Tigers prepare for SWAC showdown at Alcorn State

LORMAN, Miss. — The Grambling State University football team will look to string together back-to-back Southwestern Athletic Conference victories for the first time in two years as the Tigers visit Alcorn State in a key Western Division showdown.

Kickoff is set for 2:05 p.m. from Jack Spinks Stadium.

Grambling State (2-3 overall, 1-1 SWAC) ended a six-game conference losing streak, which dated back to the end of 2019, with a huge 37-28 home victory over Alabama A&M on Saturday.

Alcorn State (2-2, 1-0) was off last week and comes into the contest off a 39-38 come-from-behind victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Sept. 23.

Saturday’s game will be streamed live on ESPN+ as Santoria Black and Ken Moore will have the call. In addition, GSU will broadcast and stream the game on the Grambling State Sports Radio Network. The game can be heard in Ruston (KRUS Hitz 96.3) and in Monroe (KNNW 103.1 FM). The Tigers’ broadcast crew of Ossie Clark, Nick Harrison and T. Lay Collins will call all of the action.

“We played against a great, great football team,” head football coach Broderick Fobbs said. “Alabama A&M is the top team in the conference and the defending champion. For some reason they don’t get the respect they deserve and they give the credit to everybody else, but we give them the utmost respect. They have a great quarterback and have a really good football coach and good staff.

“It was just important for us to play hard, to play fast and to play with the emotion we need to play with. When you play against really good teams, you have to play with great emotion and you have to force them into some uncomfortable situations in order to have a chance for victory. I thought we did a really good job of that,” Fobbs continued.

Grambling State and Alcorn State will be meeting for the 72nd time in the series. Alcorn State will be celebrating homecoming as well. The Tigers have won five out of the last six matchups against the Braves.

Noah Bodden made his first collegiate start at quarterback against the Bulldogs a week ago and GSU may have found its signal caller. Grambling State trailed 14-0 early in the second quarter, then scored 34 unanswered points in between the second and fourth quarters.

“Offensively we had a breakthrough. We had really good quarterback play and the offensive line was able to create some holes when it counted the most; the receivers and tight ends were able to make some plays,” Fobbs said. “That’s what it is going to take in order for us to have a chance to make a run at this thing. Of course we are going to need a little bit of help, but we can’t be concerned about that. We’ve got to focus to what we need to do in order to win this particular week.”

Bodden earned newcomer and offensive player of the week honors, while Garrett Urban was tabbed the specialist of the Week and Cameron Richardson garnered defensive player of the week following the big victory.

Alcorn State quarterback Felix Harper has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards and has six touchdowns and a pair of interceptions on the season.

Niko Duffey paces the ground game with 282 yards on 58 carries and two touchdowns. The Braves are averaging 21.7 points and 369.3 total yards per game.

Fans making the trip to Mississippi are encouraged to wear red in support of the G-Men.