Alcorn Wins Black College Football Championships
SWAC.org
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – After winning its first Southwestern Athletic Conference Football Championship game Saturday, Alcorn State University won the 2014 Sheridan Broadcasting Network Sports Black College Football National Championship and the BOXTOROW National Football Championship. The 10-3 Braves finished ranked No. 1 in the SBN poll and the Boxtorow coaches and media polls. This is their first SBN National Championship in 30 years.
Previously ranked third, Alcorn received 22 first place votes in the SBN poll to beat out second ranked Bethune-Cookman by over 70 points. SWAC rival Southern University finished just 11 points behind the Wildcats to place third. The Braves were the overwhelming favorites in both BOXTOROW polls, picking up 23 first place votes between the coaches and media polls to Bethune-Cookman’s five, to earn the title.
Alcorn won five of its last six games to close out the 2014 season. They were ranked as high as No. 24 in the NCAA FCS Coaches Poll and boasted the nation’s top offense for several weeks. As a team, the Braves rank top 20 nationally in 22 different categories including first in scoring offense, third in sacks allowed, fourth in punt returns, and fifth in rushing offense and kick return defense.
The dominant offensive play of the Braves has been led by quarterback John Gibbs, Jr. (Houston, Texas/Booker T. Washington). The Co-SWAC Offensive Player of the Year leads the nation in rush yards per carry and is ranked 12th in points responsible for. A Houston, Texas native, he led the team to its first SWAC Championship in 20 years and was named the game’s most valuable offensive player in front of a home crowd at NRG Stadium.