
 
The Braves were on the move early in the second quarter after a 27-yard completion to Davis put them in UAPB territory. Alcorn capped off the five-play drive with a 25-yard pass to Veals over-the-middle to make it a 14-9 game.
 
A UAPB punt resulted in the Braves taking over at their own 26-yard line. Turner got the drive going with a 14-yard carry, and junior Arron Baker got them into UAPB territory with a 12-yard rush. Alcorn got all the way down to the eight-yard line when it faced a 3rd and 4; Johnson scrambled around and got outside the pocket on the right side when he threw back across his body to Davis in the middle of the endzone. Davis leaped up and hung on to the ball after somersaulting in the air when a defender connected low, trying to knock it out.
 
The Braves forced a punt on the Golden Lions' next series, but it was muffed, giving the ball back to UAPB at the Alcorn 21-yard line with 2:05 left. The Golden Lions attempted a 40-yard field goal, but it was wide-right with no time remaining in the half.
 
Alcorn added to its lead, 23-14, with a big 52-yard touchdown pass to McKenzie to begin the third quarter. McKenzie caught the ball over the middle and out-ran the UAPB defense in a 40-yard race.
 
The Golden Lions put together a 14-play drive, but it stalled out and did not result in points after a 39-yard field goal sailed right with 4:18 left in the third quarter.
 
Early in the fourth quarter, the Braves increased their lead to 30-14 after a six-yard rush to the left by Johnson after he faked a hand-off. It capped a six-play, 63-yard drive which included a 48-yard pass to Baker on a 2nd and 20.
 
UAPB did not go away as it cut the deficit to 30-22 after a 48-yard touchdown pass to John Hawkins, followed by a two-point conversion pass to Patrick Rowland with 5:55 to go.
 
The Golden Lions took over at their own 36-yard line with 2:15 remaining and no timeouts. A pair of quick first downs got them into Alcorn territory, and a 24-yard pass to Young made it 1st and 10 on the Alcorn 12-yard line with 1:01 left. Dante McDonald darted up the middle for a touchdown, and Duncan completed the two-point conversion to Cody Swain to even the score.
 
The Braves had one last chance to win it in regulation after a pair of passes over the middle to Veals put them in field goal range, but the 47-yard kick fell just short.
 
Both teams garnered first downs on their possessions in overtime, but both teams ended up fumbling to end their drives.
 
The Golden Lions opened the second overtime with a 10-yard touchdown run, but the Braves answered with a two-yard carry from Johnson to tie it at 37.
 
In the third overtime, Johnson scrambled for a four-yard rush on third down, but was brought down on the two-point conversion try. UAPB scored on its very first play on a 25-yard pass over-the-middle to Young, and converted the game-winning two-point attempt on a quick pass to Hawkins.
 
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Quarter 
9:00 – 27-yard pass from B. Duncan to W. Young (J. Gillan XP), 6-85-1:29, 7-0 UAPB
4:28 – -5-yard bad snap, recovered by B. Duncan in the endzone (safety), 7-2 UAPB
2:10 – 80-yard pass from B. Duncan to J. Collins (J. Gillan XP), 1-80-0:13, 14-2 UAPB
2nd Quarter
11:38 – 25-yard pass from N. Johnson to N. Veals (C. McCullough XP), 5-57-1:36, 14-9 Alcorn
5:30 – 8-yard pass from N. Johnson to L. Davis (C. McCullough XP), 11-74-4:01, 16-14 Alcorn
3rd Quarter
13:44 - 52-yard pass from N. Johnson to J. McKenzie (C. McCullough XP), 4-71-1:10, 23-14 Alcorn
4th Quarter
12:50 – 6-yard rush by N. Johnson (C. McCullough XP), 6-63-2:00, 30-14 Alcorn
5:55 – 44-yard pass from B. Duncan to J. Hawkins (B. Duncan pass to P. Rowland converted), 5-64-1:24, 30-22 Alcorn
0:58 – 12-yard rush by D. McDonald (B. Duncan pass to C. Swain converted), 7-64-1:17, 30-30
Overtime
No Score
Second Overtime
10-yard rush by T. Montgomery (J. Gillan XP), 37-30 UAPB
2-yard rush by N. Johnson (C. McCullough XP), 37-37
Third Overtime
4-yard rush by N. Johnson (two-point conversion failed), 43-37 Alcorn
25-yard pass from B. Duncan to W. Young (B. Duncan pass to J. Hawkins converted), 45-43 UAPB
 
NOTES
- Alcorn had won the previous three meetings against UAPB dating back to 2013.
 
- The Braves' offensive line has not allowed a sack this season.
 
- Alcorn has not thrown an interception on the year.
 
- Veals tallied a career-high 92 receiving yards which shattered his previous best of 18 yards set last year against Prairie View A&M. His touchdown catch was the first of his career.
 
- Alcorn's captains were seniors Edrick Thigpen, LaDarrien Davis and Darien Anderson. The Braves won the coin toss and deferred to the second half.
 
Quoting Alcorn head coach Fred McNair
Opening Statement
"We didn't play as well as I expected the first half. Second half I thought we were in control. We led at a point in the fourth quarter, but we gave up some late touchdowns. We were unable to execute and do what we had to do. We just fell short on that one. We thought we were going to muscle it in in overtime but we were unable to do that. The team that executes best wins."
 
On turnovers
"We have been putting the ball on the ground too much. It puts us in a bad situation when we turn the ball over."
 
On injured players not playing
"You don't really blame a game on players being out. You just have to be able to play the next guy up. We don't want to risk further injuries."
 
Quoting Alcorn freshman Noah Johnson
On his second strong performance of the season
"I attribute my success to my team and teammates. But it's all about who executes the best. This loss is really embarrassing. We know every time we wake up, other teams play us like it's the Super Bowl, because we are back-to-back SWAC champions. We are going to take this and bounce back. We have no choice but to be ready next week."
 
Quoting Alcorn senior D'Andre Smith
On the defensive overview
"UAPB's quarterback was capitalizing on our mistakes. We had a couple of mental busts and miscommunications. We did not execute on our calls or attacking the ball."
 
UP NEXT
The Braves travel Saturday, Sept. 24 to Ruston, Louisiana to take on Grambling State. The Tigers play this Saturday on the road at Jackson State. Grambling opened the season with a 72-12 over Lynchburg (Virginia) before dropping a tight 31-21 decision at Arizona. The last time the Braves and the Tigers squared off, Alcorn won 49-21 in the 2015 SWAC Championship game.
 
Alcorn's next home game is homecoming Saturday, Oct. 15 at 2 p.m. when it hosts Texas Southern. The Braves will play three road games before that including Grambling, Arkansas (Oct. 1) and Alabama A&M (Oct. 8).


 
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