BIRMINGHAM, Ala. | The wait is finally over and the finishing touches are being done at historic Legion Field for the 76th annual McDonald's Magic City Classic for Saturday's kickoff in one of the longest running rivalry games in the nation.
 
Alabama State (1-5, 1-2 SWAC) and Alabama A&M (3-4, 3-1) will meet once again in front of a sellout crowd on Saturday, with the game carried by ESPN3 live and tape-delayed on ESPNU. The series is also one of the closest in rivalry games as Alabama A&M leads the Magic City Classic series 39-33-3, and two of the last three games have been decided by just one point – including last season's 42-41 Alabama A&M victory in overtime.
 
The two teams have met 80 other times in school history with Alabama A&M holding a 40-37-3 advantage in the overall series. The two longest winning streaks in the series belong to Alabama State who won the first seven contests from 1924 until 1941, while not allowing a point in the series until 1940. They also own a six-game winning streak from 1990 until 1995.
 
The series has been continually played since 1945 with 13 years off since the series began in 1924. During the series, there have been 11 times where a team has not scored in the contest, and eight of those belong to Alabama State with a scoreless tie back in 1956.
 
Both teams enter the contest fresh off bye weeks, and both teams won their final game prior to the meeting.
 
The Hornets won their first game of the year under interim head coach Donald Hill-Eley, coming from behind in the second half to defeat Texas Southern 23-16. Redshirt freshman quarterback Darryl Pearson, Jr. helped lead the comeback off the bench with 126 yards in the air and a pair of touchdowns to earn the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Newcomer of the Week honors. Pearson and Kobie Jones connected with 11 different receivers in the win, with six of those recording a pair of catches each.
 
Freshman kick Hunter Hanson recorded 11 points for the Hornets, including three field goals, to earn SWAC Special Teams Player of the Week. Defensively, senior Andre Wilson was named the College Madness SWAC Defensive Player of the Week after he led Alabama State with 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack in the win.
 
The game can be heard on the Hornet Sports Network, with pregame beginning at 2 pm.
 
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