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Alcorn State coach Jay Hopson made history in dramatic fashion in the Port City Classic in Shreveport, La.

Alcorn State coach Jay Hopson made history in dramatic fashion in the Port City Classic in Shreveport, La.

Hopson, the first non-black head football coach in the 92-year history of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, guided the Braves to a stunning 22-21 victory over defending SWAC champion Grambling after trailing by 12 points in the fourth quarter.

Hopson was a long-time defensive assistant coach with a number of programs before Alcorn hired him in May. He only had month of practice to evaluate his team and prepare to play Grambling.

The Braves erased a 21-9 deficit in the fourth quarter to pull out the victory. Arnold Walker scored the winning touchdown on a four-yard run with 1:33 remaining in the contest. The victory was an improbable one for Alcorn, which has only won 15 games in six seasons.

“You always like to win,’’ said Hopson, Alcorn’s  sixth coach in six seasons. “I’m happy for the kids, but we still have a long way to go. There’s a lot of season left.’’

Alcorn’s up-tempo offense took a toll on the Grambling defense as the game went on, and the G-Men were unable keep pace in the fourth quarter after being ahead by 12 points with 10 left in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Darius Smith and running back duo of Walker and Anthony Williams III took advantage of the worn down Grambling defense to turn the game in Alcorn’s favor.

Smith scored on a three-yard run at the 9:05 mark, setting set the stage for Walker’s winning run.

“We tell our kids in the third quarter, ‘Let’s go,’” Hopson said. “They did a good job. We ran the ball well in the second half.”

Grambling helped Alcorn’s cause by losing two fumbles on punts returns inside its 15-yard line, one by Anthony McGhee and by Richard Wilson.

“McGhee has (returned punts) and Richard Wilson basically led the league in doing it when he was at Southern,” Grambling coach Doug Williams said. “I can’t give them a pass on it. That’s two mistakes we can’t make down the road. They’re not freshmen. They’re not rookies. They definitely have to work on that and correct that.”

Alcorn converted the turnovers into nine points.

Grambling had its way in the first thanks to running back Dawrence Roberts, who led the SWAC in rushing in 2011 and was the 2012 SWAC preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Robert gained 98 yards in the first half, but he suffered cramps and didn’t play in the second half after receiving an IV.

Games of Note

Bethune-Cookman 38, Alabama State 28: The Wildcats spotted the Hornets a 21-point lead at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Fla., before rallying to victory and continuing the MEAC’s dominance in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge. The MEAC leads the series 6-2. It was the  biggest comeback for the Wildcats since they erased a 21-point deficit against Florida A&M in the 2004 Florida Classic en route to a 52-31 victory. Backup quarterback Broderick Waters, a senior, came off the bench to lead the Wildcats’ comeback Alabama State, the preseason favorite to win the SWAC East Division championship. Waters replaced starter Jackie Wilson in the second quarter. He completed six of nine passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns in addition to rushing for 100 yards and another score on 11 carries. Waters was one of three Wildcat ball-carriers who rushed for 100 yards or more – a first for the Bethune-Cookman program – and upstaged Alabama State running back Isaiah Crowell, the bally-hooed transfer from the University of Georgia who was the 2012 SEC Freshman of the Year for the University of Georgia. Isidore Jackson gained 123 yards and Rodney Scott ran for 103 and a touchdown. Crowell rushed for 18 yards on nine carries with a touchdown.

Tennessee State 17, Florida A&M 14: The Tigers opened their centennial football season with a dramatic victory over their traditional rivals in the John Merritt Classic at LP Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee State’s defense kept the Rattlers out of the end on their possession of the game after quarterback Damien Fleming drove them 88 yards. The Tigers stopped Fleming on back-to-back quarterback sneaks at the one-yard line. Tennessee State led 17-0 before Florida A&M rallied to get back into the game. Quarterback Michael German and wide receiver Devin Wilson connected on a 22-yard touchdown pass and Jamin Godfrey kicked a 38-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead. Trabis Ward added six-yard touchdown run, capping a nine-play, 80-yard drive, to increase the score to 17-0. Florida A&M tightened the score with a pair of touchdown passes, a 13-yard strike from backup quarterback Tyler Bass to Travis Harvey and Fleming’s eight-yarder to Michael Etheridge. The victory gives Tennessee State back-to-back wins against Florida A&M for the first time since 1986-87. The Tigers won despite setting a school record with 20 penalties for 178 yards.

Fort Valley State 31, Delta State 23:  Seth Hill rushed for 144 yards on 17 carries and scored two touchdowns as the Wildcats surprised the Statesmen, No. 14 in the Division II preseason poll, in Cleveland, Miss. Fort Valley stormed back from a 23-9 deficit in the fourth quarter. Hill started the comeback with a 29-yard touchdown run that made the score 23-17 after a two-point conversion. Quarterback Antonio Henton’s 13-yard touchdown pass to Chris Slaughter gave the Wildcats their first lead, 24—23. Hill iced the game with a 26-yard touchdown run after the Delta State lost a fumble on punt return.

Howard 30, Morehouse 27: Freshman quarterback Jamie Cunningham was the unlikely hero as the Bison defeated the Maroon Tigers in the Nation’s Football Classic at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. Cunningham, the No. 3 quarterback two weeks ago, came on after Coach Gary Harrell benched Randy Liggins Jr. in the third quarter. Liggins started because preseason Greg McGhee, the 2011 MEAC Rookie of the Year was among 14 Bison players who were declared ineligible because of a continuing NCAA investigation into improper use of their textbook allowances. Cunningham threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to David Wilson with 22 seconds left. Cunningham completed 10 of 11 passes for 179 yards. Howard won despite allowing 472 yards total offense.

Albany State 24, North Greenville 12: The Golden Rams got the revenge they were looking for against the Crusaders, who embarrassed them 63-14 in the 2012 Division II playoffs. Nathan Hoyte rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns to lead the 22nd ranked Golden Rams past the No. 23 Crusaders. Albany State held North Greenville to 177 yards total offense.

Other Games

MEAC

Coastal Carolina 29, North Carolina A&T 13

Delaware State 17, Virginia Military Institute 14

Howard 30, Morehouse 29

Morgan State 30, Sacred Heart 27

Norfolk State 24, Virginia State 0

North Carolina Central 54, Fayetteville State 31

Oklahoma State 84, Savannah State 0

South Carolina State 33, Georgia State 6

Tenn. Tech 41, Hampton 31

CIAA

Assumption 24, Bowie State 20

Charleston (W.Va.) 44, Shaw 26

Cheyney 34, Lincoln (Pa.) 21

Chowan 70, Livingstone 35

Newberry 46, Elizabeth City State 20

West Va. State 31, Johnson C. Johnson 24

Winston-Salem State 28, UNC Pembroke 23

Saint Augustine’s 28, Wingate 10

Virginia Union 28, Benedict 7

SWAC

Ala. A&M 7, Tuskegee 6

Arkansas-Pine Bluff 17, Langston 14

Concordia 20, Miss. Valley State 19

Miss. State 56, Jackson State 9

New Mexico 66, Southern 21

Texas Southern 44, Prairie View A&M 41

SIAC

Albany Stat3e 24, North Greenville 12

Fort Valley State 31, Delta 21

Lane 45, Edward Waters 28

West Alabama 44, Clark Atlanta 0

Other Results

Ohio Dominican 57, Virginia University of Lynchburg 6

Incarnate Word 7, Texas College 6

Lindenwood  49, Lincoln (Mo.) 28