MONTGOMERY, Ala. | For the first time in just over a month, the Alabama State University football team returns home to play in the friendly confines of ASU Stadium, facing 11th-ranked and defending HBCU National Champion Grambling State University.
Alabama (3-5, 3-2 SWAC) finds itself in the middle of the SWAC East Division race, needing a victory over Grambling State and loss by Alcorn State to Mississippi Valley State to even things up with the Braves atop the East. Meanwhile, Grambling State (8-1, 5-0 SWAC) sits atop the West Division by one game over Southern, their opponent at the Bayou Classic.
The Hornets come into the game on Saturday riding the momentum of three consecutive road wins – a pair of homecoming victories and a win in the Magic City Classic – where they have outscored their opponents 57-35.
Alabama State, the top defense in the SWAC, forced five turnovers last week against Jackson State and held the Tigers to just 201 yards of total offense in the win. The defense has been opportunistic all year, with a pair of fourth quarter stops deep in their territory to hold on for victory and returning three turnovers for touchdowns – a pair by
Ronnie Scott.
Treyon Garnett leads the Alabama State defense with 37 tackles, while
Malik Bridgers and
Darron Johnson each have 36.
Joshua Hill and Scott each have recorded a pair of touchdowns for an Alabama State team that has forced 15 turnovers.
They will face a Grambling State offense, which ranks among the best in the country and sits atop the conference in scoring offense at 33.1 points per game. Martez Carter leads the rushing attack for Grambling State with 669 yards on 118 carries and seven touchdowns. Devante Kincade has thrown for 2,081 yards and 16 touchdowns with just three interceptions, while also rushing for 334 yards and three touchdowns.
For the Hornets offensively,
George Golden leads the rushing attach with 305 yards on 59 carries, while
Darryl Pearson, Jr. has added 234 and
Ezra Gray 221. Pearson has thrown for 307 yards and three touchdowns, while back-up quarterback
Kobie Jones has thrown for 476 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Willis White leads the Alabama State receiving corps with 17 receptions for 179 yards and a touchdown, while
Jamir Hannah has 15 receptions for 116 yards.
The kicking game has paid dividends for the Hornets this season as
Trevor Vincent is averaging 40.4 yards per punt on the year with 20 punts inside the 20 yard line. He has allowed just 12 returns in eight games this season for the Hornets, while recording five punts of 50-plus yards. Meanwhile,
Hunter Hanson has connected 6-of-10 field goals with a pair of those from 40-plus yards, including a career long 43-yard field goal in the win over Jackson State.
The game kicks off at 2 pm inside "The Nest" and can be seen on the SWAC Digital Network with Robert Williamson (play-by-play) and Santoria Black (booth analyst).
The game will also be available on the Hornet Sports Network and its affiliates, WVAS 90-7 FM and YO! 100.5 FM, with Jonathan Spells (play-by-play), Machion Sanders (booth analyst) and Rob Taylor (sideline) on the call with the pregame show at 1:30 pm.
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