Alcorn Escapes in Overtime as Southern, Grambling Stumble in SWAC Week 4
Fredrick Robertson’s fourth touchdown rescued Alcorn State after a 22-point lead vanished. Jackson State stayed unbeaten against Southern, while Prairie View A&M took the State Fair Classic from Grambling State.
Alcorn State had watched a 34-12 lead disappear. Texas Southern tied the game with a field goal as regulation expired, then moved ahead in overtime. The Braves needed a touchdown, and Fredrick Robertson delivered from 1 yard out for a 43-40 victory Saturday in Lorman, Mississippi.
Robertson scored four touchdowns and gained 175 yards from scrimmage as Alcorn improved to 2-0 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play. Texas Southern quarterback Cam’Ron McCoy helped erase the 22-point deficit with two fourth-quarter rushing touchdowns. After Alcorn retook the lead with 27 seconds left, the Tigers drove 59 yards in 19 seconds to force overtime. Texas Southern settled for a field goal on its possession; Alcorn converted a fourth down before Robertson’s winning run. It was the Braves’ second overtime conference win this season.
For Louisiana’s other SWAC teams, the night ended differently. Southern fell 35-17 at unbeaten Jackson State, which has won eight straight meetings between the rivals. Nate Blount IV rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns, and the Tigers led 28-9 at halftime. Southern cut the margin to 28-17 in the third quarter, but Jackson State kept the Jaguars scoreless in the fourth. Southern dropped to 2-3 overall and 0-1 in conference play.
At the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Prairie View A&M beat Grambling State 21-14 in the 101st State Fair Classic. Grambling scored first, but Prairie View tied it before halftime and scored twice more to take control. The Panthers moved to 2-0 in SWAC play; Grambling fell to 0-1. Alcorn visits Grambling on Oct. 3.
Elsewhere, Alabama A&M pulled away from Florida A&M for a 40-21 road victory, its first over the Rattlers since 1979. Byron Perrilliat rushed for 223 yards and scored twice in the fourth quarter after Florida A&M had narrowed the score to 23-21. Alabama State defeated Mississippi Valley State 41-15, sparked by early takeaways and a 98-yard kickoff return by DJ Hicks.
In the week’s game outside SWAC competition, Bethune-Cookman rallied from a 24-7 halftime deficit to get within three points of South Carolina State, but the Bulldogs held on for a 31-21 win. Arkansas-Pine Bluff did not play this week.
ABOUT THE SWAC
The Southwestern Athletic Conference, known as the SWAC, brings together historically Black colleges and universities for athletic competition rooted in tradition and school pride. Founded in 1920, the conference remains a showcase for student-athletes, spirited rivalries and the communities that support them.
