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Alcorn State wide receiver Norlando Veals attempts to break free from a McNeese State defender Saturday during a SWAC football game in Lorman. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

Alcon State's Tavares Johnson watches a replay on the scoreboard during a game against McNeese State Saturday in Lorman. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

A stray dog races onto the field during the second half of a college football game between Alcorn State and McNeese State in Lorman. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

Alcorn State's Marquis Warford races past McNeese State defenders Saturday. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

Alcorn State's De'Lance Turner, 8, and Charles Hughes, 5, celebrate after Turner scores a touchdown in Lorman. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

Alcorn State cheerleader Jada Spain cheers during Saturday's action in Lorman. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

A McNeese State's player pops off during Saturday's action.

Alcorn State's Marquis Warford races for a touchdown during Saturday's action. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat

Alcorn's De'Lance Turner attempts to slip past a McNeese State defender.

Alcorn's Tavares Johnson attempts to break free from McNeese defenders Saturday.

Alcorn State's Orlando Veals hauls in a catch during Saturday's action.

Alcorn State running back De’Lance Turner celebrates after scoring a touchdown during Saturday’s action. (Nicole Hester | The Natchez Democrat)

Alcorn State University used the strength and consistency of its passing game to continually save it time after time Saturday night, but it was the arm of McNeese State’s James Tabary that caught them in the end.

Within the final minute of the game, the Cowboys’ quarterback connected with Kent Shelby for a 33-yard touchdown pass to put McNeese on top, 34-27.

“This is tough,” Alcorn coach Fred McNair said. “When you have a team that plays the way they do, it’s hard to drop it right at the end. We fought. You have to take the bitter with the sweet sometimes, and I guess this is the bitter.”

After the game was tied for the majority of the fourth quarter, the winning touchdown pass was reviewed before officially being confirmed. Shelby was questioned as to whether or not his feet stayed in bounds in the front left corner of the end zone.

“We couldn’t really see it from the angle I was looking at, so I guess they made the right call,” McNair said. “They didn’t overturn it, so we have to live with that.”

Quarterback Lenorris Footman led the Braves, keeping them within reach as the game was tied two additional times during the night.

Footman found Norlando Veals for a 2-yard score to put Alcorn on the board first, while the Cowboys were able to strike back just more than three minutes later.

Alcorn’s second score came on a 69-yard pass to Marquis Warford from Footman, but a missed extra point put the Braves behind at halftime, 14-13.

Footman ended the night passing 27-for-45 with 424 yards and three passing touchdowns.

“It was a see-saw battle. They punched, and we threw them back,” McNair said. “It’s an exciting game that way.

“Lenorris is going to play lights out. That’s what he is going to do. I thought we passed the ball well tonight. Without that, we might have gotten blown out.”

Alcorn came out slow in the second half, converting just one first down before Raidarious Anderson caught perhaps the biggest spark of the night for the Braves with just under four minutes to go in the third quarter.

Anderson’s 56-yard grab set up a scoring play in which Footman caught a reverse pass from Veals to tie the game again, 20-20.

“We practice that kind of stuff,” McNair said. “We don’t leave any stones unturned in that aspect of the game.”

Alcorn split another set of scores with McNeese in the fourth quarter as De’Lance Turner caught another long touchdown pass from Footman.

Turner’s 70-yard reception, however, was truly the only presence felt from the senior running back. He rushed for just seven yards on seven carries.

“McNeese had a stingy defense,” McNair said. “They have been stopping the run game and have been that way. It’s not only us.”

Alcorn didn’t go without its mistakes in the loss, most notably a personal foul penalty that caused a punt return for a touchdown from Warford to be called back.

The Braves ended with 11 penalties for 92 yards.

“We had a clip. They got that one right,” McNair said. “They brought it back to where our guy clipped (the punter) and put it in play.”

McNeese faltered, too, fumbling three times, yet recovering all three.

“We had a chance, but we didn’t get them,” McNair said. “I thought we had the first one, and then came another one. Sometimes the football just doesn’t bounce the way it’s supposed to bounce.”

This is the second consecutive week Alcorn has fallen in a close game. The Braves fell to Florida International last Friday, 17-10, after the game was moved to Birmingham, Ala., because of Hurricane Irma.

“We have to take a look at things we didn’t do,” McNair said. “We have to do better to put ourselves in a position to win a ball game. I talked to them about finishing. It boils down to execution, and I think we just didn’t do that.”

Alcorn will open its conference schedule next week at 6 p.m. Saturday when it hosts Southern University.

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