Sept. 25, 2005

Final Stats

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Over the years, football has become a complex study, with teams devising schemes in hopes of outsmarting their opposition and coming away with a victory.

But after Saturday's thorough 38-3 dismantling of Alcorn State at Cramton Bowl in front of 10,581 mostly rabid Hornet fans, ASU quarterback Taravris Jackson had a simple summation of what happened.

"We just came out, executed the game plan and did what we were supposed to," Jackson said. "That was pretty much it. The coaches called the right plays, and we ran them. There's not much else to say really."

Jackson easily picked apart the Alcorn State defense, completing his first 11 passes and finishing 20-of-25 for 321 yards and three touchdowns as the Hornets (3-1, 3-0 SWAC East) had control of the game before halftime. The Braves (1-2, 0-1), despite scoring on their first drive to take an early lead, were seemingly done in before the ASU offense ever hit the field.

Despite possessing the leading rusher in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in Jeremy McCoy, Alcorn State went to the air on its first possession. Quarterback Tony Hobson completed 6-of-7 on the opening drive and had the Braves positioned to get in the end zone immediately. But with several first-and-goal opportunities inside the 5-yard line - thanks to a slew of ASU penalties - Alcorn State was only able to get three points on a 23-yard field by Jeremy Shea.

For Alcorn State, it was as good as it would get for the rest of the night. For Alabama State, it was the beginning of another offensive showcase.

The Hornets scored on their first four possessions. Keldrick Williams scored on a 2-yard run that gave ASU the lead. Williams found the end zone again with a 15-yard scamper on the last play of the first quarter for a 14-3 advantage - the first time the Hornets have led after the first quarter this season.

Points kept coming in the second quarter for the Hornets. Jackson connected with Lorenzo Hoffman for a 5-yard touchdown pass, then went deep for 48 yards to Alvance Robinson as Bama State roared to a 25-point halftime lead.

The Jackson-Robinson combination was productive once again in the fourth quarter as the two hooked up on a 43-yard scoring pass that only added to the ASU offensive onslaught. Anthony Johnson would cap the scoring with a 38-yard field goal.

For the third straight game, the Hornets (505 yards) went over 500 yards in total offense. Williams finished with 99 yards on 17 carries and senior Robert Randolph had 103 yards in total offense. Robinson had the best day of his career with 144 yards on four receptions.

The defense came to play, too. While the Hornets still had trouble stopping a team from moving the ball on the ground, the Braves used three quarterbacks and still had less than 100 yards passing. Sophomore Brandon Averett had two interceptions and sophomore Travis Rayford added the first pick of his career.