HOUSTON &045; Timothy Boutte rushed for three touchdowns, including a 1-yard run with 4:10 remaining, as Texas Southern beat Alcorn State 23-20 Saturday.

Boutte gave Texas Southern (4-3, 3-1 Southwestern Athletic Conference) a 16-7 lead early in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard run before Alcorn State (2-5, 1-3) started to come back.

Jeremy McCoy scored on a 1-yard run, then Ken Williams scored on a 16-yard reception to give Alcorn State a 20-16 lead with 6:10 left.

The Tigers had excellent field position on its game-winning drive after returning the David McConnell kickoff back to the Alcorn 38. The Tigers drove 28 yards to the Alcorn 10 before getting down to a fourth-and-1 situation.

There quarterback Gered Lunnon broke an 8-yard run to move the chains and get closer to the end zone before Boutte finished it with a 1-yard run for a score with 4:10 left in the game.

The Braves’ Lonnie Teagle returned the kickoff to the Alcorn 29, and Andrew Burks broke a 34-yard run on the first play to break the 1,000-yard mark for his career.

The play got the Braves to the TSU 37, and quarterback Donald Carrie hit Sidney Dumas on a 10-yard pass to get to the 27. A loss of three put the Braves at the 30 on fourth down needed just a field goal to tie it, but they opted to go for it instead of leaving McConnell &045; who missed a 29-yard wide left earlier and had a 22-yarder blocked &045; to attempt a 47-yard field goal.

Carrie threw a deep ball intended for freshman Charlie Spiller, but the Tigers’ Willie Waddell intercepted the pass at the 1-yard line with 1:26 left.

The Tigers then ran out the clock for the win.

Boutte finished with 64 yards on 21 carries. His 5-yard touchdown run in the second quarter put Texas Southern ahead 9-0 at the half.

Lunnon was 13-of-17 for 118 yards.

Carrie was 13-of-30 for 212 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Andrew Burks rushed for 118 yards on 19 carries for Alcorn State.