LORMAN —Alcorn State was averaging 38 1/2 points after two games coming into its matchup with Alabama State Saturday.

And the Braves continued to thrive offensively, churning out another high-scoring game and defeating the Hornets 41-21 to improve to 3-0 on the season.

The win marked Alcorn’s first victory over Alabama State since 2002, something Braves head coach Earnest Collins was very happy about.

“I wouldn’t have cared if it was 41-40, as long as we came out with the victory,” Collins said.

“The kids played hard. We made some mistakes in the game that we have to get corrected, but the kids played together, and I’m proud of them.”

Alabama State scored on their opening possession, going in a no-huddle offense and completing three quick passes downfield, getting to the Braves 10. Hornets quarterback Devin Dominguez then scored on a keeper with 13:47 left in the first.

But the Braves weren’t rattled, and a 57-yard run by quarterback Brandon Bridge with 9:36 left in the first tied the score at 7-7.

Alcorn’s Gabriel Nash, who led the Braves in rushing with 136 yards, scored their next touchdown with three minutes left in the first on a 12-yard run.

A 32-yard field goal by Arturo Tamayo in the second quarter added to Alcorn’s lead. Then the Braves took advantage of the first of several Alabama State turnovers.

The Hornets were attempting a field goal with a little less than six minutes to go before halftime when the snapper snapped the ball high. Several Hornet and Brave players tried to scoop up the ball before Alcorn’s Herve Tonye-Tonye picked it up and ran it back 55 yards for a touchdown with 5:43 left in the second.

Alabama State scored its second touchdown on a 26-yard reception by T.C. McWilliams with 3:31 to go before halftime. Terrance Lewis scored for Alcorn on a 1-yard pass to make it 31-14 at the half.

The Braves added 10 more points in the third on a 2-yard touchdown run by Nash and a 42-yard field goal by Tamayo. Andrew Pitts scored the Hornets’ final touchdown of the night on a 2-yard run by Andrew Pitts.

Alcorn’s game plan against Alabama State was to pressure the quarterback, which the Braves were able to do consistently. Dominguez and Demetric Price both rotated at quarterback for the Hornets, and combined for three interceptions.

“I have one of the best coaching staffs in the country, and they continue to bring out good game plans,” Collins said.

“We saw that they weren’t the greatest against pressure, because that’s what Prairie View did to them. They just put pressure on them all day and they couldn’t handle it.”

Bridge was 13 of 24 in passing with 225 yards and a touchdown for the Braves. He also threw two interceptions.

“We said last week when Bridge came into the game against Mississippi Valley that we were going to have to live and die with the good and the bad with him,” Collins said.

“He’s a freshman, and freshmen are going to make mistakes. Anytime you have a freshman starting for you at quarterback, you have to take the good with the bad.”

Despite Alcorn winning its first three games, Collins said there’s still plenty of work to do.

“That’s all we won last year, so we really aren’t any further along than we were last year. We won three, and we have to keep capitalizing on that,” he said.

Alcorn will travel to Starkville next Saturday to take on Mississippi State.