Alcorn State’s defense has become a problem, and head coach Cedric Thomas acknowledged as much following Saturday’s wild 63-59 loss to Grambling State.
The Braves allowed 599 yards of offense, including 370 passing yards and 229 rushing yards, as Grambling erased a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit with 21 unanswered points over the final 6:11.
Thomas said the answer starts with getting his players into better positions to make plays, while also acknowledging that both the personnel and the defensive system could change.
“We just gotta, you know, gotta be do a better job of tackling this space and not give up the explosives,” Thomas said on Monday during the SWAC coaches media call. “System-wise, the system is the system. You know, and if it’s a personnel issue, you know, we gotta just put the guys out there when the opportunity presents itself. You know, they just gotta make it.”
Thomas also pointed to the coaching staff’s responsibility for putting players in position to succeed, but defended second-year defensive coordinator Deion Roberson.
“Coach Roberson, he’s not making any tackles. He’s the all-time tackle-for-loss guy at this school, so he can’t suit up no more,” Thomas said. “And so, as coaches, it always starts with us.”
Thomas said the staff must find ways to put its current personnel in positions where they can replicate some of that production.
“We just gotta put some things in place from an implementation standpoint to be able to get some guys in some spots they can make those plays,” he said. “And so, from a personnel standpoint, we’ll make some changes. And then, from a system standpoint, we cut back on some things, or add some things to be able to get this score down.”
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The defensive performance against Grambling was particularly troubling because it came after an inconsistent start to the season.
Alcorn entered Saturday’s game allowing 37 points and 434.4 yards per game through its first five games. Against Grambling, the Braves surrendered another 599 yards while giving up 63 points.
The Braves did produce several disruptive plays. Alcorn recorded four sacks, seven tackles for loss, an interception and a fumble recovery. Dillon Crowell led the defense with 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks, while Mahamadou Diarra added 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
But those plays weren’t enough to prevent Grambling from scoring three touchdowns after Alcorn had built a 59-42 lead.
For Thomas, the issue isn’t simply about changing the scheme.
“We know the dilemmas that we have, and some of the issues that we got to work through,” Thomas said. “We just got to do it.”
With six games remaining, Thomas pushed back against the idea that the team’s defensive struggles require some sweeping philosophical explanation.
“We just gotta play sound,” he said. “We know the personnel we got. We know the players that we got. We can only do what they allow us to do. So we gotta put them in the best position to be successful.”
Alcorn is now 3-3 overall and 2-1 in SWAC play after suffering its first conference loss of the season. The Braves return home Saturday for Homecoming against Arkansas Baptist.
Thomas said the work to fix the defense will continue.
“We’re gonna keep working the work period until there ain’t no more work,” he said. “That’s all we can do.”
