After a short week led to three overtimes and a loss, perhaps Alcorn State head coach Fred McNair could use the extra rest.
McNair said the 45-43 upset at home by University of Arkansas Pine-Bluff was the result of a slow start for his defense in the first half, and some mental mistakes in the defensive backfield late in the game.
“Last Thursday was a battle. Having slow starts, that’s the biggest problem,” McNair said. “I know I have to figure out what’s going to get these guys going from the start. In the third quarter we came out and played well, in the fourth quarter we had a big let down execution-wise.”
Alcorn’s (1-1, 1-1) secondary, which was at the top of the conference last season in terms of yards allowed, struggled with several miscues, from busted coverage to dropped interceptions.
McNair pointed out a specific second-and-long situation late in the game in which he recalled three defenders swarming the ball, but no one was able to force the turnover.
This week’s road game at Grambling State (2-1, 1-0) could be a preview of this season’s SWAC title.
Grambling features a former Ole Miss quarterback prospect DeVante Kincade, and McNair said he knows what to expect in the 2015 title game rematch.
“They’re going to do what they’ve been doing for the past three or four years,” McNair said. “We just have to prepare ourselves as well as we can.”
Starting quarterback Lenorris Footman was not dressed for the Braves’ game against UAPB and wearing a walking boot. He is not confirmed to be healthy for Saturday’s game, but Alcorn won’t need to look too far to find a suitable backup.
It would be difficult for redshirt freshman Noah Johnson to top the start of his collegiate career. Johnson is the Braves’ leading rusher, and has completed 35-of-52 passes without an interception.
“The game plan (with Johnson) was still the same,” McNair said. “Noah knows the offense and he executed well. The pass efficiency was good.”
Saturday’s game is set for 6 p.m. on the SWAC digital network.