Sports
Alcorn defeats Texas Southern in overtime
Alcorn State University defeated Texas Southern 43-40 in overtime, marking their second overtime win this season. Fredrick Robertson scored four touchdowns, including the game-winner, while quarterback Jaylon Tolbert contributed significantly to the team’s offense.
Story from Alcorn Athletics
For the second time in three weeks, Alcorn State University needed overtime to secure a Southwestern Athletic Conference victory, and once again, the Braves delivered.
Fredrick Robertson scored four touchdowns, including the game-winning one-yard plunge in overtime, as Alcorn State survived a furious Texas Southern comeback to defeat the Tigers, 43-40, Saturday afternoon at Jack Spinks-Marino Casem Stadium.
Alcorn improved to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in SWAC play, while Texas Southern fell to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in the conference. The Braves finished with 520 yards of total offense, including 332 through the air and 188 on the ground, while recording 27 first downs.
The victory marked Alcorn’s second overtime win of the season. Two weeks earlier, the Braves outlasted Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 53-51 in double overtime, in the 37th Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis.
Robertson was the difference Saturday, accounting for 175 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns. The junior rushed 29 times for 105 yards and three scores while catching five passes for 70 yards and another touchdown. His one-yard touchdown run in overtime provided the game’s final points.
Quarterback Jaylon Tolbert continued his strong play, completing 26-of-41 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Tolbert also rushed 12 times for 79 yards, giving him 411 yards of total offense.
Alcorn led by as many as 22 points in the second half before Texas Southern rallied to force overtime.
After Texas Southern opened the scoring with Miguel Arana’s 40-yard field goal, Alcorn answered immediately. Tolbert connected with Robertson for a 27-yard touchdown, capping a five-play, 67-yard drive and giving the Braves a 7-3 advantage.
Alcorn extended the lead late in the opening quarter when Tolbert found Elijah Griffin for a 14-yard touchdown, putting the Braves ahead 13-3.
Texas Southern pulled within 13-9 on Cam’Ron McCoy’s 37-yard touchdown pass to Fatu Mukuba in the second quarter, but Alcorn answered behind Robertson.
Robertson scored on a two-yard run with 3:27 remaining in the half to make it 20-9. After Arana’s 37-yard field goal cut the margin to eight, Tolbert directed a rapid nine-play, 75-yard drive in just 1:12. Robertson finished it with another two-yard touchdown run, sending the Braves into halftime with a 27-12 advantage.
Alcorn’s defense created the first turnover of the afternoon midway through the third quarter when Jaylen Mcroy forced and recovered a Texas Southern fumble at the Tigers’ 34-yard line. The Braves turned the takeaway into seven points six plays later when Carl McDonald Jr. scored from two yards out, extending Alcorn’s lead to 34-12 with 5:30 remaining.
Texas Southern, however, refused to go away. McCoy connected with Daveon Walker for a 34-yard touchdown late in the third quarter to trim the lead to 34-19. The Tigers then scored twice in the fourth quarter, with McCoy rushing for touchdowns of 34 and five yards. A successful two-point conversion following the second score completed the comeback and tied the game at 34-34 with 4:37 remaining.
Alcorn responded under pressure. Beginning at its own 27-yard line with 4:34 remaining, the Braves methodically moved 56 yards in 12 plays while taking 4:07 off the clock. Kenyon Bowyer then connected on a 35-yard field goal with 27 seconds remaining, giving Alcorn a 37-34 advantage.
But Texas Southern had one final answer in regulation. The Tigers covered 59 yards in just 19 seconds, allowing Arana to connect on a 25-yard field goal as time expired, tying the game at 37-37 and sending Alcorn to overtime for the second time this season.
Texas Southern had the first possession in overtime, but Alcorn’s defense pushed the Tigers backward. Arana ultimately connected on a 48-yard field goal, giving Texas Southern a 40-37 lead.
That left the game in the hands of the Alcorn offense. The Braves converted a fourth down during their overtime possession and worked their way toward the goal line. On the eighth play of the drive, Robertson powered in from one yard out, completing the comeback and giving Alcorn the 43-40 overtime victory.
Robertson led Alcorn’s rushing attack with 105 yards, while Tolbert added 79 yards on the ground. Through the air, Robertson led the Braves with 70 receiving yards, followed by Armon Wright with five catches for 61 yards. Griffin caught three passes for 45 yards and a touchdown, while Tyree Kelly added four receptions for 38 yards.
Defensively, Mahamadou Diarra led Alcorn with nine tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Dillon Crowell added eight tackles, while Gideon Spottsville, Timothy Jasper, Tayvion Haney, Jordan Daniel and Elijah Ruffin each finished with five. Mcroy forced and recovered Texas Southern’s lone turnover. Jasper also blocked an extra-point attempt, while Landon Carsonblocked a first-quarter field-goal attempt.
The Braves finished the afternoon with 520 total yards on 86 offensive plays, converted 11-of-19 third downs and both of their fourth-down attempts, and scored on all six of their trips inside the red zone.
