ASU Hornets Set For Saturday SWAC Showdown With Southern

MONTGOMERY, Alabama  -- The Alabama State University football team concluded on-field preparations Friday for its Saturday Southwestern Athletic Conference showdown against Southern.

Kickoff at the New ASU Stadium is set for just after 1 p.m. and will be video streamed live free of charge at bamastatesports.com/showcase. The ASU Sports Network on WVAS 90.7 FM will have a live radio broadcast, with the pregame show at 12:45 p.m. Gameday central on bamastatesports.com will have links to watch live, listen live, and live stats.

It's Mardi Gras and Military Appreciation Day against the Jaguars for the November contest in the New ASU Stadium. Gates open at 11 a.m. with the fun zone for the young and young at heart. As part of the military day celebration, free health screenings will be available for all fans inside the stadium near Gate D. The Mighty Marching Hornets in conjunction with the Alabama State Department of Theater Arts will present a pre-game show beginning at 12:30 p.m. The Mighty Marching Hornets will have a tribute to the military at halftime.

In and around all the gameday activities and festivities is a great on-field matchup. The Hornets (6-3 overall, 6-1 in SWAC) have won six straight conference games and are still alive for the Eastern Division title. Southern (5-4, 5-2), by virtue of Prairie View's loss at Alcorn State Thursday night, has clinched the Western Division title and a berth in the Toyota SWAC Championship Game on December 7 in Houston, Texas.

Alabama State had a six-game winning streak broken last week in a 48-14 defeat at SEC member school Kentucky. The Hornets, who can win the East title by winning their final two games combined with losses by Jackson State to Alabama A&M and Alcorn State, had a good week of preparation for the Jaguars.

"Practice was good this week," ASU head football coach Reggie Barlow said. "We changed our practice time during the middle of the week because we know the importance of this game and to have everyone participate to get that extra work in. Guys worked hard this week and know they have to be ready for a big challenge Saturday against Southern."

Barlow likes the even-keeled demeanor of his team, which has remained the same when losing the first two games of the season to the recent six-game winning streak. That was again evident throughout the week, with the Hornets preparing for a game after a defeat for the first time in nearly two full months.

"This is a loose group," said Barlow of the relaxed but focused nature of his 2013 edition. "Sometimes as a head coach, you want guys dialed in and make sure they're mentally into it. That (relaxed nature) is this team. They've been even-keeled through the season and always focused on the next task."



COURTESY ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION