Football Recap: Nov. 17
Around the SWAC
Alabama A&M 49, Mississippi Valley State 14
Prairie View A&M 66, Alabama State 13
Alcorn State 24, Jackson State 3
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 15, Texas Southern 10
Featured Game of the Day
Alcorn Captures Fifth Straight SWAC East Division Title, Clinches Home Field for SWAC Championship
LORMAN, Miss. – A dominant second half secured the fifth straight SWAC East Division crown for the Alcorn State University football program as the Braves defeated Jackson State 24-3 Saturday in the Soul Bowl on Senior Day.
With the win, the Braves (8-3, 6-1 SWAC) wrapped-up home field advantage for the SWAC Championship. It will be the first-ever SWAC Championship game at a host institution.
Alcorn and JSU (5-5, 4-3 SWAC) were tied 3-3 at the half when the Braves scored 21 unanswered and shutout the Tigers in the second half. The go-ahead touchdown came on the first series of the third quarter as senior P.J. Simmons ran it in from eight yards.
The Braves increased the lead to 17-3 late in the third on a 47-yard touchdown pass to freshman Juan Anthony. Alcorn put an exclamation point on the game with a 31-yard pick-six by junior Taurence Wilson.
Junior quarterback Noah Johnson threw for 177 yards and a touchdown. Anthony was the top target with four catches for 67 yards.
On the ground, junior De’Shawn Waller rushed for a game-high 124 yards. Simmons ended with 67 yards and a score.
The tackles were evenly dispersed for the Alcorn defense. Junior Solomon Muhammad wrapped-up a team-high eight, while junior Daylon Burks matched his career-high with six tackles.
The Braves out-gained the Tigers 394-195 in total offense, including a 217-92 edge in rushing. Alcorn also controlled the clock with a 35:06-24:54 advantage in time of possession.
JSU’s Jarrad Hayes was limited to a 9-of-17 passing mark with 103 yards and an interception. On defense, Darrius Woods turned in a game-high 14 tackles, while Alex Tonea had 10.
--Alcorn State Sports Information
Prairie View A&M tops Alabama State
PRAIRIE VIEW, TX – The Prairie View A&M football team scored touchdowns on eight of its first nine possessions in a 66-13 rout of Alabama State Saturday at Panther Stadium.
The Panthers gained 673 yards total offense in scoring 60+ points for the second time this season, a feat not accomplished since 1951. In that season, PVAMU won 64-0 over Sam Huston (now Huston-Tillotson) and Bishop College 72-0 in the first two games of the season.
Jalen Morton accounted for six touchdowns, passing for 290 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 196 yards and two touchdowns. It was Morton's second six-touchdown game of the season, as he rushed for a school-record tying four touchdowns while passing for two others in a 62-13 win at Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sept. 22.
Dawonya Tucker rushed 19 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns and also caught two passes for 25 yards and a touchdown. Tucker now has 1,030 yards this season and is the first PVAMU player to rush for 1,000 yards since Johnta' Hebert's 1,063 yards in 2014.
Markcus Hardy (three receptions, 95 yards) Tristen Wallace (three receptions, 65 yards), and Kalen Riles (two receptions, 32 yards) each caught touchdown passes in the game.
Defensively, the Panthers limited Alabama St. to 280 total yards, forcing three turnovers.
--Prairie View A&M Sports Information
Alabama A&M defeats Mississippi Valley State
ITTA BENA, MS – Yurik Bethune constantly was in the backfield creating havoc as Alabama A&M beat Mississippi Valley State 42-14 Saturday afternoon in a SWAC football game.
With the win, Alabama A&M (6-5) completed its first winning season since 2012.
Early in the first quarter, Bethune came off the edge to sack Mississippi Valley quarterback Jett Even — which turned out to be a recurring theme.
Bethune finished the day with a season-high 3.5 sacks. He also recorded six tackles.
But Bethune was not the only Alabama A&M defender who was getting to the quarterback. Pressure was coming from everywhere.
Alabama A&M's defense recorded a season-high seven sacks. Davonta Jackson finished with two sacks, and Michael Edmonds had one.
Jordan Bentley rushed for three touchdowns, and Trevon Walters added two more as Alabama A&M raced to a commanding lead.
Bentley scored on runs of 43, 17 and two yards, while Walters scored on a pair of two-yard runs.
Bentley led Alabama A&M with 71 yards on six carries.
Aqeel Glass passed for 208 yards and a touchdown, completing 10 of 19 attempts. Zabrian Moore caught three passes for 90 yards and a touchdown, while Marceles Clash caught five passes for 88 yards.
--Alabama A&M Sports Information
UAPB’s goal line stand holds off TX Southern
HOUSTON, TX – Arkansas-Pine Bluff stopped Texas Southern on four consecutive attempts from the two-yard line and Jamie Gillan kicked five field goals from 37, 39, 46, 37, and 22 yards as the Golden Lions (2-9, 1-6 SWAC) earned their first conference victory to close out their season.
Texas Southern took a 10-6 lead into halftime on the strength of quarterback Glen Cuiellette, who scrambled for a 21-yard touchdown run with 3:41 left in the second quarter.
UAPB took the lead after Gillan was good from 46 and 37 in the third quarter to put the Golden Lions up 12-10 at the end of third quarter. The kicker would add a fifth field goal with 1:48 left in the game.
Taeyler Porter led UAPB with 10 rushes for 143 yards including a long of 86 yards, quarterback Skyler Perry completed 21-of-31 passes for 248 yards and Dejuan Miller caught a team-high nine balls for 100 yards.
Bobby Hartzog reeled in a game-high 13 receptions for 185 yards for the Tigers (2-8, 1-5).