With a commanding 44-21 victory over Southern University, Alcorn State University's football program claims the top spot in the SWAC West division. Though both teams entered the matchup with identical overall (5-3) and conference (4-1) records, the Alcorn State Braves had the game under control for almost all 60 minutes.

Last season, Southern won this matchup 21-17. This year, however, the Jaguars are looking up at the Braves for the top seed in the division. Meanwhile, Alcorn State is just two weeks away from another heavyweight fight against Jackson State.

The beginning of the game was the only positive moment for the Southern Jaguars. Although they punted on their first drive, the Alcorn State returner fumbled the ball. Southern recovered with incredible field positioning. They took advantage of the mistake, taking an early 7-0 courtesy of a touchdown run from running back Kendric Rhymes.

For the rest of the first quarter, Alcorn State hardly made a mistake; they played nearly flawless football on both ends. Unfortunately for Southern, the offensive and defensive barrage from the Braves was just too much to overcome.

On the Braves' first real drive, they pushed the ball down the field with minimal effort. Quarterback Aaron Allen easily found his receivers and ignored any pressure coming his way. They got down to the goal line, but a series of penalties pushed them to the edge of the red zone. Alcorn State had to settle for a field goal, making the score 7-3.

The offense got the ball back almost immediately due to a Southern three-and-out. Once again, the offense moved efficiently towards the end zone. The Braves took a 10-7 lead as Allen hooked up with receiver Monterio Hunt for a 35-yard touchdown pass.

Then, things got crazy.

On Southern's first offensive play, Alcorn State linebacker Keenan Leachman stripped the football from the running back, and ran the ball for a touchdown to grab a 17-7 lead.

Leachman showed up again on the next possession. Southern quarterback Harold Blood threw pass which got batted up into the air, and Leachman swooped in for the interception. As Alcorn State got to the goal line, they called a sweep for receiver Malik Rodgers. Rodgers bobbled the short toss, corralled the ball, spun out of the reach of a defender, and powered through more defenders for a touchdown.

In just a few minutes of game time, Alcorn State turned a 7-0 deficit into a 24-7 lead. The first quarter hadn't ended yet.

Southern punted the ball back to the Braves due to a bad snap and a sack. Of course, Alcorn State scored again: Allen found tight end Tavarious Griffin for a 52-yard touchdown. Griffin rumbled through and stiff-armed defenders as he ran for the score, giving the Braves a 31-7 lead.

Southern punted the ball again on their next possession. The error was nearly fatal, but Allen threw an interception to Jaguar linebacker Joshua Tate. In a turn of luck for Southern, they actually had a play break loose in their favor. Receiver Chandler Whitfield turned a bubble screen pass into a 38-yard touchdown run. Alcorn State got the ball back to the goal line, but as time ran out in the half, they settled for a field goal. The Braves entered halftime with a 34-14 lead.

Despite holding the Braves to a field goal at the end of the half, Southern had no real shot in the second half. The offense continued to flounder outside of a touchdown in the fourth quarter. At the end of the third quarter and going into the fourth, the Jaguars put together an eight-play, 80-yard touchdown drive capped off with a 24-yard touchdown pass to receiver August Pitre III.

Meanwhile, Alcorn State continued to cruise. While the offense didn't score another touchdown, linebacker Keenan Leachman showed up again for an 88-yard pick-six to get the Braves past the 40-point mark for the first time this season.

Harold Blood and the Jaguars had a less-than-ideal day, to put it lightly. Blood completed 12 of his 23 passing attempts, throwing for 194 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions. Running back Kobe Dillon led his team with 39 yards on seven carries. Kendric Rhymes also had seven carries, which he turned into 24 yards and a touchdown. Chandler Whitfield was their leading receiver with one catch for 38 yards and a touchdown.

On the other hand, it's hard to imagine a better offensive day for Alcorn State. Aaron Allen went 18-29 through the air with 255 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. Tavarious Griffin led all receivers with three catches for 79 yards and a touchdown, though Monterio Hunt was Allen's favorite target. He hauled in four catches for 59 yards and a touchdown as well. Running back Jarveon Howard led all rushers with 18 carries for 128 yards.

Next week, the Southern Jaguars host the 4-5 Prairie View A&M Panthers. With a win, the Panthers could overtake the Jaguars due to a superior conference record.

Alcorn State matches up with the 2-7 Texas Southern Tigers in Houston, TX.