Football | 10/20/2017 8:52:00 AM

Division Leaders Square Off Saturday at Grambling

Alcorn Game Notes | GSU Game Notes | SWAC Digital Network | Live Radio | Live Stats

GRAMBLING, La. – The top teams from the SWAC East and West Division standings will be pitted against each other Saturday when the Alcorn State University football program travels to Grambling State for a 2 p.m. match-up at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium.
 
The game will be televised on the SWAC Digital Network. It can also be heard on 91.7 FM or wprl.org with Charles Edmond as the voice of the Braves.
 
The contest is a rematch of the last two SWAC Championship games. Alcorn (5-2, 3-0 SWAC) won 49-21 in 2015, while Grambling (5-1, 2-0 SWAC) came out on top 27-20 last year.
 
The Braves enter the game on a four-game winning-streak. They're also on a three-game road winning-streak dating back to last season. Alcorn is looking to move to 4-0 in league play for the first time since 1993 when the team was quarterbacked by Steve McNair.
 
Junior linebacker Trae Ferrell is the reigning SWAC Defensive Player of the Week winner. He tallied a sack, two tackles for a loss, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery against Prairie View A&M in a 34-21 last weekend. Ferrell leads the FCS in fumbles recovered with three.
 
Offensively, the Braves boast one of the premier ground-attacks in the country, led by junior De'Lance Turner who leads the FCS in total rushing yards with 788. Turner ran for 272 yards in a 48-31 victory over Southern on Sept. 23 which was the second-most in school history.
 
Senior Lenorris Footman ranks top-five in the SWAC with 60.4 rushing yards per game. Alcorn posts 211.4 rushing yards per game as a team which is best in the conference.
 
In addition to his running, Footman leads the SWAC in both passing (210.3 ypg) and total offense (270.7 ypg). He and sophomore quarterback Noah Johnson combined for all four of Alcorn's touchdowns in the win over PVAMU. The Braves scored 34 unanswered points for the victory on homecoming.
 
The Tigers, who are ranked No. 17 in the FCS Coaches Poll, also bring a high-powered offense to the table. They are led by quarterback Devante Kincade who was named the Preseason SWAC Offensive Player of the Year. He's second in the league in passing with 194.0 yards per game and has thrown eight touchdowns and just one interception on the season.
 
Five of the 11 spots on the Preseason All-Conference First-Team Offense went to Grambling.
 
GSU has won five games in a row. Its only loss was a 43-14 decision at Tulane to open the season on Sept. 2.
 
Ironically, both Alcorn and GSU posted identical 34-21 scores over PVAMU in their last outings. The Tigers had a bye week this past Saturday.
 
NOTES
- Senior quarterback Lenorris Footman ranks No. 7 all-time in school history in both career rushing yards (1,934) and touchdown passes (30). He's 10th in career passing yards with 3,843.
 
- Sophomore Corey McCullough, who is both the kicker and punter, leads the SWAC with 10 field goals made this year. He's chasing the single-season school record of 13 set by Wilfredo Rosales in 1980 and David McConnell in 2003. McCullough ranks 22nd in the FCS in punting average with 41.6 yards per boot.
 
- Junior Marquis Warford, a threat on both kick returns and punt returns, ranks third in the conference with 121.9 all-purpose yards per game and top-five in kick return average (20.1 yards). He ran back a punt 72 yards for a score against Miles College.
 
- Six different receivers have caught touchdown passes for Alcorn this season. Senior Norlando Veals leads the SWAC in receiving yards (87.3 ypg) and is third in receptions per game (5.2). Veals' 87.3 receiving yards per game is also top-15 in the FCS.
 
- As a team, Alcorn leads the SWAC in scoring (31.0 ppg), total offense (440.9 ypg), rushing offense (211.3 ypg), pass efficiency (139.4), first downs (20.4 per game), third down conversions (47.9%), fewest sacks allowed (10), red zone offense (82.8%) and red zone defense (57.9%). Alcorn's red zone defense ranks fourth in the FCS, while its third down conversions is top-10.
 
- Alcorn is 5-0 this season when it rushes for over 100 yards. The Braves are also unbeaten when they have more rushing yards than their opponent.
 
- The Braves have won seven SWAC Player of the Week awards in seven weeks this year. Turner has won two Offensive Player of the Week awards, Footman has won once, Warford earned Special Teams Player of the Week and junior Isiah Thomas and sophomore Solomon Muhammad each won Defensive Player of the Week. Ferrell is the current SWAC Defensive Player of the Week honoree.
 
- The Braves are looking to overcome a pair of key injuries. They have been without their leading tackler, Muhammad, and their leading receiver Veals. They both missed the team's last game against PVAMU.
 
- Alcorn remained at No. 4 in this week's BOXTOROW HBCU Coaches Poll. The Braves are also receiving six votes in the FCS Coaches Poll.
 
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