Alcorn State goes for SWAC title repeat

Alcorn State goes for its second straight SWAC Championship at 3 p.m. Saturday in Houston.

The Braves (8-3 7-2) face Grambling (9-2, 9-0) in the SWAC title game in a battle of East champion versus West Champion at NRG Stadium. ESPNU will televise the contest.

"It's always sweet the second time around to get back on this stage," Braves coach Jay Hopson said at the Press Conference Friday. "We're confident. We've got to go out and execute."

Grambling defeated Alcorn 35-34 in overtime on Oct. 17 after the Braves missed a game-tying extra point. The Braves have won 42 of 61 games in the series.

The Tigers are led by quarterback Johnathan Williams, who threw 38 touchdowns this season en-route to earning SWAC offensive player of the year. Alcorn, who has the SWAC's top defense, held Williams to 147 yards passing.

Alcorn hasn't decided on a starting quarterback between Lenorris Footman and John Gibbs. Footman has started the last five games, with Gibbs starting the Braves' first six before suffering an ankle injury.

"Both have played half the season," Hopson said. "It will be a game-time decision. We're fortunate to have two good quarterbacks. Both are good players."

Grambling hasn't won a SWAC title since 2011, something not lost on Tigers coach Broderick Fobbs.

"Gibbs and Footman are the same kind of guys," Fobbs said. "Both have been successful in leading their program. For us, we prepared the same way. Both can run the football as well as throw it."

Grambling running back Martez Carter ranks second in the SWAC in all-purpose yardage with 144.8 yards per game.

Alcorn beat Southern University 38-24 for the SWAC title last year and also captured the Black College national championship.

This story was originally published December 4, 2015 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Alcorn State goes for SWAC title repeat ."