After a day off, the Alabama State football team returned to practice Sunday night as game week is here for the 89
th Turkey Day Classic against Tuskegee.
The Hornets (7-3) and Golden Tigers (9-1) will kick off Thursday, Nov. 22 just after 3 p.m. live on WVAS 90.7 FM and on ESPNU TV. A limited number of tickets remain, and may be purchased online at
www.ticketreturn.com or by phone at (334) 229-4577.
“Practice was alright,” head coach
Reggie Barlow said. “Coming back after time off, guys were energized and moving well.”
Thursday's game against Tuskegee will be the last game of the 2012 season for Alabama State, which still had Toyota SWAC Championship Game hopes going into the weekend. Jackson State won the East title with its win Saturday at Alcorn and will face Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Dec. 8 in Birmingham. Both the Hornets and Jackson State finished with 7-2 SWAC records, with JSU winning the tie-breaker by virtue of its 37-34 win over Alabama State on Oct. 13.
“I think Jackson State did a really good job of staying focused and staying in it,” Barlow said of JSU, which won its final five games to clinch the division crown. “When they had to make plays, they did that and that's why they were able to get in the championship game. It's a really good job by their coaches and for us, it's just another learning lesson that you have to take care of your own business. You can't rely on anyone else to do that for you.”
The Hornets now turn their full attention to Tuskegee and Thursday's matchup. It's homecoming on the campus of Alabama State, and with the combination of that, plus the excitement of the new stadium, Barlow will keep a close eye on his team's emotions as the week moves forward.
“You don't want guys to peak too early,” Barlow said. “They're going to be excited because of the magnitude of everything. We want them to enjoy everything that comes with it. We want to make sure they stay focused and doing what they are supposed to do.”
The Hornets will practice Monday at 3 p.m.
