JACKSON &8212; Through good times and bad this season for the Alcorn Braves, coaches adopted a motto for team that&8217;s had its fair share of both extremes.

Whatever happens, take up for one another.

On Saturday, it was the Braves&8217; defense that had to take up for the offense. Up against a revved-up Jackson State game in the latest installment of the Capital City Classic, the defense took up for an offensive unit that had its share of turnover problems en route to a 31-14 win over the Tigers.

No one may have epitomized that motto than Ken Bradford, who may have had the best stop all day when he came up with an interception late in the game to all but finish the Tigers&8217; hopes of a comeback. It also helped the Braves take their third straight win in the series.

&8220;They came out with more fire than I thought they would come out with, and I congratulate them,&8221; said Bradford, who picked off his fifth pass of the season. &8220;We underestimated them, and they came out with a lot of fire. The defensive line had a good push going, and that helped me out pretty good.

&8220;All year they&8217;ve been trying me, and I&8217;ve been having to prove myself game after game. I guess they thought I was the weak link. Game after game they try me, and I prove myself game after game. I&8217;ve got to keep getting interceptions to prove myself.&8221;

Bradford&8217;s pick and the defense&8217;s six sacks set the tone in the second half for a game that featured a number of mistakes on the offensive end. Both teams combined for eight turnovers, each had a punt blocked and one play when the Tigers lost a punt when the ball rolled onto return man Cletis Walker&8217;s toes.

The defense took over in the second half. After the Tigers scored a touchdown to cut the lead to 17-14, they crossed midfield only on their last play of the game.

&8220;The defense did an outstanding job against the Jackson offense, especially when we turned the football over,&8221; Alcorn head coach Johnny Thomas said. &8220;We had so many turnovers, but you have those in games. You have to have a defense that&8217;s able to come through, and they did. We were very happy with that, and the offense got back on a roll and started executing.&8221;

The win was nice for the defense &8212; and the entire team, for that matter &8212; after suffering the disappointing defeat last week at home to Alabama A&M.; There the defense spent way too much time on the field during two drives of 90-plus yards, but the tone was different Saturday.

The Tigers didn&8217;t have the firepower of Alabama A&M, but the Braves allowed only 111 yards rushing and 179 yards total offense. The Tigers&8217; only scores came off Alcorn miscues, and the score could have been much more one-sided.

&8220;(The miscues) dropped our morale a little bit, but with Coach Thomas, the assistants and the seniors, they told us to keep fighting and hang with it,&8221; said defensive end Martin Jackson, who registered sacks 11 and 12 to continue to lead the SWAC. &8220;It&8217;s frustrating, but when the offense messed up the defense has got to keep them from scoring. That&8217;s the mentality we have.&8221;

The defense kept control of the game and allowed the offense opportunities to put the game away. Oren Long came up with a fumble at the JSU 30, and three plays later Tony Hobson threw for Charlie Spiller before it was batted in the air.

Emmanuel Arceneaux was there to grab the tip, and he converted it into a 32-yard touchdown catch for a 24-14 lead with 14:00 left. Later in the fourth quarter Jeremy McCoy found daylight on an 8-yard run for a score for a 31-14 lead and to cap a day of 183 yards rushing on 29 carries.

&8220;It was a game of turnovers, a game of who would capitalize on the other team&8217;s mistakes,&8221; Jackson interim head coach Daryl Jones said. &8220;Had we capitalized a few more times on their mistakes, we&8217;d be celebrating right now. The defense played well and got the offensive turnovers. Sometimes we were able to do something with it, and sometimes we weren&8217;t.&8221;

The Braves&8217; biggest miscue of the first half resulted in the Tigers&8217; only score before the break. Hobson had a pass picked off by Marcus Smith, who returned it 64 yards down to the Alcorn 12.

Three plays later David Kennebrew ran it in from 2 yards out to tie the score at 7-7.

The Braves tacked on their next drive thanks to a big play on third down when Hobson hit Spiller on a 14-yard gain for a first.

Hobson tossed a shovel pass to McCoy at the JSU 19, and McCoy found the end zone on the play for a 14-7 lead at the 4:43 mark. Jeremy Shea added a 25-yard field goal just before the half for a 17-7 lead.