LORMAN &045; As if the 6-6, 315-pound Bryan Williams isn’t intimidating enough.

Now he’s angry.

The senior defensive tackle for Alcorn State wasn’t happy about last week’s 40-28 loss to projected SWAC champ Grambling State. And when you talk about memories of playing Alabama State as the Braves do at 7 p.m. today in Montgomery, Ala., he recalls how the offense had to outscore the Hornets last season in a wild 48-37 Alcorn win at Lorman.

&uot;A loss is a loss &045; it’s hard to take,&uot; said Williams, the team leader in tackles for loss with two. &uot;We’re a veteran ball club, and we have to put them in the past and learn from our mistakes. As far as them scoring 37, it’s not going to happen again. We’ve got to put them out early and stay on top of them. No let up Saturday.&uot;

Williams may not be the only Brave with an attitude of sorts coming into today’s contest. While the Grambling loss was harder to swallow than day-old gas station coffee, the Braves can breathe a little easier knowing that loss won’t come back to haunt them in the race for the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s Eastern Division championship.

But today, however, does. And if there’s anything this veteran ball club learned last year, it’s that every SWAC game is critical.

&uot;This is a huge ball game for us because it’s a conference game,&uot; Alcorn head coach Johnny Thomas said. &uot;It’s bigger than the Grambling game, although that was a game that really would have propelled us into the national spotlight. Losing to Alabama State &045; that would hurt us more than the loss to Grambling. We really have to bounce back against Alabama State because if we beat them, we’ll be sitting pretty because we’ll be 2-0.&uot;

Alabama State, meanwhile, is thinking the same thing, although today’s game is the conference opener for the Hornets. And there are probably a few defenders who have simmered since last season’s loss at Lorman where the Braves literally ran all over the Hornets’ defense by chalking up over 300 yards rushing.

A night of scoring 37 points and losing by two touchdowns made for bad memories on the ride back home.

&uot;That was the longest ride I have ever had as an Alabama State Hornet,&uot; linebacker Ronald &uot;Rock&uot; Dillon told the Montgomery Advertiser. &uot;We had never been manhandled like we were in that game. They flat out ran the ball down our throats. They were the only team to run the ball on us last year. I hope that’s what they have in mind this week.&uot;

Since then, however, the Hornets have been shaken up. For starters, assistant Charlie Coe has taken over for L.C. Cole as head coach after an investigation uncovered numerous allegations within the program, including coaches offering potential recruits trips to strip clubs while on visits to the campus.

Cole was dismissed, the athletic director resigned and the Hornets are trying to recover. They started out the season with a 38-22 win over a tough Florida A&M team before dropping its contest last week to Bethune-Cookman, 31-26, after a controversial incomplete pass call wiped off a would-be fumble that the Hornets returned for a touchdown late in the game.

&uot;They’re pretty much the same team,&uot; Thomas said. &uot;He hasn’t changed much. They’ve got outstanding special teams. Special teams allowed them to win the football game against Florida A&M.; They returned a punt for a touchdown, had another punt returned to the 5 and blocked a field goal. They played a good game against Bethune and once led by two touchdowns but turned the ball over.&uot;

The Hornets have the firepower similar to last year’s, although the quarterback is new in sophomore Tarvari Jackson. But the Hornets are not among the leaders in pass attempts (52, seventh) but

higher in carries in the ground game (68, fifth).

Keldric Williams is the team’s leading rusher at 35 carries for 165 yards, although he’s yet to see the end zone. His 75 yards a game is fourth in the conference and half a yard back of Alcorn back Andrew Burks in third place.

Chad Lucas, however, is the SWAC’s top receiver right now at 10 catches at 87 yards per game.

&uot;They have pretty good skill people,&uot; Thomas said. &uot;We have our hands full. They’ve got a lot of their skill people back from last year and a pretty good receiving corps. (Jackson) is pretty mobile, and their receivers make things happen. We’ve got to contain the running game and the passing game, and we can’t let their quarterback scramble on us.&uot;

If there are fireworks to be lit, the Braves’ offense hopes it can continue to do so after putting up big drives against Grambling last week and scoring 34 on UAPB. The Hornets’ defense is second-worst in the league as it gives up nearly 400 yards per game.

&uot;They’re playing pretty good defense,&uot; Thomas said. &uot;I don’t think they have the talent they’ve had in the past, but they have people that can hurt you.&uot;

But it’s the Alcorn defense that’s one of the biggest keys to the game, and everyone caught a glimpse of it Saturday when it nearly held Grambling scoreless the entire first half thanks to a tight man-to-man coverage in the secondary on Grambling’s outstanding receivers.