TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Alabama State University opened Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play inwith a dominant win on Saturday, rolling to a 42-14 victory over Florida A&M Univerity at Bragg Memorial Stadium.
The Hornets (3-1, 1-0 SWAC) used a balanced offensive attack and stifling defense to hand the Rattlers (1-3, 0-1 SWAC) to snap a five-game losing skid in the series.
Alabama State's 42 points were the third mosted points scored by the Hornets in the FAMU series and the 14 points allowed were the third fewiest points allowed in the all-time series.
Running back Marcus Harris II led the charge with three rushing touchdowns, scoring from 2, 3, and 24 yards out to pace an Alabama State ground game that racked up 299 yards on the night. Fellow back Jamarie Hostzclaw was the workhorse, carrying 22 times for 135 yards to anchor the Hornets' ball-control offense.
Quarterback Andrew Body was efficient through the air, completing 10-of-18 passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns without a turnover. His favorite target, Jalen Jones, hauled in two scoring passes – a four-yard strike in the second quarter and a 39-yard connection in the third – to give the Hornets a comfortable lead.
After Harris' two-yard run capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive to open the scoring in the first quarter, Alabama State never trailed. Jones' first touchdown catch made it 14-0 early in the second before Florida A&M answered with a short touchdown run by Thad Franklin Jr. to cut the deficit to 14-6 after the missed PAT.
From there, it was all Hornets. Jones' deep touchdown grab and Harris' second score in the third quarter pushed the margin to 28-6. Harris added his third rushing touchdown early in the fourth, and J.R. Gardner sealed the victory with a 27-yard touchdown run in the final minutes.
Florida A&M managed 309 yards of total offense but struggled to finish drives, converting just 1-of-5 fourth-down attempts. Quarterback R.J. Johnson III threw for 133 yards and one touchdown, connecting with Miles Campbell late in the fourth quarter. Franklin Jr. led the Rattlers on the ground with 75 rushing yards.
Defensively, the Hornets held Florida A&M to just six points over the first three quarters and forced the Rattlers into several key turnovers on downs. Deonte Morris, Rhoody Jean-Louis, and Jalil Lenore each tallied five tackles to lead Alabama State's defense.
Alabama State finished with a 405-309 advantage in total offense while dominating on third down, converting 8-of-12 attempts.
The Hornets return to action next week hosting Bethune-Cookman University for Homecoming on Saturday at 2 p.m. inside ASU Stadium.
