LAKE CHARLES, La. – A late comeback attempt fell just short for the Alcorn State University football program as the Braves ran out of time in a 17-14 defeat at McNeese State on Saturday at Cowboy Stadium.
After a slow offensive night through three and a half quarters, Alcorn (1-2) scored twice on the Cowboys (1-2) in the final four minutes of the game. After a blocked punt by sophomore Calvontay Key setup the Braves in the red zone, they scored on a 13-yard pass from junior Felix Harper to senior Chris Blair with 3:56 left.
The Braves got the ball back and quickly pushed it down the field. They ended up scoring on a 14-yard pass from Harper to freshman Niko Duffey, which cut the deficit to 17-14 at the 1:21 mark.
Alcorn attempted an onside kick, which took a wicked hop, but the Cowboys recovered and the Braves were also offsides. With just one timeout for Alcorn, McNeese was able to kneel it out to end the game.
The defense for the Braves shutout the Cowboys in the second half. Junior Daimen Anderson turned in a career night with a career-high 12 tackles. The Alcorn defense held McNeese to a 1-of-15 mark on third-down conversions.
A couple of key injuries hindered Alcorn offensively for most of the night. Both seniors Noah Johnson and De’Shawn Waller left the game due to injuries and did not return. Johnson left in the second quarter, and Waller early in the third.
Harper ended the night with 132 passing yards and two touchdowns in relief. Waller rushed for 77 yards, while Duffey ran for 41 yards and hauled in 54 receiving yards.
Total yards in the game were nearly even, as McNeese held a slight 324-318 edge. The Braves outrushed the Cowboys 154-133. Alcorn also carried the time of possession edge 32:05-27:55.
Courtesy: Alcorn Athletics
