Alcorn State rode a bus to Itta Bena on Saturday, then rode their feet to an impressive victory.

The Braves rushed for 279 yards as a team, Darryan Ragsdale and Arron Baker ran for two touchdowns apiece, and Alcorn demolished Mississippi Valley State 52-9 in its Southwestern Athletic Conference opener.

It’s the most points Alcorn (4-1, 1-0 SWAC) has ever scored against its in-state rival, and the second-biggest margin of victory ever recorded in the series. The only more lopsided game among their 61 meetings was a 44-0 Alcorn victory in 1973.

Alcorn surpassed the 50-point mark for the third time in four games this season. It took until Baker’s 28-yard touchdown run in the waning moments to get there, and whether the Braves would get there or not was really the only suspense the game had to offer.

Alcorn scored 28 points in a 16-minute span to take a 35-0 halftime lead. Ragsdale ran for two touchdowns and quarterback John Gibbs, Jr. threw a pair of scoring passing to Billy Shed and Brandon Vessell.

Valley (1-3, 0-1) got on the board with a safety and a 39-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Ivy to Tavis James late in the third quarter, but never came close to getting back in the game.

Gibbs scored on a 25-yard run 90 seconds into the fourth quarter to push the lead back to 42-9. Haiden McCraney added a 29-yard field goal and Baker’s TD run with 2:20 remaining pushed the Braves over the half-century mark.

Baker also scored on a 2-yard run in the first quarter.

Baker finished with a team-high 79 yards on 10 carries, Ragsdale had 51 yards and Anthony Williams III had 58. Gibbs added 57 yards on the ground, to go along with 141 yards and two touchdowns on 9-of-18 passing.

Ivy was 9-of-22 passing for 99 yards and one touchdown for Valley, was sacked twice and threw three interceptions. Jerrell Moore ran for 120 yards on 16 carries.

Grambling 40, JSU 35

Stephen Johnson threw three touchdown passes, Aaron Breed returned a fumble for a score, and Grambling (1-3, 1-0 SWAC) beat Jackson State (2-2, 0-1).

JSU’s LaMontiez Ivy completed 25 of 36 passes for 407 yards and four touchdowns — three to Daniel Williams — but also threw three interceptions.