LORMAN &045; For two years it’s been a soft knock.

Now Alcorn senior center Zephaniah Smalley wants to kick the door open. The Braves have been in contention for the Eastern Division title of the Southwestern Athletic Conference the past two seasons, but this time the Braves and the crop of seniors who were part of that 0-11 season four years ago want to finish the deal.

A win today against Alabama A&M would go a ways in doing that, but a loss would pull the plug on everything.

Kickoff is at 2 p.m. at Jack Spinks Stadium.

&uot;We’re approaching this game very focused,&uot; Smalley said. &uot;We know what we have to do to get the job done. We’re very determined and very focused to play this team.&uot;

It’s a similar position for the Braves for the third straight year by going into their second-to-last game with high hopes and plenty to play for. But in the last two seasons it hasn’t gone their way &045; a 52-28 loss at Jackson State with one game to go and a 27-20 loss at Alabama A&M with one game to go in 2002.

So today’s game is the one where the Braves are trying to get over the hump, although they still need a win next week and an Alabama State loss. The Bulldogs, however, can clinch the title with a win today.

&uot;Last year A&M knocked us out of the contention for the SWAC title, and the previous year Jackson did,&uot; ASU head coach Johnny Thomas said. &uot;We’ve all grown from it and were glad to have an opportunity to be playing for a conference championship in the last two weeks of previous seasons. We’re taking it one game at a time, and we’re trying to capitalize on this opportunity.&uot;

The biggest hurdle for the Braves today is the A&M defense, a unit that keyed the team’s run to the SWAC Championship last year and is just as tenacious this year. The Bulldogs have the best rush defense in the conference (92.3 ypg) and are second in points allowed (17.4 ppg).

The Bulldogs are far and away leaders in the conference in sacks with 47. Alabama State is second with 29.

&uot;Still the same way defensively,&uot; Thomas said. &uot;They’re very quick, put a lot of pressure on you and are very physical. They’re not very big, but they’re very quick and fast. We match up OK with them if we can execute. They put a lot of pressure on the quarterback. If we can execute on offense, defense and special teams, we’ll do very well. If not, it’ll be a long day.&uot;

It’s a defense that’s playing much better in recent weeks after suffering a humbling 55-25 loss at Southern. Since then the Bulldogs (7-3, 4-2) have held their last three opponents to a combined 31 points, including last weeks’ 49-14 pounding of Jackson State.

&uot;They look the same on defense &045; very aggressive,&uot; Smalley said. &uot;They’ve been blitzing a lot. We’ll have to go against an aggressive defense &045; the line and the linebackers. They have given people problems. One thing about them is they don’t stop. They go until the whistle blows.&uot;

The Braves have to execute on offense and avoid the turnovers that plagued them last week in the win over Mississippi Valley State. After a mistake-prone first half, the Braves conjured up memories from their first five games of the season where every opponent but Sam Houston State merely took advantage of Alcorn mistakes to win the game.

The miscues put the Braves’ turnover ratio at minus-2 on the season as one of four teams in the conference with a negative ratio and the only one without a losing record.

&uot;I’m hoping it was a one-time thing,&uot; Thomas said. &uot;We’ve never had that many turnovers at one time. It may have been like one of our coaches said &045; we had some new balls, and the wax hadn’t worn off them. A couple of them have not fumbled the ball very often.&uot;

But for the first time this year the Braves overcame it. There’s still a way to win even though you five fumbles and two interceptions, but it takes a great deal of patience and commitment.