MONTGOMERY, Ala. | Alabama State and Grambling State have combined to play five games in the 2019 season, with three of those coming against FBS competition. However, they will be on the field facing each other Saturday in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) opener for both schools.

Kick is set for 5 pm inside ASU Stadium, with the game carried by the Hornet Sports Network beginning with pregame at 4:30 pm.

Alabama State (1-2) is the midst of a four-game homestand, having split the first two games at home this season (Tuskegee and Kennesaw State); while Grambling State (0-2) will be playing their straight contest away from home after losses to ULM and Louisiana Tech.

The Series
Grambling State and Alabama State have met 41 times in school history dating back to 1979, with the Tigers holding a 28-13 lead in the series.

Grambling State has won the last four meetings, including last season in Louisiana, 34-0. Prior to the four-game streak, Alabama State won four straight in the series from 2011-14.

The longest streak in the series six belonging to Grambling State from 1983 until 1989.

The Last Time
Grambling State used three big first quarter plays to pull away from Alabama State for a 34-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) victory at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium Saturday night.
 
Ezra Gray led all rushers, carrying the ball 20 times for 130 yards for Alabama State (1-3, 0-1 SWAC), setting a new career-high in the process. He averaged 6.5 yards per carry on the night, while Alex Anderson averaged 6.1 yards per carry on seven carries for 43 yards. Darryl Pearson, Jr. finished 13-for-30 for 114 yards but was sacked three times and threw a pair of interceptions.  KHA'Darris Davis came in late in the third quarter to finish 4-of-11 for 53 yards, while he was sacked a pair of times and threw an interception. The duo connected with 10 different receivers, led by Wallace Corker with four catches for 24 yards.
 
Defensively, Christian Clark led the way with eight tackles, including a tackle for loss, while Dennis Roberts IV finished with five. Alabama State outgained Grambling State 309 to 291 on the night, running 83 plays from scrimmage.

Game Notes
Alabama State sophomore receiver Michael Jefferson leads the team with 270 yards receiving on the season, including four touchdowns this season. The sophomore has caught a touchdown pass at home in the last three home games dating back to the Turkey Day Classic last season. He has hauled in 10 total catches this season, including nine in the last two games.

Jeremiah Hixon leads the team with 13 receptions, including eight against Tuskegee in the home opener for 116 yards and a touchdown.

Redshirt junior KHA'Darris Davis has completed 57.47 percent of his passes this season, completing 50-of-87 passes for 616 yards. He has tossed seven touchdowns compared to four interceptions through three games.

Ezra Gray enters the fourth game of the season needing just 210 yards to reach 1,000 for his career. He rushed for 384 yards on 100 carries last season, with his best game coming against Grambling State when he rushed for 130 yards on 20 carries.

A week after Hunter Hanson hit a career mark in total points, senior linebacker Darron Johnson hit his mark after he recorded his 200th career tackle with six stops against seventh-ranked Kennesaw State.

The Hornets have hit the mark in attendance this season as they helped record the third-largest crowd for UAB at home, the largest crowd in stadium history at the Labor Day Classic and recorded the eighth-largest crowd in stadium history against Kennesaw State (15.887) last weekend.

#FollowTheHornets
For complete coverage of Alabama State University football, please follow the Hornets on social media @BamaStateFB (Twitter), /BamaStateSports (Facebook) and @BamaStateSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Alabama State athletics at BamaStateSports.com.