By Jake Martin

The Natchez Democrat

LORMAN — Alcorn State coach Jay Hopson feared Saturday’s matchup against Arkansas-Pine Bluff would be a trap game. Moments into the contest, his fears were silenced.

Alcorn’s Devon Francois returned an interception 28 yards for a touchdown on the game’s first possession, putting Hopson’s worries to bed and setting the stage for the Braves’ 56-6 rout of UAPB.

“I think that was huge, because this was a dangerous game,” Hopson said. “I thought we needed to start out fast, and that’s what the kids did.”

After Francois made the first of his two interceptions in the game, Alcorn quarterback John Gibbs, Jr. and the Braves’ offense handled the rest.

Gibbs completed 15 of 19 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns, and also ran for 75 yards. Gibbs did not throw an interception and wasn’t sacked.

As a team, the Braves (9-2, 7-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference) rushed for 232 yards. Gibbs had the highest indivdual total, and 10 players had at least one carry.

“Offensively, we felt like we were on a roll, and we came out and said, ‘We don’t want to punt at all,’” Gibbs said. “We ended up punting once, which was short of our goal, but we took command of this game.”

In the first half, Gibbs accounted for 94 percent of Alcorn’s offense. He ran for 75 yards and passed for 144, and led the Braves on three scoring drives. Gibbs’ 12-yard touchdown pass to Norlando Veals with 6 seconds left in the half put Alcorn up 28-6.

“That’s the type of play he’s given us since he got here,” Hopson said.

The Braves were nearly derailed on their opening drive of the game. Facing a third-and-long near midfield, Gibbs dropped back to pass and found a crossing Jaborian McKenzie, who turned upfield and picked up the first down.

“It was a big conversion,” McKenzie said. “I had to depend on John to give me a good ball, and the offensive line made the blocks.”

The Braves went on to score on the drive with a 2-yard Arron Baker touchdown run, extending their lead to 14. From there, Alcorn’s offense never missed a beat, scoring on every drive until late in the third quarter when Hopson pulled Gibbs with a 49-6 lead.

Gibbs was responsible for three touchdowns before he exited the game, throwing a 10-yard pass to Brand Campbell and the 12-yarder to Veals in the first half, and then connecting with Billy Shed for a 4-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.

Any hopes of a Golden Lions’ comeback following the half were derailed by a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Jarvis Turner that put the Braves up 35-6.

Baker added two more touchdowns in the second half — a 21-yard run and a 2-yard run — to extend the Braves’ lead to 56-6.

Baker finished with 55 yards and three touchdowns on only eight carries.

Brian Handley rushed for 150 yards for Arkansas-Pine Bluff (3-7, 2-6), and also threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Willie Young late in the first half for the Golden Lions’ only points of the game.