JACKSON STATE vs ALCORN STATE “Beautiful Campus, Beautiful Day and a Beautiful Game”

ASU QB Noah Johnson scrambles for positive yards vs Jackson State -Soul Bowl 2016-Lorman, MS

Photo Cred: Ta’Myah D. Washington (13 year old granddaughter-“Ta’Myah’s World Photo and Video”)

Article: JACKSON STATE vs   ALCORN STATE

“Beautiful Campus, Beautiful Day and a Beautiful Game”

Saturday – 11/19/2016

Lorman, MS – Dating back to the “Original Dream Team” not the second one with Olympic credentials Scottie Pippen, Christian Laettner, Patrick Ewing, Head Coach Chuck Daly, David Robinson, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Assistant coach Mike Krzyzewski, Assistant coach Lenny Wilkens, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Chris Mullin, Clyde Drexler, and John Stockton. I am actually referring to the Alcorn State University Original-Original Dream Team, a team that never received its proper do or should I say “Props”.  This season we see an Alcorn State University (ASU) team vying for yet another Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) title.  ASU’s Dream Team for the 1968 and 1969 season compiled an impressive 18-0-1 record, two SWAC titles, and two National Black College championships.   In the process, these teams sent via the NFL draft an astounding 14 players to the NFL.  During the 1972-74, Buffalo Bills Playoff run with O.J. Simpson and the electric company, the Braves placed six players on the Bills active roster. The players are Charles Davis, Robert Puncheon, Richard Sowells, Larry Watkins, Willie Young and Dave Washington.  All players were members of the famed Alcorn Dream Team.

Though today’s game for both teams is simply for bragging rights as Jackson State University’s (JSU) chances for any post-season play were dashed with their heart-wrenching loss to Alabama A. and M. University (27-20).  While Alcorn seeks to make SWAC history with a win over SWAC west champs Grambling, Alcorn will become the first SWAC team to 3-peat as SWAC champions.  This a formidable accomplishment but adding style points for the Dream Team and both offense and defense being ranked in the top five HBCU ranking of the day. The Dream Team remains the All-Time Alcorn favorite, by this writer’s estimation.

The first half of the game saw ASU post 41 plays yielding 181 total yards, while JSU could only muster 149 total yards.  ASU rushed for 109 yards, on pace to match their 208.8 yards per game SWAC second leading average.  First half score JSU 16 – ASU 14.  Redshirt freshman Noah Johnson continues to mature under the excellent tutor ledge of head coach Fred McNair.

I am not one to belabor the point or to continue the comparative analysis of ASU football today and the 1968-1969 Dream Team but come on man.  We are talking 18-0-1 over a two year period.

Now the second half of play had me reminisce just a little as the defense decided to tighten up their britches, hunker down and have some pride about being a Brave and the legacy that was left.  It was not out of the ordinary to see a Dream Team defensive player distraught because it was his mistake that the runner gained two yards over his hole.  The ASU offense decided to go on hiatus during the third quarter gaining a minuscule 43 yards total offense yards, 29 rushing, and 14 passing yards.  The inept offensive play during the third quarter by both teams yielded only the ASU punt return team blocking a JSU punt, ASU’s Solom Muhammad returned the blocked punt 59 yards score JSU 16 – ASU 21.

Red Shirt freshman Noah Johnson capped the day off with 87 yards rushing on 12 attempts and one touchdown, 7 of 21 passing with one INT.  ASU’s ground game grinned out 293 yards on 47 rushing attempts and 86 via the air, total yards 379.  With ASU’s ground game pounding out 293 yards the time of possession was in the favor of JSU with 31:52 and ASU 28:08.  Two fourth quarter touchdowns by Noah Johnson 33 yard run and Tavares Johnson 13 yard run sealed the deal for ASU. Final score ASU 35 – JSU 16.

 

Dave Washington, Jr., played linebacker in the NFL for 11 years. He is also Sports Columnist for local Mississippi weekly Newspapers, contributing writer for National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), sportsblog.com and columnist for several on-line News/Sports media and Editor Proplayercompanies.com/media.www.davewashington.com.  Read, like and share my work.

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