Alcorn State's Shaky Start Raises Serious Early Questions

Can Coach Thomas make the immediate changes with a tough challenging schedule ahead?

Dec 21, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of an Alcorn State Braves helmet on the field before a game against the North Carolina A&T Aggies in the Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Alcorn Braves have a dilemma. Thursday's debut of the Coach Cedric Thomas era began with a 41-3 defeat at the hands of the UAB Blazers. Although the result wasn't shocking, however, it was how the Braves offense seemed out of character and disjointed. Despite being the first game, Coach Thomas knows they must immediately address their issues, especially at quarterback and coaching.

"I got to do a better job of preparing the guys," head coach Cedric Thomas told Braves Radio's Cedric Tillman. " That's all on me and this coaching staff. I thought the kids played their tails off. I'll look at the tape to see just from an execution standpoint, but, as a stand, we failed them today."

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Alcorn State's quarterbacks faced significant pressure throughout the game, leading to struggles by Tyler Macon and missed opportunities after the defense created turnovers.
• UAB's defense played a crucial role in the game, shutting down Alcorn State's offense to 177 total yards and forcing multiple turnovers.
• The Braves' special teams' performance impacted their ability to stay competitive.
• Coaching decisions and in-game adjustments could not turn the tide for Alcorn State.

The Alcorn State offense was out of sync and lacked rhythm most of the evening.

"There's some things I gotta get fixed, and I will get fixed...Offense. That was probably one of the worst exhibitions I've seen. We'll get in the lab, and we'll get it fixed."

Platooning the three quarterbacks - Tyler Macon, Xzavier Vaughn, and Roderick Hartsfield Jr - did not turn the tide for the offense. Macon, the starter, completed 3 of 7 passes for 4 yards and an interception. Hartsfield was 1 of 2 for 31 yards. Vaughn had the best passing performance of all the signal-callers by connecting on 5 of 12 passes for 25 yards.   

"We are going to use these two to kind of see where we at. But, I thought those guys, when the time presented itself, they kind of did what they could, but they got to be better. We gotta be better," Coach Thomas explained.

The Blazers' defensive strategy focused on relentless pressure and tight coverage. By constantly blitzing and mixing up their defensive schemes, they kept Alcorn State's offense off-balance. This approach limited Alcorn State's ability to gain any momentum.

NOTES FROM THE OTHER SIDE

• Blazers took the opening kickoff and marched right down the field
• UAB put up 517 yards, led by Jacob Zeno who was 22-of-33 for 215 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

One bright spot was the Alcorn State defense, which created three turnovers, two fumbles, and an interception. Geoffrey McKelton notched nine tackles, one tackle for loss, and a forced fumble.  The other defenders, Stemarion Edwards (7 tackles, 1 TFL), and Markel McLaurin (6six tackles, .5 TFL) made significant contributions.

"I'll get the rest of it fixed. And, [if] that special team and the offensive catch up. But I'm excited about what Coach Roy and that staff doing over there.  So he could just hold that steady for us, and we'll get the rest of this stuff fixed."

Alcorn State was second in the SWAC's predicted order of finish, expecting to claim the western division title. At this moment, the finish appears shaky yet still correctable. Their next opponent will be against Vanderbilt at 6:30 PM on Saturday, Sept. 7.

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