Dual-threat Johnson leads Alcorn St. past Southern 20-3

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Noah Johnson threw for 138 yards and ran for 81 and Alcorn State's defense smothered Southern in a 20-3 win on Saturday night in the Jaguars' homecoming game.

Johnson entered the game ranked 13th in the country in completion percentage (.684) throwing for 660 yards and rushing for 273.

After halftime, De'Shawn Waller plunged in from a yard out to end a 4-play, 58-yard drive to give Alcorn State a 10-0 lead. Alcorn State (4-1, 3-0 Southwestern Athletic) used a short field after Leishaun Easley returned Cesar Barajas' short kickoff 23 yards to the Braves' 42-yard line. Johnson had two carries for 56 yards — 36 and 20 — to get near the goal line.

Following Martel Fontenot's 28-yard field goal for Southern (2-3, 1-1), Qwynnterrio Cole intercepted John Lampley and returned the ball for a 36-yard touchdown to pad the lead to 17-3 with 4:14 left in the third quarter.

Lampley completed 9-of-26 pass attempts for 59 yards and Devon Benn carried it 21 times for 60 yards; his longest run was 10 yards. Alcorn State outgained the Braves 381-139.