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[/insert_php]This is the 12th MEAC/SWAC Challenge and this year unlike more recently when the game was played in Orlando – mostly at the Citrus Bowl – this year’s game will be played in Daytona Beach’s Municipal Stadium, the home stadium of Bethune-Cookman (ranked No. 2 in the preseason BOXTOROW Coaches Poll).
Alcorn State (ranked No. 3 in the preseason BOXTOROW Coaches Poll) is coming of its second-straight SWAC championship and an appearance in the inaugural Celebration Bowl. The Wildcats are coming off their second-straight MEAC co-championship, sharing the title with North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central.
This is Alcorn State’s first appearance in the challenge, while Bethune-Cookman makes its third appearance and is 2-0.
The Braves had about as good a season as they could have hoped for in 2015, shy of winning the Celebration Bowl. In the offseason, the Braves lost their head coach Jay Hopson, who is now the head coach at Southern Miss. Enter Alcorn great Fred McNair as the new head coach. McNair had been an assistant coach and offensive coordinator the last four years.
Returning on the offensive side of the ball for the Braves is junior quarterback Lenorris Footman. Footman was the best quarterback in the SWAC the second half of the season. Footman was so good that after then reigning SWAC and BOXTOROW Offensive Player of the Year John Gibbs, Jr. was healthy after an injury in week seven at Southern, Gibbs barely saw the field the rest of the season. On the season, while Footman completed just 44 percent of his passes for 1,106 yards, he threw 14 touchdowns and only four interceptions. To boot, he rushed for 1,023 yards, 7.4 yards per carry and 11 touchdowns.
Redshirt senior Marquis Warford will be Footman’s main target, more than likely out of the backfield this year, and led the Braves in receptions (36) and receiving yards (478), averaged 13.3 yards per reception and caught four touchdown passes. He carried the ball 38 times for 442 yards, averaging 11.6 yards per carry and six touchdowns making him the SWAC’s most versatile retuning player.
The firepower continues offensively for the Braves as they return Arron Baker whose carries were limited (79) but he rushed for 369 yards, 4.7 yards per carry and nine touchdowns.
There’s no doubt the Wildcats will have their hands full with just five starters returning on a defense that struggled a bit last year finishing fifth in the MEAC in total defense.. Preseason All-MEAC selections defensive lineman Kevin Thompson and defensive back Diquan Richardson will be two of the leaders.
The Braves on the other hand have had a dominating defense the last few years, but lose five starters from a unit that led the SWAC in total defense (295.0). First Team All-SWAC performer Stacey Garner is the leader on the defensive line after registering 14.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and 42 tackles (25 solo). Senior Darien Anderson leads the linebackers and led the team in tackles last year with 73 (43 solo), 10 tackles for loss and had five sacks. Senior safety Michael Hurns will be the leader in the secondary after registering 45 tackles (27 solo), six tackles for loss and three sacks last year.
The issue for the Braves is that while their defense overall was solid, they struggled against the run, finishing next to last in the SWAC.
The Wildcats also have a very good running back returning in preseason All-MEAC selection Michael Jones. While Jones received significantly less carries than his backfield mate and All-MEAC second team selection Anthony Jordan, he averaged a league-best 5.9 yards per carry racking up 562 yards and seven touchdowns. He’s also a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield as he caught 18 passes for 318 yards, 17.7 yards per reception and a touchdown.
Redshirt junior Larry Brihm, Jr. is the presumed starter at quarterback for the Wildcats and takes over for Quentin Williams who graduated. Brihm played in 10 games last year, completing 55 percent of his passes for 614 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. Brihm is also a threat to run the ball, rushing for 299 yards, 4.8 yards per carry and four touchdowns.
Brihm will have an array of receivers to throw the ball to, led by preseason All-MEAC selection Jawill Davis, the biggest deep threat in the MEAC (averaged 20.2 yards per reception), who caught 39 passes for 788 yards and six touchdowns. Frank Brown and Jamie Wilson also return having combined for 51 catches for 645 yards and 11 touchdowns.
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