Alcorn State Prepares for Rematch With Grambling in SWAC Title Game

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

In case a lot of people haven't noticed, there are two teams in this weekend's Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship football game.  There's actually a defending champion too.

Everyone is talking about 9-1 Grambling, a team that just completed their second-straight nine-win season and whose only loss was a close one to FBS Arizona in the first game of the season.  They have the SWAC's Coach of the Year in Broderick Fobbs, Offensive Player of the Year in quarterback Devante Kincaid, and Defensive Player of the Year in Donovan McCray.

Yet even in this story, it's taken three paragraphs to get to their opponent, Alcorn State.

The Braves are the SWAC East champs for the third year in a row and are the two-time defending SWAC football champs.

But the reason the talk about Alcorn State is muted is this is a different team than those dominating squads of the past few years.

They averaged 31 points a game, good for fourth in the SWAC, and were third in total offense, so they did put points on the board.  But defense has been an issue this season.  They've given up nearly 30 points a game, which says a lot about their 5-5 record this season.

They gave up 45 points to the SWAC's worst offensive team, one-win Arkansas-Pine Bluff -- a team that averaged 13.6 points a game -- in a surprising loss.

But three of their losses came against FBS Arkansas, a very good Southern team, a seven-win Prairie View squad -- and Grambling.

That game on Sept. 24 was a rematch of last year's SWAC title game in which Alcorn State won.  But the rematch wasn't even close with Grambling winning 48-13.

Expect a different looking Alcorn State team this time, said ASU head coach Fred McNair.

"The biggest thing for us is we can't afford to beat Alcorn, if you know what I mean," McNair Alcorn told The Clarion-Ledger.  "We did that the last time we played them.  We made some critical mistakes that crucified us.  We just have to not make those mistakes and go play Alcorn-style football."

The Braves clamped down on defense, particularly in their last two games as they gave up just seven points in a 61-7 rout of Mississippi Valley State and a 35-16 win over Jackson State to end the regular season.

"It's big winning two games going into the SWAC Championship game and having momentum," McNair said after the Jackson State win.  "Our guys have been playing lights out and this coaching staff has done a great job with these young men.  The coaches have really been getting on them to get them to play the way we are now."

Grambling Gets 14 All-SWAC Football Picks, Along With Coach, Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

Grambling had 14 players named to the Southwestern Athletic Conference's 2016 All-Conference football team, and has this season's offensive, defensive and coach of the year.

Chosen by the SWAC's sports information directors and league head coaches, the team was announced today ahead of Saturday's SWAC Championship game between Grambling and Alcorn State in Houston.

In his first year with Grambling, Devante Kincaid, an Ole Miss transfer, threw for 2,633 yards and 28 touchdowns and averaged 263 yards passing a game to lead the SWAC in passing in being named the SWAC's Offensive Player of the Year. Kincaid's passing efficiency was 172.3 far and away the best in the conference.  He led a Grambling offense that was the SWAC's best.

But the Tigers also had the SWAC's top defense and leading the way was the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year, Donovan McCray.  He led a stingy Grambling defense line that helped a defense that was ranked fourth nationally in fewest points allowed per game, 16.4.  McCray had 28 tackles, five sacks, three fumble recoveries, a blocked kick and a safety.

Coach of the Year for the third season in a row is Broderick Fobbs after the Tigers posted another nine win season and their only loss being a a close defeat to FBS Arizona.  His team is the only one in the country ranked in the top-5 nationally in scoring offense and defense this season.

Prairie View A&M's dynamic receiver and return man Jordan Simmons was named Newcomer of the Year.  Simmons caught 20 passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns, returned a kick for a touchdown and racked up 434 total return yards. He had had 700 yards total yards and three touchdowns this season.  Alabama A&M running back Jordan Bentley was named Freshman of the Year after rushing for 851 yards and nine touchdowns.

Here is the entire 2016 SWAC All-Conference Football team:

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Devante Kincade (Grambling State)

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Donovan McCray (Grambling State)

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

Joshua Simmons (Prairie View A&M)

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

Jordan Bentley (Alabama A&M)

COACH OF THE YEAR

Broderick Fobbs (Grambling State)

FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB	Devante Kincade	Grambling State
RB	Lenard Tillery	Southern
RB	Martez Carter	Grambling State
OL	Justin Miller	Grambling State
OL	Terrell Lee	Southern
OL	Anthony Mosley	Southern
OL	Sam Baptiste	Alabama State
OL	Jamal Boulden	Southern
WR	Chad Williams	Grambling State
WR	Willie Quinn	Southern
TE	Dillon Beard	Southern

DEFENSE
DL	Javancy Jones	Jackson State
DL	Aaron Tiller	Southern
DL	Donovan McCray	Grambling State
DL	Samuel Reese	Grambling State
LB	Arkez Cooper	Grambling State
LB	Darien Anderson	Alcorn State
LB	Kourtney Berry	Alabama State
DB	Guy Stallworth	Grambling State
DB	Danny Johnson	Southern
DB	Jameel Jackson	Grambling State
DB	Eric Foster	Alcorn State

SPECIAL TEAMS
K	Eric Medina	Texas Southern
P	Eric Medina	Texas Southern
RS	Willie Quinn	Southern

SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB	Austin Howard	Southern
RB	Khalid Thomas	Alabama State
RB	Jordan Bentley	Alabama A&M
OL	Trent Scott	Grambling State
OL	Detonio Dade	Alcorn State
OL	Donovan Wheaton	Prairie View A&M
OL	Timothy Gardner	Alcorn State
OL	Gustavo Lopez	Prairie View A&M
WR	Verlan Hunter	Grambling State
WR	Willie Young	Arkansas-Pine Bluff
TE	Jonathan Dorsey	Alabama A&M

DEFENSE
DL	Blain Winston	Grambling State
DL	Michael Brooks	Alcorn State
DL	Roderick Henderson	Alabama State
DL	DeVohn Reed	Prairie View A&M
LB	Javancy Jones	Jackson State
LB	Willie Duncan	Arkansas-Pine Bluff
LB	Michael Hurns	Alcorn State
DB	Bradley Street	Alabama State
DB	Terrence Singleton	Prairie View A&M
DB	Zavian Bingham	Jackson State
DB	Justin Jemison	Jackson State

SPECIAL TEAMS
K	Jonathan Wallace	Grambling State
P	Owen Hoolihan	Prairie View A&M
RS	Martez Carter	Grambling State

Tuskegee Tops Season-Ending ADD'S HBCU SPORTS REPORT Division II HBCU Football Poll; Crowned D-2 HBCU National Champs

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

It wasn't the season that Tuskegee backers thought it would be as there was no Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title, or even a championship game appearance.

Credit that to a surprising Kentucky State team that upset the Golden Tigers to take the SIAC West title.

But for the most part, Tuskegee (9-3, 6-1 SIAC) steamrolled through the Division II season and ends the 2016 season on top of the final ADD'S HBCU SPORTS REPORT HBCU Division II football poll of the year and are claim our national championship.

The Golden Tigers' 10-9 loss to No. 10 Kentucky State on Oct. 22 shocked the HBCU football world, though former Michigan State and Louisville head coach John L. Smith turned around a bad Kentucky State football program this season.   The Golden Tigers also fell to Virginia State in a hastily scheduled season-ending game to give them the tenth regular season game they needed to qualify for the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Tuskegee made the playoffs, stunning Newberry and then falling to North Greenville in the second round.

Winston-Salem State (9-3, 8-1 CIAA) lost two of their first three, but ran off eight straight wins to claim the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship an earn a spot in the NCAA Division II playoff field where they lost to undefeated LIU-Post.  

Here is the season-ending ADD'S HBCU SPORTS REPORT HBCU Division II Football poll:

Division II

1) Tuskegee (9-3 6-1 SIAC)
2) Winston-Salem State (9-3, 8-1 CIAA)
3) Virginia State (9-2, 6-2 CIAA)
4) Bowie State (7-4, 7-2 CIAA)
5) Chowan (6-4, 5-3 CIAA)
6) Albany State (5-4, 4-2 SIAC)
7) Elizabeth City State (5-5, 5-3 CIAA)
8) Fort Valley State (5-6, 5-4 SIAC)
9) Virginia Union (5-5, 5-3 CIAA)
10) Kentucky State (4-7, 4-4 SIAC)

Winston-Salem State Rally Falls Short, Loses to Undefeated LIU-Post 48-41 in First Round of Division II Football Playoffs

(story from Nov. 19, 2016)

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

Winston-Salem State fell behind early, and trailed by as many as 24 points to LIU-Post, but fought back, falling just short, losing 48-41 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs on Nov. 19.

In their first playoff appearance since 2013, Winston-Salem State (9-3) actually jumped ahead early on a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown by Jayron Rankin just a couple of minutes into the game.  LIU-Post (12-0) settled in and the two squads went back and forth, but a 20-point second quarter had LIU-Post up 37-14 at halftime.

However, the Winston-Salem State offense then went to work in the second half and actually outscored LIU-Post 24-14 the rest of the way.  Kerrion Moore rushed for two touchdowns, a 4-yarder in the third quarter and a 2-yarder early in the fourth quarter.

Rod Tinsely threw a 22-yard TD pass to Canard Brown with 5:49 left in the game, pulling WSSU to 48-41.

But the Pioneers got the ball back and never gave it up the rest of the way as they converted on four fourth downs to salt the game away.

Jeff Kidd led LIU-Post with 320 yards and four touchdowns passing.  David White led them in rushing with 134 yards rushing while Malik Pierre ran for 115 yards and three TDs.

For WSSU, Moore rushed for 148 yards and two touchdowns while Tinsley passed for 278 yards and two touchdowns, but was picked off twice.  Defensively, Rankin had 11 tackles, one for a loss, a sack and his interception.

Tuskegee Ends Season With A Surprise Win Over Newberry and A Loss to North Greenville in NCAA Division II Football Playoffs

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

A 2016 football season that was full of highs and a couple of stunning lows for Tuskegee wrapped up Thanksgiving weekend as the Golden Tigers completed their NCAA Division II football playoff run with a big loss to North Greenville.   The loss came after a big win over second-seeded Newberry.

Not many people expected Tuskegee, a team that after steamrolling through the first part of the 2016 football season but stumbling to two losses in their last four games, to give 10-1 Newberry much of a challenge on the road.

But the Golden Tigers led most of the way in defeating Newberry 35-33 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs on Nov. 19.

Kenny Grant rushed for 139 yards and a touchdown while Kevin Lacey threw for 188 and two scores for Tuskegee.  Most importantly, they kept a strong Newberry offense in check, only giving up 204 yards passing and 154 yards rushing.

Osband Thompson had a big day with ll tackles and a sack while Daryl George had two sacks and three tackles for losses for the Golden Tigers.

Tuskegee again had to hit the road on Nov. 26 for a second round matchup with North Greenville, a 9-3 team seeded sixth in the playoffs to Tuskegee's seventh.

But Tuskegee fell behind 28-0 in the first quarter as North Greenville's Will Hunter threw two touchdowns during that span.  North Greenville also recovered a fumble for a touchdown.   The lead was too much for Tuskegee to overcome as the Golden Tigers fell to North Greenville 45-26 to end their season at 9-3.

Lacey threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns as Tuskegee tried in vain to catch up.  Javarrius Cheatham caught nine passes for 148 yards and a touchdown while Desmond Reese hauled in nine passes, one for a touchdown.  Thompson had 14 tackles and forced a fumble while Kalil Gray had 12 tackles and Carl Matthews had ten.

North Greenville, which now visits North Alabama in the quarterfinals, was led by Hunter's 272 yards and three touchdown passes.  Tracy Scott had 128 yards and a touchdown rushing with Ashton Heard adding 92 yards rushing for a team that had 511 yards of total offense.

Grambling Defeats Southern 52-30 For SWAC West Title and Berth in SWAC Championship Game

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

Devante Kincaide scored three touchdowns and accounted for 339 yards of total offense as Grambling defeated rival Southern 52-30 in the Bayou Classic and claiming a spot in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game.

Grambling (10-1, 9-0 SWAC) completed their second straight undefeated SWAC season in winning the SWAC West title with their win over Southern (8-3, 8-1 SWAC).

Southern actually led early after Austin Howard threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Willie Quinn in the first quarter.  But Grambling scored 17 points over the next 14 minutes to go up 17-6.   Leonard Tillery ripped off an 85-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter to pull Southern to 17-13, but that was as close as the Jaguars would get the rest of the day.

Kincaide's third quarter 45-yard touchdown run ignited a 21-point Grambling run that put the game out of reach.

“That was huge,” Grambling coach Broderick Fobbs told The Advocate. “We always talk about momentum, and he who has the momentum normally wins the football game.”

Kincaide finished with 238 yards and one touchdown passing and 56 yards and one TD rushing. Martez Carter also had a big day with 118 yards and two touchdowns rushing.

It offset a huge day for Southern's Tillery, who finished with 234 yards and a touchdown on the ground and another TD receiving.  

"I really thought we could run the football," Southern coach Dawson Odums told The Advocate.  "...We were able to do that, but at the end of the day we didn't score enough points.  You can get all the yards you want, but you've got to have one more point than they have."

Howard threw three TDs for Southern.

Grambling now heads to Saturday's SWAC title game in Houston, again facing Alcorn State (5-5, 5-4 SWAC). Alcorn State defeated Grambling 49-21 in last year's championship game.  But the G-Men made up for that defeat with an easy 43-18 win over Alcorn State in September.

The champion will get the SWAC's berth in the Celebration Bowl where they take on MEAC champ, North Carolina Central on Saturday, Dec. 17.

Kickoff Saturday in Houston is 3 p.m. CST.