The Alcorn State Braves are entering their second season since moving to the SWAC West, and their objective is simple: Win.
According to head coach Fred McNair, his team has a good mindset, is working hard during the summer, and believes that it will translate on the field.
“They got some intentions on their mind, an intention to win,” said McNair. That’s a great expectation we have here at Alcorn State University to win ball games and to try to win championships. If we keep that mindset during the course of the summer going into camp this fall, I think we’ll be pretty good coming up in September.”
A key player for the Braves will be running Jarveon Howard, who, in his first season with the team last year after transferring from Syracuse, rushed for 1,275 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. He was named to the All-SWAC First Team and received the SWAC Newcomer of the Year award.
“We hope to take some pressure off of him, of course,” said McNair about Howard when asked about the adjustments he is making to his offense ahead to the start of the season. “He’s a good running back for us, he did a great job last year for us. With over 1,200 yards, it could have been more. The biggest thing is we made some transitions at key positions we needed to address to take some of the pressure off of him.”
In regards to McNair saying he could have rushed for more yards, the Braves back responded in kind, saying he liked his coach giving him that motivation.
“I mean, I felt like I left a lot on the table myself,” said Howard. “For my coach to say it could have been more, that means I’m able to be coached. He can tell me that it could have been more and really it should have been more, but I left a lot on the table. So I know what I have to address and what I have to fix for this upcoming season. I just got to keep my head down and keep grinding.”
Last season, the Braves finished with a 5-6 overall record and a 4-4 record against the SWAC. They have been picked to finish second in the SWAC West division behind the reigning champion Southern Jaguars in the conference’s preseason predicted order of finish.
