2023 Alcorn State Braves football team

2023 Alcorn State Braves football
SWAC West Division co-champion
Conference	Southwestern Athletic Conference
Division	West Division
Record	7–4 (6–2 SWAC)
Head coach	Fred McNair (7th season)
Offensive coordinator	Elliott Wratten (4th season)
Defensive coordinator	Cedric Thomas (2nd season)
Home stadium	Casem-Spinks Stadium

2023 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
No. 11 Florida A&M xy$		8	–	0					12	–	1
Alabama State		5	–	3					7	–	4
Jackson State		5	–	3					7	–	4
Alabama A&M		3	–	5					5	–	6
Bethune–Cookman		2	–	6					3	–	8
Mississippi Valley State		1	–	7					1	–	10
West Division
Prairie View A&M xy		6	–	2					6	–	6
Alcorn State x		6	–	2					7	–	4
Southern		5	–	3					6	–	5
Grambling State		4	–	4					5	–	6
Texas Southern		2	–	6					3	–	8
Arkansas–Pine Bluff		1	–	7					2	–	9
Championship: Florida A&M 35, Prairie View A&M 14
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2023 Alcorn State Braves football team represented Alcorn State University as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by head coach Fred McNair, who is coaching in his seventh season with the program. The Braves played home games at Casem-Spinks Stadium in Lorman, Mississippi.

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	6:00 p.m.	at Southern Miss*	M. M. Roberts Stadium Hattiesburg, MS	ESPN+	L 14–40	30,335
September 9	6:00 p.m.	at Stephen F. Austin*	Homer Bryce Stadium Nacogdoches, TX	ESPN+	L 10–38	7,844
September 16	6:00 p.m.	McNeese*	Jack Spinks Stadium Lorman, MS	Braves All Access	W 17–3	2,052
September 23	6:00 p.m.	Prairie View A&M	Jack Spinks Stadium Lorman, MS	Braves All Access	L 20–23	14,645
September 30	5:00 p.m.	at Alabama State	ASU Stadium Montgomery, AL		W 23–20	14,355
October 7	2:30 p.m.	Grambling State	Jack Spinks Stadium Lorman, MS	ESPN+	W 25–24	21,012
October 21	2:00 p.m.	at Arkansas–Pine Bluff	Simmons Bank Field Pine Bluff, AR	HBCU Go	W 31–7	13,469
October 28	2:00 p.m.	Mississippi Valley State	Jack Spinks Stadium Lorman, MS	Braves All Access	W 24–3	7,789
November 4	2:00 p.m.	Southern	Jack Spinks Stadium Lorman, MS	ESPN+	W 44–21	14,592
November 12	2:00 p.m.	at Texas Southern	Shell Energy Stadium Houston, TX	ESPN+	L 10–44	3,987
November 18	2:00 p.m.	at Jackson State	Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Jackson, MS	ESPN+	W 28–24	42,791
*Non-conference game Homecoming All times are in Central time

Game summaries

at Southern Miss

See also: 2023 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team

Game One – Alcorn State Braves (0–0) at Southern Miss Golden Eagles (0–0) – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Braves	7	0	0	7	14
Golden Eagles	17	10	10	3	40

at M.M. Roberts Stadium, Hattiesburg, MS

• Date: Saturday, September 2, 2023
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Cloudy • Temperature: 86 °F (30 °C) • Wind: E 4 mph
• Game attendance: 30,335
• Referee: Trennis Livingston
• TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD

Game information

First quarter (12:53) USM - Jakarius Caston 16-yard pass from Billy Wiles, Andrew Stein Kick (Drive: 3 plays, 53 yards, 1:25; USM 7-0) (7:34) USM - Frank Gore Jr. 9-yard run, Andrew Stein kick (Drive: 7 plays, 63 yards, 3:33; USM 14-0) (4:03) USM - Andrew Stein 45-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 17 yards, 2:23; USM 17-0) (3:50) ALCN - Tyler Macon 75-yard run, Noah Kiani kick (Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:13; 'USM 17-7) Second quarter (10:56) USM - Frank Gore Jr. 2-yard pass from Billy Wiles, Andrew Stein kick (Drive: 14 plays, 65 yards, 7:54; USM 24-7) (0:30) USM - Andrew Stein 23-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 4:21; USM 27-7) Third quarter (9:35) USM - Andrew Stein 52-yard field goal (Drive: 6 plays, 0 yards, 2:57; USM 30-7) (4:31) USM - Tyquan Henderson 3-yard pass from Billy Wiles, Andrew Stein kick (Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 3:39; USM 37-7) Fourth quarter (9:08) ALCN - Niko Duffey 15-yard run, Noah Kiani kick (Drive: 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:22; USM 37-14) (4:26) USM - Andrew Stein 41-yard field goal (Drive: 8 plays, 51 yards, 4:36; USM 40-14)

Statistics	ALCN	USM
First downs	8	25
Total yards	226	441
Rushing yards	182	145
Passing yards	44	296
Turnovers	2	1
Time of possession	21:43	38:17

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Alcorn State	Passing	Aaron Allen	5/9, 44 yards
	Rushing	Tyler Macon	4 carries, 83 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Malik Rodgers	1 reception, 26 yards
Southern Miss	Passing	Billy Wiles	21/28, 267 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Rodrigues Clark	9 carries, 54 yards
	Receiving	Jakarius Caston	5 receptions, 104 yards, 1 TD