Alcorn Game Notes
GRAMBLING, La. – Putting its five-game road winning streak and seven-game road conference streak on the line, the Alcorn State University football program travels to Grambling State for a 6 p.m. kickoff Saturday at Eddie Robinson Stadium.
The Braves, who are tied atop the SWAC East Division with Alabama A&M with a 1-1 record, will look to defeat Grambling (2-1, 1-0 SWAC) for the second straight time. In their last meeting, the Braves won 49-21 in the 2015 SWAC Championship game Dec. 5, 2015.
Alcorn went 5-0 on the road in conference last year. It has not lost a road game since Sept. 3, 2015 when it fell at Georgia Tech. The last time the Braves lost a SWAC road contest was Oct. 11, 2014 at Grambling, 28-21.
The Braves will look to shake off a 45-43 (3OT) defeat last Thursday vs. UAPB. Alcorn came back from a 14-2 deficit to lead 30-14, but UAPB scored 16 points in the final six minutes of regulation. 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.
The Tigers are coming off a 35-14 road victory over Jackson State. They opened the season with a lopsided 72-12 win over Lynchburg (Virginia) before dropping a hard-fought road contest at Arizona 31-21 after leading 21-3 at half.
On the season, Grambling leads the SWAC with 314.5 passing yards per game. It has outscored opponents 42-3 in the first half. Defante Kincade quarterbacks the offense while Chad Williams averages 141.5 receiving yards per outing. Williams has caught 20 of the team's 50 completions on the year.
The contest will be televised on the SWAC Digital Network on swac.org. The contest can also be heard via radio on 91.7 WPRL FM with Charles Edmond on the call.
NOTES
- In Alcorn's win over Grambling in the 2015 SWAC Championship game, junior quarterback
Lenorris Footman threw for 202 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for 101 yards and a touchdown. The Braves rushed for 411 of their 613 yards. Junior
Marquis Warford ran for 120 yards and caught two touchdown passes.
- This season, Alcorn leads the league in total offense (441.5 ypg), rushing offense (197.0 ypg) and rushing defense (134.0 ypg).
- Senior linebacker
Michael Hurns ranks second in the league with 10.0 tackles per game. Hurns was named Student Government Assosication Senior Class President and took his seat in office Aug. 22. He will hold his SGA position for the entire 2016-17 fiscal year.
- The Braves are the only team in the league to not allow a sack this year. The next closest team is Prairie View A&M which has been sacked four times.
- Alcorn is one of just two teams in the SWAC, along with Jackson State, to not throw an interception this season.
- The Braves and the Tigers are tied for the league-lead in third-down conversions as they both move the chains 50-percent of the time.
- Johnson's six total touchdowns against UAPB are the most in a single game by a student-athlete in the SWAC this season.
- Alcorn sits at No. 5 in the BOXTOROW HBCU Top-10 Rankings. The Braves have been as high as No. 2 this season.
- The Braves are receiving four votes in the Stats FCS Top-25 Poll. They've been receiving votes in the poll every week this year.
- Alcorn opened SWAC play with a 21-18 victory over Alabama State. The Hornets attempted a last-second field goal to try and send the game to overtime, but it was blocked by senior
Eric Foster. Johnson entered the game at halftime with the team trailing 10-7 after Footman left with an ankle injury, and led the offense to a pair of touchdown drives including his own 17-yard touchdown scramble up the middle.
- The Braves rushed for 213 yards against Alabama State. It came after they led the SWAC with 3,812 total rushing yards last season.
- In Alcorn's scheduled season opener, it held a 13-7 lead with 7:14 remaining in the second quarter against Bethune-Cookman when lightning struck, causing a two hour and 57 minute delay before the game was ruled a no contest. Footman was 8-for-9 throwing with two touchdown passes to senior
Jaborian McKenzie and junior
De'Lance Turner before play was halted.
- The Braves are the two-time defending SWAC champions and were picked again to win the SWAC East Division in the 2016 Preseason Poll.
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