LORMAN &045; You should have seen the smiles and cutting up after practice Wednesday.

The place went nuts when the defense blocked a field goal near the end of practice in the two-minute drill, and nearly the entire Alcorn team huddled up to get fired up for a game that was three days away.

That was the same Alcorn team that is coming off its worst home loss in history two weeks ago in what was billed as the biggest game in the SWAC’s East Division.

Hey, two words &045; open date.

The Braves used it to just forget about everything bad, concentrate on the good and improve. They return to action at 6 p.m. today at Prairie View A&M with clearer heads and a better feeling about themselves.

&uot;We had to go back to the basics &045; fundamentals of tackling, fundamentals of blocking, catching and kicking,&uot; Alcorn head coach Johnny Thomas said. &uot;That open week was pretty good for us. I think we got a lot accomplished. I hope we can get things accomplished in the second half of the season and start another streak so to speak.&uot;

That would be ideal by anyone’s standards, and the Braves are in at least a better mood now than after their last game. And if you were here last year, you’ll remember the Braves are about in the same position as they were last year &045; some disappointing losses, a week off and a blasting of Prairie View.

The Braves hammered PV 66-0 and played as well as it did since the first game of the season. That’s just what they want to do today, too.

&uot;We told ourselves on the week off we could come out and work hard every day, get back to the basics and remember how we started the season off,&uot; said quarterback Donald Carrie, who threw for 276 yards against Grambling in the season opener but has thrown for over 200 yards just once since then. &uot;As a team, we probably thought we were better than we were and didn’t have to play to our full potential to win. I think everybody is ready to play now.&uot;

The Braves have to get their offense back on track, too, after executing almost flawlessly in the season-opener against Grambling. The coaching staff spent the off week working a good bit on protection after Alabama State blitzed everyone but the water boy to keep Carrie from getting comfortable in the pocket and throwing the deep ball.

That’s just part of the problem on offense, Thomas. The entire unit just needs to execute &045; blocking, throwing, catching.

&uot;Alabama State didn’t do anything to us as opposed to what we did to ourselves,&uot; Thomas said. &uot;We had the right blocking schemes against their defense against their blitz, but we just didn’t block it. If we go in and play well, there is no doubt in my mind that we can have success. If we go I and don’t execute, don’t protect the football, fumble the football and don’t make things happen, Prairie View can have success against us.&uot;

The offensive line will have one new player at right guard after Todd Johnson went down in the first half against Alabama State with what turned out to be a bruised knee.

&uot;It’s really a matter of everybody doing their part and performing to the fullest,&uot; Carrie said. &uot;During the A&T game, we got blitzed a lot. We kind of figured the next couple of teams would blitz us and test our offensive line. We went out, prepared for it but didn’t execute when it was time for it.&uot;

But unlike this time last year, the Panthers will not be a pushover. Under first-year head coach Henry Frazier, the Panthers started the season 2-0 and played well at times in their last two losses to Southern and Grambling.

Frazier brought in a number of transfers in for this season, and the new attitude may slowly be more and more evident.

&uot;We don’t take any team lightly,&uot; defensive end Ross Gordon said. &uot;We have to go out and play them like they’re the best team. We’ve got to play four quarters of football.&uot;