LORMAN, Miss. – Alcorn State put together a complete performance on both sides of the ball Saturday afternoon, rolling to a 32-10 victory over Mississippi Valley State at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium. The Braves moved to 2-6 overall and 1-3 in SWAC play with the win.
Quarterback Jaylon Tolbert led the Alcorn attack, completing 23 of 32 passes for 261 yards and four touchdowns. His scoring strikes went to Jarvis Rush (10 yards, 34 yards), Ja'Coby Matthews (16 yards), and Tyran Warren, who hauled in a 74-yard bomb early in the third quarter.
Matthews turned in a dynamic effort with seven receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown, adding 59 punt return yards to finish with a game-high 132 all-purpose yards. Warren added 74 receiving yards on his lone catch, while Rush caught three passes for 15 yards and a score.
On the ground, the Braves rushed for 150 yards, led by Jacorian Sewell's 53 yards on 13 carries and Reggie Davis' 51 yards on 11 attempts. Carl McDonald Jr. chipped in 37 yards on just four carries. Kicker Lorenzo Garcia connected on a 17-yard field goal and was perfect on three extra-point attempts.
Defensively, the Braves held Valley to just 94 rushing yards and forced two interceptions. Geoffrey McKelton led the way with 10 total tackles and an interception return for 20 yards, while Cedric Roberts added 12 tackles and a tackle for loss. Stemarion Edwards picked off a pass and added eight total stops.
The Braves opened the game with a safety before Tolbert connected with Rush for the game's first touchdown. Matthews' first-half score and a last-second TD drive gave Alcorn a 22-0 lead at halftime. Warren's long touchdown early in the third quarter stretched the advantage, and Garcia's field goal capped the scoring for Alcorn.
Mississippi Valley scored a late touchdown and field goal but never seriously threatened.
Alcorn State will hit the road next weekend to face Texas Southern in Houston, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Shell Energy Stadium.
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