Football | 10/12/2018 9:04:00 AM

Braves Travel to AAMU for Another SWAC East Division Showdown

Alcorn Game Notes | AAMU Game Notes | Live Radio | Live Stats

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Control of the SWAC East Division is still being fought after, and Saturday's game between the Alcorn State University football program and Alabama A&M could go a long way in deciding it as the two square off at 2 p.m. at Louis Crews Stadium.
 
The two teams are tied with 2-1 SWAC records atop the division standings. Alcorn is 4-2 overall on the season, while AAMU is 3-3.
 
The Braves are 12-2 against division foes over the last four seasons and are looking to beat the Bulldogs for the fifth straight year. Last season, the Braves won 47-22 as three student-athletes rushed for over 100 yards including senior P.J. Simmons with 172 and junior Noah Johnson with 124.
 
Alcorn has been one of the nation's top defensive teams this season. The program ranks second in the FCS in total defense, allowing just 242.0 yards per game. The defense also ranks top-five in the nation in fewest passing yards allowed per game (144.8), seventh in red zone defense (.643) and top-10 in third down percentage defense (.278).
 
Sophomore defensive back Qwynnterrio Cole has come on strong as of late. He's recorded interceptions in back-to-back games. Additionally, Cole leads the Braves in tackles with 23 on the season.
 
Junior linebacker Solomon Muhammad ranks second in the conference in sacks per game with 0.7. He's second in the team in tackles with 20 and first in quarterback-hurries with six.
 
Offensively, the Braves have used a three running back and two quarterback system. Senior P.J. Simmons, the SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, has rushed for a team-high 506 yards which is 24th in the nation.
 
At quarterback, junior Noah Johnson has started every game has totaled 11 touchdowns this year including six on the ground and five in the air. He's thrown for 868 yards and rushed for 385. Johnson ranks top-10 in the country in completion percentage (.679) and is third in the SWAC in total offense (208.8 ypg).
 
Though against Alabama State in the team's last outing, sophomore Felix Harper played the entire second half and all five overtimes. The Braves fell 28-25 and have not announced a starting quarterback for Saturday.
 
In the game against the Hornets, Alcorn held an edge of 530-240 in total yards and 408-85 in rushing. The Braves had a chance to win at the end of regulation, but a 28-yard field goal attempt was no good, wide-right. It snapped Alcorn's four-game winning-streak and six-game home winning-streak.
 
Saturday is Homecoming for the Bulldogs who are coming off conference wins over Texas Southerfn 42-21 and Jackson State 21-16. AAMU's lone conference loss came to Southern 29-27 as the Jaguars overcame a 21-point deficit.
 
At quarterback Aqeel Glass ranks second in the SWAC in both passing yards (1180) and passing touchdowns (10). He's thrown 192 of AAMU's 197 passes this year. Marceles Clash has caught three touchdowns and 187 yards.
 
On the defensive end, Armoni Holloway leads the conference with 55 tackles this year and averages a whopping 9.2 per game.
 
The game can be heard live for free on 91.7 FM or wprl.org with Charles Edmond on the call.
 
NOTES
- Junior De'Shawn Waller is the reigning back-to-back SWAC Newcomer of the Week winner. He's coming off a career game of 214 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Hornets.
 
- Last Saturday was the first five-overtime game in FCS since Oct. 4, 2014 between Davidson and Dayton.
 
- Alcorn has won six SWAC Player of the Week awards in six weeks this year. In addition to Waller's two awards, other honorees include junior Javen Morrison who was named both the SWAC Defensive Player of the Week and HBCU National Player of the Week after grabbing two interceptions against TSU. Junior Raidarious Anderson won SWAC Offensive Player of the Week, and senior Johnathon Hauer earned SWAC Newcomer of the Week after the win against LC. Alcorn won 10 SWAC weekly honors last season.
 
- Alcorn is 10-0 when leading at halftime over the last two seasons.
 
- The Alcorn offense leads the SWAC in scoring (34.3 ppg), rushing (285.8 ypg) and first downs per game (22.2).
 
- The Braves are ranked No. 4 in this week's HBCU Poll and were receiving votes in the Preseason FCS Poll.
 
- Alcorn will play its second straight road game on the opposing team's Homecoming. The Braves notched a 20-3 win at Southern previously. The Alcorn defense limited the Jaguars to just 139 yards of offense, including 76 passing and 63 rushing yards. The Braves improved to 37-27-2 all-time against SU.
 
- Alcorn opened conference play with a 56-20 win over Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 22. The Braves held a 665-200 edge in total yards and 462-22 in rushing. Simmons rushed for a career-high 210 yards and a touchdown. The Braves won their sixth straight game over the Delta Devils and lead the all-time series 45-15-1. Alcorn has outscored MVSU 318-78 over the last six games.
 
- The Braves notched a 27-15 victory over Texas Southern in a non-conference game. Alcorn raced out to a 27-0 halftime lead which was too much for the Tigers to overcome. The Braves posted their seventh straight win over TSU in the series.
 
- In Alcorn's home-opener, the team broke a Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium scoring record by defeating Louisiana College 78-0. It was the second-most lopsided score in school history, only behind a 101-0 victory over Paul Quinn in 1967. Alcorn won its home opener for the sixth year in a row.
 
- Junior Javen Morrison has been a lockdown defender for the Braves in his career and has led the team in interceptions in each of the last two seasons. He's up to eight in his career.
 
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