The leg of Noah Kiani decided the outcome of a showdown of the top contenders in the SWAC West.
The Alcorn State kicker nailed a short field goal with seven seconds left in regulation that gave the Braves a 17-15 win over Grambling State on Saturday afternoon at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium.
The Braves (4-3, 3-0 SWAC) put together an 11-play, 52-yard drive to pull out the win. They had two turnovers and then four straight punts before getting the ball with 3:26 to play.
A penalty put a field goal attempt in jeopardy with just under 2 minutes to go, and the Braves got within the edge of Kiani’s range after a first down. Then Xzavier Vaught kept the ball on a scramble up the middle to the Grambling 10, setting up the winning kick. Kiani’s 27-yard kick was a low knuckleball.
Sewell opened the scoring with a 63-yard run over the right side, and after two Grambling field goals, Vaught and Edwards hooked up for a 73-yard score.
Dedrick Talbert got the lone touchdown for Grambling (3-3, 0-2) in the final minute of the third quarter on a 3-yard run but the 2-point conversion pass was incomplete. Reed Harradine gave the Tigers the lead with his third field goal from 4 yards. Sewell finished with 102 yards on 13 carries, and Vaughn threw for 149 yards.
Myles Crawley, who failed to throw a TD pass for the first time since the season opener at Louisana, had only 149 yards passing for the Tigers to go along with an interception.
