The last time Jay Hopson coached against a Power 5 team his Alcorn State Braves were smoked by 60 points against Georgia Tech, a rare bright spot in what turned out to be a three-win season for the Yellow Jackets.
It only served as a reminder of the difference in levels of football — Alcorn State ended up winning a second-straight SWAC championship, represented the league well in the inaugural Celebration Bowl and was still no match for a bad ACC team.
But what has happened since then, with Hopson leaving Lorman to take over at Southern Miss, means that when Hopson gets another crack at a Power 5 team he’ll have a much better shot at the upset.