Alcorn State University football coach Fred McNair is heading into Saturday’s spring game hoping his team won’t stop at simply utilizing its athletic strengths.

While McNair knows the contest can be a good way to develop techniques and abilities, he wants his team to also remain cautious of their mentality.

“Last season, injuries hurt us a lot,” he said. “Some things you can’t avoid, but something we have to dictate as coaches. We are trying to prevent injuries, so we are going to work hard and smart.”

Leading the way will be quarterback duo Lenorris Footman and Noah Johnson.

The pair ended last season nearly even in many statistcal categories, with each passing for over 1,100 yards. They also both added more than 50 yards per game on the ground.

“That’s always a good problem to have — two capable guys in the position,” McNair said. “They are also the best of friends. They have each other if the one goes down.”

McNair said his main expectation for Footman and Johnson are to take charge of their role during Saturday’s contest. He also said the tandem will keep the Braves’ offense stable.

“They both have knowledge of the game and are very capable of leading the team,” he said. “They both can throw, and we have a plan looking for them to throw. We can’t (run) every time because we get stacked. We want to make sure we balance it out.”

McNair also noted he anticipates the Braves to benefit from a large group of underclassmen becoming more established within their positions.

One player McNair said fans should have on their radar is wide receiver Tarvares Johnson, who was redshirted during his freshman season.

“He’s really been making himself better and should be a major role in the offense,” McNair said. “All the young guys are coming of age. The best thing for them is to just play games and grow from it.”

McNair said the entire team has already established a positive approach to this year after the Braves fell to Grambling State in the SWAC title game to end last season.

The loss denied Alcorn of its third consecutive conference championship.

“They are all very excited about the upcoming season,” McNair said. “They have the right attitude. We just have to keep pushing along and stay healthy. The ultimate thing is these guys are hungry.”

Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.