Football | 10/25/2019 9:46:00 AM

Alcorn Battles Southern in Showdown between First-Place Teams

Alcorn Game Notes | Braves All-Access | Live Radio | Live Stats

LORMAN, Miss. – The only two remaining unbeaten teams in the conference will square off Saturday in a match-up between the Alcorn State University football program and Southern University at 2 p.m. at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium.
 
The Braves sit atop the SWAC East Division with a 5-2 (3-0 SWAC) record, while the Jaguars are in first in the SWAC West Division with a 4-3 (3-0 SWAC) record.
 
The winner of the game will not only be in the driver's seat to make another SWAC Championship game appearance, but will also have the tiebreaker to be the host. Last year, the Braves defeated the Jaguars 37-28 at Spinks-Casem Stadium to win their third SWAC title in the last five years.
 
Alcorn enters the game on a four-game winning-streak and seven-game home winning streak. The Braves have scored over 40 points in every home game this year and are 83-53 all-time in Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium in 28 seasons.
 
Since taking over as the starting quarterback over the last four games in-place of an injured senior Noah Johnson, junior Felix Harper has thrown for 1,146 yards, 16 touchdowns and no interceptions. Harper won SWAC Offensive Player of the Week three times in four weeks. He was also awarded a helmet sticker on ESPN College Football Final after the win over Savannah State.
 
Junior LeCharles Pringle is having a breakout season at the wide receiver position. He's recorded 412 receiving yards and a league-leading seven touchdown catches. It came after he finished with 128 receiving yards and two touchdowns all of last year.
 
Freshman Niko Duffey, who sat out last game against Savannah State, is the team's leading rusher with 445 yards and five touchdowns. He and senior De'Shawn Waller have flip-flopped in the starting running back role due to injuries to both student-athletes.
 
On defense, senior Solomon Muhammad is the team's leading tackler with 49. He's also recorded 5.5 tackles for a loss and two interceptions this year. Muhammad was the SWAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honoree.
 
As a team, the Braves rank first in the SWAC in scoring defense (20.9 ppg), total defense (328.4 ypg), interceptions (10), fourth down conversion percentage (1.000), fewest first downs allowed per game (18.9), and offensive efficiency (157.8).
 
The Jaguars come into play on a three-game winning-streak with victories over Arkansas-Pine Bluff 31-7, Prairie View A&M 34-28 and Texas Southern 28-21. They lead the league in scoring defense, allowing just 18.7 points per game in conference.
 
Southern has used two different quarterbacks. Ladarius Skelton has thrown for 657 yards and five touchdowns, while Glendon McDaniel has registered 482 passing yards and four touchdowns. Skelton is also a threat on the ground where he's rushed for 301 yards and six touchdowns.
 
The game can be watched live on Braves All-Access with a subscription. It can also be heard for free on 91.7 FM or wprl.org with Charles Edmond on the call.
 
NOTES
- Alcorn is 8-1 against Southern head coach Dawson Odums. It includes wins in the 2014 & 2018 SWAC Championships. The Braves are 38-27-2 all-time against the Jaguars.
 
- The Braves have won six straight games against SWAC West Division opponents. Fred McNair, the reigning SWAC Coach of the Year winner, carries a 19-7 SWAC record overall.
 
- Harper currently ranks third in the nation in offensive efficiency (185.7).
 
- Alcorn is one of three teams in the country to maintain a perfect 100 percent conversion rate on fourth downs. The Braves also rank top-five in the nation in turnovers gained (18) and interceptions (10).
 
- The Braves are 18-0 when leading at halftime since 2017.
 
- Alcorn has outscored the opposition 56-24 in the fourth quarter this year. It came after it outscored the opposition 102-42 in the fourth quarter in 2018.
 
- The Braves have won eight SWAC Player of the Week awards this year. Harper has won three times and senior Corey McCullough has won SWAC Special Teams Player of the Week twice. Muhammad won SWAC Defensive Player of the Week after the victory against Mississippi Valley State. Duffey won SWAC Newcomer of the Week after the win over Alabama State.
 
- McCullough, the kicker and punter, is the all-time leader in field goals made in school history with 38. He broke the record in the season-opener with a 44-yarder at Southern Miss.
 
- Alcorn remained at No. 3 in the national HBCU Top-10 and is also receiving votes in the STATS FCS Top-25 Poll.
 
Quoting Alcorn head coach Fred McNair
On what the team did on the bye week
"Basically just a little work, going back to the basic fundamentals. We'll be getting to see Southern for the first time this year and did a lot of film study. Trying to get these kids to play hard and execute is the main thing we stressed this week. We had a lot of kids that were banged up, got them healed up and got them back healthy for the most part. Overall, it's been a pretty good week as we prepare for Southern."
 
On the status of Noah Johnson
"We're just taking it day-by-day like we always have been in preparation for a game. He's just going to see how he feels and go from there. He's got a bruised shoulder."
 
On Felix Harper's success
"Every week - even when Noah was here - we prepared two guys to play football. It's not very surprising to me, I've been doing this for a long time and you always have to have that next guy ready. If that next guy's not ready then the coaches are not doing their jobs. Pat [White] does a great job with the quarterbacks in the film room and coaching them up to be ready to play like they're going to start. Felix is a very humble kid and is trying to do everything the right way. He's one of those kids that loves the game of football and tries to make sure everything is perfect."
 
On Felix Harper's physical attributes
"He's throwing the ball well, he can run the ball, he does everything well. He does everything the right way, everything we ask of him he'll do it. We've got the whole package in this young man, he's just going to try to lead his team the best way he can and I think he's doing an outstanding job at that. Getting the guys to play the way they're playing and just stepping up to the plate in the absence of Noah Johnson."
 
On the atmosphere that this game provides
"Like no other. People start rolling in in the middle of the week. This atmosphere here is like no other, even when we play down in Baton Rouge or playing here, they're going to bring a nice crowd. I've never seen in so many years going back to the Steve McNair days when he was playing Southern and the way the crowd came out, it's just a big event. This is about the best atmosphere I've been around compared to any other one that I've seen, it's a great event, a great venue for it and it's going to be a great ballgame."
 
On whether this game adds an extra dynamic with the possibility of hosting the SWAC Championship at stake
"These guys know that we've got to come prepared every Saturday. It's always a big game for us because it's the next one. There's no added pressure - just go out and play a good Southern football team. We know every team we play is going to come with their A-game. We just got to make sure that we are prepared as coaches and get these young men ready to play on Saturday. We have to go out and execute, play fast on defense and of course be great on special teams. It's a big game for us just because it's the next one, we know Southern's going to come in and be prepared."
 
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