Here are four keys as Alcorn State visits Southern on Saturday | South

Here are four keys to an important SWAC West Division battle between Southern and Alcorn State.

End the rides

The Jaguars weren't bad last week, but need to put an end to slow starts, which included a total of seven first-half turnovers in the last two games. Noah Bodden appears to be the best QB option going forward, but he needs to start getting more third-down conversions and needs better support from his teammates. There were numerous dropped passes, too little space for the running backs and too many turnovers, all of which stopped drives. Resilience is nice, but playing well for four quarters is the way to go.

Make the selection

Southern intercepted a ball against backups in the loss to Nicholls State. The Jaguars could lead the SWAC in dropped interceptions. The number is around 10. The defense has played so well except in the turnover department where they only have four. A hostile environment for visitors could create favorable conditions to make up ground. Alcorn quarterbacks have thrown six picks this season, so the opportunities should come. If the Jaguars want to claim “Dog Day Defense” status, this would be a start.

Stop the run

Thanks to quarterback Xzavier Vaughn, who leads the league in yards rushing, Alcorn is the best running team. He is an athletic quarterback who can fight his way down the field or gain yards against determined goalies. The Southern defense has played well both aggressively and technically and needs to stay disciplined on drop backs and zone read plays. Containing Vaughn and preventing explosive plays without forgetting Jacorian Sewell makes this perhaps the biggest offensive challenge Southern has faced to date.

Win special teams

The Jaguars made three field goals last week, and until the offense performs better, they need to keep making them. Southern also needs better results in the punting game to win the field position battle. Special teams need to start making plays — a punt return here, a blocked kick there — to change the momentum. Last week's late break on a punt block was more of a mistake by Texas Southern than anything else the Jaguars did. Special teams have shown improvement, but now they need to take the next step to make an impact