Leachman scores on fumble return, pick-6 to help Alcorn State beat Southern 44-21

Nov 5, 2023, 04:15 am

LORMAN, Miss. -- — Keenan Leachman scored on a fumble return and had a pick-6, Aaron Allen threw two touchdown passes and Southern beat Alcorn State 44-21 Saturday.

Allen threw a 35-yard touchdown pass to Monterio Hunt to give Alcorn State (6-3, 5-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference) a 10-7 lead with 3:11 left in the first quarter. Leachman stripped Southern's Kendric Rhymes and returned the fumble and returned it 27 yards for a TD 17 seconds later and then intercepted a pass to set up an 8-yard rushing touchdown by Malik Rodgers that made it 24-7 late in the first quarter.

Tavarious Griffin scored on a 52-yard pass from Allen early in the second and Leachman's 88-yard interception return for a TD midway through the third quarter made it 41-14.

Rhymes opened the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run and Harold Blood threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Chandler Whitfield in the third quarter for Southern (5-4, 4-2).

Jarveon Howard had 18 carries for 128 yards rushing for Alcorn State.

------ Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here ------ AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football