Alcorn, Alabama A&M in battle for SWAC East title
ROSCOE NANCE
BCSP Contributing Writer
It has come down to cases for Alcorn State and Alabama A&M.
After confounding the experts all season by staying at or near the top of the SWAC Eastern Division standings, this pair of unlikely championship contenders faces their day of reckoning Saturday when they meet in Normal, Ala.
The winner will
stay alive in a division race that became tighter than a pair of cheap
leather pants last weekend when Jackson State (5-4, 3-2) beat Alabama
A&M (6-3, 4-1) and Alcorn State (6-3, 3-2) lost to in-state rival
Mississippi Valley State.
A&M and Alcorn control their own destiny. Either can punch its ticket for Birmingham and a date with Grambling State in the fourth annual SWAC Championship Game on Dec 14, by winning its remaining two games. Alcorn plays Jackson State on Nov. 23 and A&M plays Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
"One of the greatest feelings is to have the chance to control your own destiny," said first-year Alabama A&M head coach Anthony Jones. "That's what your fight in life is to do."
After getting off to an 0-2 start with a new coaching staff and relying on a pair of freshmen quarterbacks, the Bulldogs didn't figure to be in control of much of anything. They were picked to finish fourth in the East after going 4-7 under Ron Cooper last season.
"When I saw the preseason selection, it didn't bother me," Jones says. "With a new coaching staff and a 4-7 record how can you be upset with people thinking you're not going to do anything? That's why we play the season. We worked hard to put ourselves in this situation."
A&M ran off six consecutive victories and dealt themselves a hand in the division race by relying of defense, field position and an opportunistic offense.
A&M leads the SWAC in scoring defense and is No. 14 in Division I-AA, allowing 16.3 points a game. The Bulldogs are also in the top 20 nationally in total defense and rushing defense.
The Bulldogs boast a +10 turnover margin for the season. Offensively, they are last in SWAC first downs (115), but first in red zone offense, scoring 80% of the time they get inside the 20.
"The kids are playing well and understanding the concept of team," says Jones. "The big thing is taking advantage of turnovers and taking care of the football."
Jones points to the Bulldogs' 23-13 loss to Grambling in the second game of the season as the turning point for his team.
"We played Grambling tough even though we came away with a loss," says Jones. "We felt there were some things that needed to be done. We talked about it. We cleared the air. We got some things off our chest. We cleaned the slate. They understood why we lost those games."
"We went back to fundamentals," says Alabama A&M running backs coach Stanley Conner. "We got guys to understand that you have to practice a certain way and play a certain way. You have to play with effort. Practice with effort. It's all about effort, not talent. Guys wanted to win. Once you get a taste of winning, you will do the things necessary to win."
Meanwhile, Alcorn State is trying to finish off its own rags-to-riches tale. The Braves were winless for the first time in school history two years ago with virtually the same players who have them on the brink of playing for the championship.
"Maturity, spirit and the will to win of players has made the difference," says Head Coach Johnny Thomas. "We're playing with the same people. We didn't have any people transfer or become academically ineligible. You can tell the difference in terms of maturity and experience and will to win. No situation fazes them."
The Braves showed just how unflappable they are two weeks ago when they blew a 22-6 lead against Southern and held on to win 22-20. It was their first win at Mumford Stadium since 1991 and their first victory over SU since 1994.
"Two years ago we would have lost to Southern," says Thomas. "We don't panic. They get tenacious and rise to the occasion, but we need to get a killer instinct."
Thomas says the Braves' victory against Southern is a microcosm of their season. They have yet to play a complete game.
"When we didn't do so well defensively, the offense rose to the occasion," he says. "Or the special teams put the offense in good position. When one (unit) or the other would breakdown the other would rise up, or a combination of both, to compensate for the other's inability to rise up. If we can get them all to jell we can be very difficult to deal with. We haven't had all three units to play to their potential for four quarters."
Alcorn's inconsistency on offense can be traced to quarterback Donald Carrie's inconsistency. Carrie had his lowest completion total of the season connecting on 8-of-27 passes for 97 yards against Southern. He had his most productive game of the season the previous week, completing 22 of 37 attempts for 335 yards and one touchdown.
"He looks good for 2-3 series," says Thomas. "Then he'll not look good."
For the season Carrie has completed 122 of 261 attempts (46.7%) for 1,750 yards. He has thrown 13 interceptions and 15 touchdowns, and averages 194.4 yards a game, fourth best in the conference.
That has forced Alcorn to rely more on the running game than Thomas had anticipated. He has been satisfied with the results as the Braves are No.3 in the conference in rushing (135 yards a game). He is optimistic that the Braves' running game can continue to carry enough of the load to win the East. Five backs, led by sophomore Andrew Burks with 560 yards, have rushed for more than 120 yards and average at least 4.0 yards a carry.
"We have quick and elusive tailbacks, a veteran offensive line that has been together three years and good blocking fullbacks," he says.
The Braves have remained in the championship hunt while enduring an unfathomable number of injuries. They have lost seven starters or projected starters for the season since the start of preseason practice.
"If we can stay healthy, we have a great chance," Thomas says. "I'm confident we can get to Birmingham."
If the Braves make it to Birmingham, they will have traveled one of the most improbable roads to the Championship Game imaginable. Saturday's contest against Alabama A&M will be the fifth of six consecutive road games for them.
"If we can win the East, it is a good task to accomplish," Thomas says. "Nobody can say we had the easiest road to travel if we can come out with these victories."
© 2002 Azeez Communications, Inc.