Alcorn Prepares for Showdown in Grambling

GRAMBLING, La. – A key Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Western Division matchup ensues Saturday, Oct. 29, as Alcorn and Grambling State meet in football action at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium in Grambling, Louisiana at 2 p.m.
 
Alcorn at Grambling State
Oct. 29, 2022 | 2 p.m. CT
Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium | Grambling, La.
WPRL 91.7 FM (Radio) | Sirius XM (Radio) | ESPN3/ESPN+
 
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Alcorn 3-4 (2-2 SWAC)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule & Results | Stats | Game Notes
 
Grambling 1-6 (0-4 SWAC)
Roster | Coaches | Schedule & Results | Stats | Game Notes
 
Game Day Hashtags
#ALCvsGRAM | #BeatGRAM | #ForgingAhead | #TogetherWeRise
 
Story Lines –
• Redshirt senior wide receiver CJ Bolar enters the weekend having caught at least one pass in 14 consecutive games for which he has appeared dating back to the 2021 season.
• In the last two games combined against Southern (La.) and Texas Southern, Alcorn quarterback Aaron Allen has thrown for 607 yards and five touchdowns, completing 45 passes as well. He has also completed 62 percent of his passes in the process.
• Running back Jarveon Howard was named to the Walter Payton Award Watch List. On the season, he leads the SWAC with 865 yards rushing, as well as nine rushing touchdowns and an average of 121.1 yards per game on the ground within the "Trident" offensive backfield for Head Coach Fred McNair.
• Last weekend against Texas Southern, wide receiver Juan Anthony Jr. had a stellar performance with eight receptions for a game-high 121 yards and a touchdown.
• Three Braves have 30-or-more tackles on the season in the form of Terreance Ellis (42), Keyron Kinsler Jr. (35) and Trevor James (32). This despite James missing one game, and Kinsler not playing the first half at home against UAPB.
 
Series Notes –
• Grambling State leads the all-time series against Alcorn by a commanding 47-22-2 count...
• Under Head Coach Fred McNair, the Braves are 2-5 against the Tigers...
• Dating back to the turn of the century, Alcorn has won just eight (8) games against the Tigers, with two of those coming in the last three meetings, respectfully...
• Grambling has the longest win streak in the series with that being 11 games from 1955 through 1967...
 
The Broadcasts –
The game will be carried live on ESPN3/ESPN+ and the WatchESPN app on all mobile devices for streaming, while also being carried live via the Braves Radio Network in the form of WPRL 91.7 FM as Charles Edmond (play-by-play) operates alongside Emmanuel Barnes (color) and Cedric Tillman (sidelines).
 
The Coach –
Head Coach Fred McNair is now in his sixth year at the helm of the Alcorn Football program. McNair touts an overall record of 39-28 at the helm of the Braves program. The Alcornite of 1992 enters the weekend owning a record of just 2-5 all-time against Grambling, including an 0-2 mark at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium.
 
The Weather –
Projected temperatures on game day: Lorman – 75/56. Grambling, Louisiana. – 70/56 (80% chance of rain).
 
#HighFive –
1. Head Coach Fred McNair is seeking his first-ever win at Eddie G. Robinson Memorial Stadium in Grambling, Louisiana.
2. Behind center at quarterback, Aaron Allen has thrown for at least two touchdowns in each of the last two games for
the Braves.
3. With the next victory, Fred McNair will have achieved 40 career wins as a collegiate head coach in Lorman.
4. Alcorn has not lost three games consecutively in a single season since 2016 – Fred McNair's first season as a collegiate head coach with the Braves.
5. The Alcorn defense is ranked sixth nationally in quarterback sacks with an average of 3.4 sacks per game having come from a total of 14 different players across the campaign.
 
A Win over Grambling Would –
• Give Head Coach Fred McNair his 40th overall career win...
• Allow Fred McNair his first-ever win as a collegiate head coach at Grambling...
• Allow the Braves to vie for a chance at the Western Division title with a 3-2 record in the SWAC...
• Improve Fred McNair to 3-5 all-time against Grambling as a head coach...
 
#TogetherWeRise –
• The hashtag and motto for Alcorn State University Football in 2022 is #TogetherWeRise…
• Head Coach Fred McNair and the team always say "As Braves...Together We Rise" before concluding every meeting and/or practice throughout the 2022 playing season…
 
The Trident Backfield —
• The "Trident" offensive backfield with running backs Jarveon Howard, Niko Duffey and Javonta Leatherwood has produced 1,014 yards between the three ball-carriers this season.
• Howard enters the weekend tied for seventh in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) for rushing touchdowns (8), while also ranked fourth for rushing yards (634).
• Meanwhile, Duffey has 212 yards, averaging 4.8 yards per carry, adding a touchdown as well. And Leatherwood has 156 yards with a touchdown, averaging 5.2 yards per carry for the year.
 
Howard Added to Walter Payton Award Watch List —
• Alcorn Football's Jarveon Howard is one of 20 new student-athletes named to the most recent Walter Payton Award Watch List, as announced by Stats Perform. Howard, a redshirt senior from Columbia, Mississippi, transferred into Alcorn over the summer from Syracuse.
• The 5-foot-10, 210-pound running back joins a list of seven additional running backs, eight quarterbacks, three wide receivers and two offensive linemen named to this year's watch list, respectfully.
• Most recently against Texas Southern, Howard rushed for a game-high 135 yards and a touchdown against Texas Southern on an Alcorn Homecoming weekend in Lorman. He also caught a pass out of the backfield for 16 yards and a receiving touchdown (the first of its kind for the East Marion High alum this season).
• Howard leads the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) with 860 yards rushing. He is second in scoring with 10 touchdowns, while also second in rushing touchdowns (9). He also sits 13th in the league in total offense (122.9 yards/game). More players can join the watch list before a national media panel selects the winner following the regular season.
• First awarded in 1987, the Payton has watched past recipients such as Steve McNair, Tony Romo, Brian Westbrook, Jimmy Garoppolo, Cooper Kupp and Trey Lance move on to the NFL. Also, this season, Stats Perform will present the Buck Buchanan Award (FCS defensive player of the year), Jerry Rice Award (FCS freshman player of the year), Eddie Robinson Award (FCS coach of the year) and FedEx Ground Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
 
30 Sacks, 30 Turnovers —
• The goal at the start of the season is for the Braves defense to make 30 sacks and force 30 turnovers. That would be a significant production hike from the two previous years of the current coaching regime that resulted in 12/18 in 2021.
• In 2019, the Braves defense chipped in with 35 turnovers, but amassed just 25 sacks to fall just short of the 30/30 mark.
• Last season, it was Jackson State leading the SWAC with 54 sacks, while Mississippi Valley State led the league with 13 interceptions from the Delta Devils defense.
 
Scoop 'N Score for Tyler Smith —
• Towards the end of the game against Mississippi Valley State, Alcorn defensive lineman Tyler Smith scooped up a Delta Devils fumble and charged 35 yards with it for his first collegiate touchdown. For Smith, after an emotional last three weeks with the loss of his mom and sister, he was presented with the game ball – the actual ball that he scored the touchdown with and was surrounded by the team immediately after scoring.
 
#OctoberFest —
• The month of October will be a tough test for the Braves in 2022.
• Alcorn has trips to in-state foe Mississippi Valley State, as well as key Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) western division matchups away to Southern and Grambling State, respectively.
• At home in October, the Purple and Gold welcome Texas Southern for Homecoming (Oct. 22).
 
Marino Casem to be Honored at Xavier (La.) —
• Former Alcorn State Football head coach Marino Casem will be inducted posthumously into the 2022 Xavier
(La.) University Athletic Hall of Fame as one of 20 honorees released to the public by the university. The official induction ceremony is set to take place during a banquet on November 3, on the campus of Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
• A 1956 graduate of Xavier (La.) University and dubbed "The Godfather" by Roscoe Nance of the Clarion-Ledger, Casem served as a student-athlete for the Gold Rush in the sport of football.
• The Memphis, Tennessee native served as head coach for the Braves football team at Alcorn State from 1964 through 1985, while also serving as the university's athletic director from 1966 until 1986. During his Alcorn tenure, "The Godfather" compiled a record of 132-65-8 – still serving as the most wins all-time in school history in football. Along the way, he helped the Braves capture seven Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) titles and four Historically Black College/University (HBCU) National Championships. In 1984, Casem helped lead the Braves to a 9-1 overall record (7-0 SWAC), earning a trip to the quarterfinals of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs – formerly known as the Division I-AA playoffs.
 
Alcorn Football Weekly Media Press Conference —
• Alcorn State hosts weekly media press conferences featuring Head Coach Fred McNair and selected Braves
student-athletes. The press conference, which begins at 1 p.m., is held every Wednesday throughout the football
season inside the media room of Jack Spinks – Marino Casem Stadium. A link to the complete posted press
conference will be made available through the Alcorn State Sports YouTube channel immediately afterwards.
 
Find Us Socially —
• For all the latest information on Alcorn State Braves Football, follow @AlcornStateFB on Twitter, and @AlcornSports on Instagram. Fans and media can also follow the Braves for ALL 17 sports on Instagram (@AlcornSports) and Twitter (@BravesSports). For the official Braves Sports YouTube page, please subscribe to Alcorn Sports.
 
Next Up —
• The Braves will travel to Texas for the first and only time this season, as Alcorn takes on Prairie View A&M in "Friday Night Lights" action at Panther Stadium at Blackshear Field on Nov. 4. The game is an ESPN televised contest on ESPN2...
 
Follow Alcorn State Football on Twitter (@AlcornStateFB) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Alcorn State Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BravesSports), Instagram (@AlcornSports) and YouTube (Alcorn State Sports).