Despite losses, Hornets feel they have talent to succeed

Montgomery, AL - Alabama State players and coaches were understandably dejected when they left Legion Field last December after losing a hard-fought defensive struggle to Texas Southern in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game. But there was a silver lining as well.

Ten starters were set to return, and an incoming recruiting class would give the Hornets a level of talent and depth they haven't had in several years. That was before academic casualties and disciplinary action left the Hornets starting over, looking for starters at several positions, most notably at linebacker.

"We were young last year," defensive coordinator Cedric Thornton noted. "It was a young group of guys and a brand new system, so they had to adapt and catch it on the fly. We're basically in the same situation, the only difference is I have a good core group that has been in the system two years and they understand what's going on."

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