Sept. 20, 2008

Final Stats

BIRMINGHAM - The Alabama State football team closed out the non-conference portion of their schedule with a 45-10 loss to the University of Alabama-Birmingham Saturday at Legion Field.

The Hornets (0-3) will not have long to lick their wounds as they open Southwestern Athletic Conference play Thursday on ESPNU when the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils come to the Cramton Bowl. It will mark ASU's first home game of the season. The game, which will feature a "Black Out", will begin at 7 p.m. However, pregame festivities start with the Hornet Walk at 5 p.m.

For the second straight game, junior Reid Herchenbach (Merced, CA/Merced) connected with redshirt sophomore Darius Mathis (Conyers, GA/Salem) with a long touchdown pass. This connection, a 39-yarder, tied the game at seven.

Herchenbach finished the game 25-of-33 for 259 yards, one touchdown and one interception. His lone pick caromed off his receivers hands on the first drive of the game deep in UAB territory.

The Blazers took over from there, scoring 38 straight points. The run came to an end as junior Jake King (Tyler, TX/Tyler) hit his first field goal of the season, a 42-yarder.

Mathis turned in his best performance in a Hornet uniform, hauling in seven passes for 118 yards and one touchdown. After Mathis, the pass distribution was even as six receivers all recorded three receptions.

In his first game of the season, redshirt senior Lael Harrison (Stone Mountain, GA/Stephenson) led the way with six solo tackles.

NOTES

• Darius Mathis doubled with career total in touchdown receptions with his second of the season.

• Lael Harrison, who played in nine games last season, and was expected start at corner opposite of Brandon Averett - played in his first game of the season. He missed the previous two with an injury.

• All five of Alabama State's touchdowns this season have been via the pass, and Reid Herchenbach is responsible for four of them.

• UAB's Joe Webb is the second straight 100-yard rusher against the Hornet defense. Conversely, today's game marked the first time this season ASU didn't rack up at least 100-yards rushing.

• Graduate Keon Humphries (Montgomery, AL/Carver) and redshirt junior Eric Moore (St. Louis, MO/Arkansas State) recorded their first receptions on the season.