Football | 10/7/2022 10:42:00 AM
ITTA BENA, Miss. – Alcorn Football travels to the Delta this weekend as the Braves step back into Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play following a bye week, when the Purple and Gold take on Mississippi Valley State on Saturday, Oct. 8, inside Rice – Totten Stadium in Itta Bena, Mississippi. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Alcorn at Mississippi Valley State
Oct. 8, 2022 | 6 p.m. (CST)
Rice – Totten Stadium | Itta Bena, Miss.
WPRL 91.7 FM (Radio) | Sirius XM (Radio) | ESPN+
Twitter: @AlcornStateFB |
@BravesSports
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Alcorn 2-2 (1-0 SWAC)
Roster |
Coaches |
Schedule & Results |
Stats |
Game Notes
Mississippi Valley State 0-5 (0-2 SWAC)
Roster |
Coaches |
Schedule & Results |
Stats |
Game Notes
Game Day Hashtags
#ALCvsMVSU | #BeatMVSU | #TogetherWeRise | #ForgingAhead
Story Lines –
• Redshirt senior wide receiver
CJ Bolar enters the weekend having caught at least one pass in 13 consecutive games dating back to the 2021 season.
• Redshirt senior running back
Jarveon Howard is ranked second in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) for rushing yards per game (145.0), as well as second in total rushing yards (580) and tied for ninth in rushing touchdowns (6).
• Head Coach
Fred McNair is looking to win his sixth consecutive game against Mississippi Valley State, with that possible being the longest active streak for the head ball coach against any team in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) in his time at the helm in Lorman.
• Running back
Jarveon Howard's 299 yards on the ground against Arkansas-Pine Bluff is, by all accounts, a modern day SWAC record for rushing yards in a single game, as well as being an Alcorn school record.
• The Alcorn defense currently ranks 10th in the FCS for quarterback sacks, as well as being tied for 11th in tackles for loss.
Series Notes –
• Alcorn leads the all-time series against Mississippi Valley State by a count of 50-16-1...
• Under Head Coach
Fred McNair, the Braves are a perfect 5-0 against the Delta Devils...
• The 50 wins owned by Alcorn against Mississippi Valley State are the most by the Braves against any one school in program history...
• The Braves have won eight consecutive games against the Delta Devils, including a 24-12 victory in 2021...
The Broadcasts –
The game will be carried live on 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 38-26 at the helm of the Braves program. The Alcornite of 1992 enters the weekend sporting a perfect 5-0 record all-time as a head coach against Mississippi Valley State, respectfully.
The Weather –
Projected temperatures on game day: Lorman – 81/50. Itta Bena, Miss. – 79/46 (Humidity: 44% | Wind: 6 mph).
#HighFive –
1. With 299 yards rushing against UAPB,
Jarveon Howard set a modern-day SWAC record for rushing yards in a single game.
2. In his last game against UAPB, quarterback
Aaron Allen completed a pass to 10 different Braves receivers.
3. The Alcorn defense currently ranks 10th in the FCS for quarterback sacks, as well as being tied for 11th in tackles for loss.
4. For the Braves,
Claudin Cherelus,
Andrew Cole and
Jaquez Dew are all set to return to the active roster against Mississippi Valley State.
5. Placekicker
Noah Kiani is third in the SWAC for made field goals this season, having connected on 6-of-7 thus far on the campaign, including a 42-yard attempt.
A Win over Mississippi Valley State Would –
• Give Head Coach
Fred McNair his 39th overall career win...
• Be the 51st win all-time in the series against the Delta Devils...
• Allow the Braves to start 2-0 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) for the sixth consecutive season under Head Coach
Fred McNair...
• Give Alcorn its 24th win all-time in Itta Bena...
#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…
#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).
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.
Howard Earns SWAC Weekly Accolades —
• Running back
Jarveon Howard was named as both SWAC Co-Offensive Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week in Week 4, following the Braves' 38-21 come-from-behind win at home to Arkansas-Pine Bluff...
• Howard, a 5-foot-10, 200-pound redshirt senior from Columbia, Mississippi, earned his second SWAC weekly award of the 2022 campaign, and his first Co-Offensive Player of the Week award. He collected the league's Newcomer of the Week award after his week one performance at home to No. 10 Stephen F. Austin...
• Against UAPB, the transfer from Syracuse posted a school-record 299 yards rushing on 23 carries with four touchdowns. The East Marion High alum averaged 13 yards per carry in the game. With his 299 yards rushing,
he becomes the first Alcorn player to rush for at 250 yards in a game since
De'Lance Turner registered 272
yards on the ground against Southern in 2017.
Road Warriors —
• Alcorn State played most of its games on the road in 2021, and the 2022 season is once again heavily linked with games away from the friendly confines of Jack Spinks – Marino Casem Stadium.
• Away games for the Braves this year have included trips to FBS opponent Tulane and perennial FCS power McNeese State. Other key away dates include stops at Mississippi Valley State, Southern, Grambling State and Prairie View A&M, respectively.
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.
Next Up –
• Alcorn stays on the road next weekend as the Braves travel to Southern (La.) for a key SWAC Western Division match-up with the Jaguars in Baton Rouge, La.
• The Braves dropped a heartbreaking 38-35 decision at Southern last season, with that game also played at A.W. Mumford Stadium in Baton Rouge.
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@AlcornStateFB) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Alcorn State Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (
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– #BeatMVSU –
