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INDIANAPOLIS — The UTSA men's basketball team learned its NCAA Tournament destination and opponent on Sunday evening and the Southland Conference Tournament Champion Roadrunners will square off against Alabama State, which won this weekend's Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament. The two squads will play at 5:40 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday at UD Arena as part of the newly-created "First Four" games on the campus of the University of Dayton.
UTSA, winners of five consecutive outings in the last 11 days, will bring a 19-13 overall record into its fourth "Big Dance" appearance in program history and first since 2004 (1988, '99 are the others). The No. 7 seed Roadrunners earned the Southland's automatic bid following their 75-72 championship game victory against top-seeded McNeese State on Saturday afternoon. Senior guard Devin Gibson was named the Tournament's Most Valuable Player and he was joined on the All-Tournament Team by freshman Jeromie Hill.
The Alabama State men's basketball team will face Texas-San Antonio in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Wednesday night at 5:30 p.m. central time in Dayton, Ohio. The two teams will be a part of the newly created “First Four” games on the campus of the University of Dayton.
The Hornets emerged from the fourth seed in the Farmers Insurance SWAC Tournament to win the title and the league's automatic berth for the fourth time in school history and second time in three seasons.
“We're excited to have an opportunity to be in the NCAA Tournament again,” Hornets' head coach Lewis Jackson said. “It's great for our players, Alabama State University, the community of Montgomery and people around the city and the state. Guys will have the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Tournament again and that's big. That's as high as it gets, and we're excited about being in it.”
Alabama State (17-17) enters the NCAA's as one of the nation's hottest teams, being victorious 11 of their last 12 games. That lone loss, a 74-73 decision at Grambling on March 5, was avenged in the tournament championship game Saturday night with a 65-48 win over the Tigers.
GARLAND, TX – Alabama State primed itself for a showdown with No. 1 seed Texas Southern by handling Alabama A&M, 81-61, in Thursday’s quarterfinals of the Farmers Insurance SWAC Tournament.
Alabama State opened up a 20-point lead midway through the second half and had four players score in double figures, led by Tramaine Butler with 21. Alabama State shot 60.9 percent in the second half and finished with a 40-24 rebounding edge.
Fourth-seeded Alabama State (15-17) will meet Texas Southern in the semifinals at 8 p.m. Friday at the Special Events Center. Alabama State handed Texas Southern (19-11) one of its two losses in SWAC play, 60-48, on Feb. 28 in Montgomery.
Coach Barlow is secure with new 4-year deal with Hornets
For the second time in four years, Alabama State football coach Reggie Barlow has turned down an offer to join the staff of an NFL team.
Barlow, a member of the 2002 Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, turned down an offer from the Denver Broncos and coach Mike Shanahan in 2007.
He repeated his action over the weekend, turning down an offer made by new San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh. Barlow, 38, declined a chance to be an assistant to receivers coach John Morton. Morton was Barlow's position coach during his stint with the Oakland Raiders.
A former standout receiver at Alabama State, Barlow took over as head coach in 2007 and has compiled...
HOUSTON -- Travele Jones scored 18 points to lead Texas Southern past Alabama State 73-59 Monday night. Kevin Galloway added 15 points and Lawrence Johnson-Danner had 14 to help the Tigers (10-10, 8-1) remain tied for first in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Tramaine Butler led the Hornets (6-16, 3-6) with 17 points.
Texas Southern took control of this one early by quickly building double-digit lead and shot 51 percent in winning for the eighth time in nine games. The Tigers led 12-0 2:49 into the game, went into halftime up 41-32 and led by 18 after intermission.
Every recruiting class is important, but as Alabama State rebuilds its program from NCAA sanctions and losing records, head football coach Reggie Barlow has felt the need to put the program's best foot forward when it entertains recruits.
"In the past, I thought our presentation to our recruits was outstanding," Barlow said. "They'd stay in a nice hotel, we'd feed them a nice meal, our campus is always nice, but you could feel the energy being sucked out of them when we had to pull up to the trailer."
"The trailer," as he calls it, has been home to the football program for the past several years. But those days are nearing an end as the university puts the finishing touches on its sparkling new $7 million football complex. The building was originally slated for completion in January, but delays pushed the opening back a month. In the meantime, recruits tour...
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Defense, rebounding and strong guard play helped the Southern women’s basketball team in a 50-41 victory at Alabama State on Saturday night, extending the Jaguars’ winning streak to four games. Now, it’s on to Alabama A&M and a showdown for control of the Southwestern Athletic Conference race.
Saturday night in the Dunn-Lover Acadome, for the seventh time in seven conference games, Southern shot below 40 percent from the floor — but the Jaguars, as usual, made sure their 50 points were enough.
Southern (9-8, 6-1) forced 20 turnovers and owned a 33-25 advantage in rebounds against Alabama State (4-13, 1-5). The Lady Hornets got 14 points from Tanika Jackson and 10 points from Erica Henderson, but six of their 11 players went scoreless.
Former Central-Hayneville standout Tramayne Moorer returned to the Alabama State lineup for just the second time this season Saturday.
He responded with only the third double-double by a Hornet this season, scoring a team-high 11 points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds. But it wasn't enough, as the Hornets lost to Southern 64-52 at Dunn-Oliver Acadome.
For Moorer, it's a double dose of frustration. Sidelined for all but one game of his second and third years at ASU with a broken kneecap and a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, he was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA to play this season.
Much has changed since an early October meeting between Alabama State and Texas Southern. The quarterback situations are more stable. The coaches are better settled. The one constant: Texas Southern's fierce defensive line continues to terrorize.
"Their D-line is tops in our conference, and shucks, I'd put them up there with anybody else in any other conference," Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow said this week. "They get to the quarterback and they get a lot of sacks."
For Alabama State to win its first Southwestern Athletic Conference title since 2004 when the two teams meet today at 1 at Legion Field, its offensive line must contain Texas Southern, the nation's leader in sacks and tackles for loss per game.
Birmingham, Ala. - FOX 26 Sports has learned the Texas Southern Tigers will play Alabama State in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game Saturday without starting quarterback Arvell Nelson. TSU athletics officials have chosen not to allow Nelson to play.
In a statement from the school's athletics department, released to FOX 26 Sports, TSU explained its position, but did not go into detail.
"Texas Southern University has discovered issues regarding TSU quarterback Arvell Nelson and his ability to participate in the SWAC Championship game. Because of concerns, the university has decided not to allow Nelson to play in the game. "This will be the only comment released by Texas Southern and its representatives on this issue at this time.
Cole eager to turn the page, hopes to lead Tigers to SWAC title BIRMINGHAM, Al. - Texas Southern coach Johnnie Cole closed the chapter between him and Alabama State back in October when the Tigers downed the Hornets in Montgomery. Cole and his brother, L.C., had been fired by ASU officials following the 2002 season and he had never gotten over it. After TSU downed ASU 21-7 back on Oct. 2, Cole said he no longer had an ax to grind. That was the before the Tigers and Hornets won their respective divisions in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and qualified for today's championship game at Legion Field. Kickoff is 1:05 and the game will be carried live on ESPN Classic.
At one point during Tuesday's send-off for Texas Southern, the seniors were allowed to address the energetic crowd of fans assembled at Durley Field on the TSU campus. When linebacker Dejuan Fulghum's turn came, he spoke for an entire class of seniors that previously could only dream of competing for a Southwestern Athletic Conference championship.
"We've come a very long way," said Fulghum, this year's SWAC Defensive Player of the Year. "I've been here since the bad days, the 0-11 days. "There isn't any more of that at TSU."
The Tigers (8-3) ensured their former losing ways were a thing of the past by winning their final seven regular-season games to earn the program's first SWAC Western Division title and the right to challenge Alabama State (7-4) for the league championship today at Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala. One of those final seven wins was a 21-7 decision over Alabama State on Oct. 2.
Texas Southern’s Dejuan Fulghum and Johnnie Cole hauled in two of the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s biggest honors when they were named Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year, respectively, on Friday.
Fulghum, a senior linebacker, led the SWAC in sacks (nine) and was third in tackles (91) and tied with three others for sixth in tackles for loss (15). He also recorded an interception and two forced fumbles while helping TSU finish the regular season with the Football Championship Subdivision’s No. 2 defense.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” Fulghum said. “It was one of my individual goals as a player coming into this year, but I also have to attribute this award to our team’s success.”
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Tyler native Willie Hopkins came to Texas Southern University in 1953 to get an education, to play football and baseball - student athletes had to play two sports in those days to earn a scholarship — and to be part of a budding but already strong winning tradition.
Killeen-born Dejuan Fulghum came to TSU in 2007 to get an education, to play football — he didn't have any other college scholarship offers — and to be part of a program in which winning was an unfamiliar concept.
Hopkins joined a team that was the defending Negro national college champion. Fulghum, who was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year on Friday, started every game as a freshman on a team that played 11 games and lost 11 games.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Texas Southern coach Johnnie Cole was named the SWAC Football Coach of the Year as announced by the league office on Friday.
Cole has led his alma mater to its first-ever SWAC Championship Game berth and the first 8-win season at Texas Southern since 2000. The Tigers can tie the school record with a 9th win Saturday. Cole is finishing his 3rd season at TSU with a record of 18-16 with the Tigers. He is 33-32 in his 6th season as head coach for his career.
Arvell Nelson knows trouble when he sees it. He could look at an older brother, now in prison, or his best childhood friend, now on the same Ohio cell block as his brother, and see where street life would inevitably take you. No one thought Nelson would go that route.
But for some reason, after he had realized one of his dreams — becoming a scholarship athlete at a Big Ten school — Nelson started slipping.
The Cleveland native posed in silly but infamous photos posted on Facebook of teammates and him holding up cash and bottles of liquor. A few months later, in the spring of 2008, the then-19-year-old redshirt freshman was arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession and dismissed from the University of Iowa, where he would have contended for the starting job at quarterback that next season.
HOUSTON - Texas Southern University has made history. The football team won the Western Division title for the first time ever, but this run is not over. The Tigers will meet Alabama State battling for the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship. TSU President Dr. John Rudley calls it a renaissance.
"We haven't had this kind of excitement for 42 years, since 1968. That's what it means to this school. All these years without having a sense of pride in your campus, always being put in a negative light. It's about time for Texas Southern to get in a positive light."
That sentiment is echoed by virtually everyone on campus, including head football coach and alumni Johnnie Cole. Cole tried to get the coaching job twice before. When he was hired last year, he made changes from the ground up.
Joseph Warren remembers receiving recruitment letters from Texas Southern during his days as a standout running back at Madison. He also remembers the trash cans those letters ended up in. "Back in the day, nobody wanted to come to TSU, even me," Warren said. "When I was in high school, I would get a letter from TSU and throw it away. I wasn't even trying to hear (about) TSU."
Given the atmosphere surrounding the TSU program at the time, Warren's indifference was understandable. When Warren graduated from Madison in 2005, TSU had just come off a disastrous 0-11 finish. Warren took three years off from football after leaving Madison, working a number of jobs to help support his mother. When the 5-10, 175-pounder returned to football in the spring of 2009, he found a home as a walk-on at TSU.
The Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game is set for Saturday at Birmingham's Legion Field, but Texas Southern coach Johnnie Cole has already seen enough from the competition to anoint his team as the best HBCU team in college football.
"I think we're the best black college football team in the country," Cole said. "We've rolled off seven straight wins, we've dominated our conference. When you look at conference stats, we dominate on offense and defense. The only thing (that's less than dominant) is the passing. We play football the old way here, run and tackle on defense and on offense run the football."
FACTS & STATS: Event: SWAC Championship. Annual: 12th. Site: Legion Field (72,000) -- Birmingham, Alabama. Surface: Artificial Turf. Television: ESPN Classic. Announcers: Anish Shroff, Jay Walker, Charlie Neal. Home Record: Alabama State 4-2; Texas Southern 4-0. Away Record: Alabama State 2-2; Texas Southern 3-1. Neutral Record: Alabama State 1-0; Texas Southern 1-2. Current Win/Loss Streak: Alabama State 1L; Texas Southern 7W. Series Record: Tied, 11-11-2. Last Meeting: October 2, 2010 (Texas Southern, 21-7 at Alabama State). Series Streak: Alabama State has won six of the last eight meetings. Nicknames: Alabama State Hornets; Texas Southern Tigers. Sheridan Broadcasting Network Poll Rankings: Alabama State (10); Texas Southern (5). Heritage Sports Radio Network Poll Rankings: Alabama State (7); Texas Southern (3). Sports Network/Fathead.com Rankings: Alabama State (51); Texas Southern (31). All- Time Records: Alabama State (438-418-41); Texas Southern (242-308-15). Coaches: Alabama State - Reggie Barlow (19-25 at Alabama State and Overall); Texas Southern - Johnnie Cole (18-16 at Texas Southern, 33-32 Overall). SWAC Championship Record: Alabama State (1-2); Texas Southern (0-0).
Nearly a decade ago, Johnnie Cole helped his older brother, L.C., resurrect the Alabama State football program. The younger Cole served as the team's offensive coordinator, and his High Octane, Big Offense (HOBO) immediately turned things around.
The Hornets claimed back-to-back SWAC Eastern Division championships in 2000 and 2001, but the school was charged with 668 NCAA rules violations, which led to the firing of the Cole brothers.
Now the head coach at Texas Southern (8-3), Johnnie Cole will face his old team when the Tigers take on Alabama State (7-4) in the SWAC championship game at 1 p.m. Saturday at Birmingham's Legion Field. The game will be televised live on ESPNU.
Tuskegee ends its season 9-2 and raises Coach Willie Slater record to 51-7 in five seasons with the Golden Tigers. Tuskegee defeated both West and East SWAC champions --Texas Southern (8-3) and Alabama State (7-4) this season.
MONTGOMERY, AL -- Tuskegee quarterback Joshua Harris' 60-yard pass to wide receiver Antoine Mitchell keyed a fourth-quarter touchdown drive that ultimately gave the Golden Tigers a 17-10 win Thursday over Alabama State in the Turkey Day Classic at Cramton Bowl.
Three plays after his completion to Mitchell, Harris hit tight end Stephen Clements on a 2-yard touchdown pass to give the Golden Tigers a 17-3 lead with 10 minutes remaining.
Montgomery, AL - Tuskegee won the oldest football classic among the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities, beating Alabama State for the second straight year, 17-10, in the Turkey Day Classic at the Cramton Bowl.
Joshua Harris threw for a touchdown and Nykeem Barton rushed for one to power Division II Tuskegee (9-2), which completed a sweep of the Football Championship Subdivision teams that will play in the SWAC Championship Game on Dec. 12, Alabama State (7-4) and Texas Southern (8-3). The Golden Tigers extended their series lead over Alabama State to 60-33-4, including 48-31-3 in the Turkey Day Classic.
All week, Alabama State coaches and defenders said the key to beating Tuskegee in the 87th annual Turkey Day Classic was forcing Tuskegee quarterback Joshua Harris to beat the Hornets with his arm.
Harris was up to the challenge. The senior completed 11 of 22 passes for 196 yards and a touchdown to lead the Golden Tigers to a 17-10 win over the Hornets at Cramton Bowl on Thanksgiving Day. "He's been inconsistent at times, but I'm talking about a kid with thick skin," said Tuskegee coach Willie Slater. "He receives it and tries to get better. He made some big plays for us today, really big plays."
Tuskegee won the Turkey Day Classic for the 59th time in the 97-game series with Alabama State and for the 10th time in the last 12 meetings, but there is some talk that the series between the two rivals may be coming to an end.
It's not the first time the two sides haven't seen eye to eye, but Alabama State's plan to move the game to its campus in two years may factor into the Tigers' thoughts of quitting the rivalry. "That's beyond me," Tuskegee coach Willie Slater said. "I wouldn't want to speculate."
Tuskegee, a Division II school, forgoes an opportunity to participate in the NCAA Division II playoffs by playing the Turkey Day Classic. Skipping the Thanksgiving Day game could put the Tigers in a position to participate in the playoffs and compete for a national championship.
The Hornets new on campus stadium will boast 30,000 premium seats, corporate skyboxes and a $50 million price tag.
Alabama State University will begin constructing its new stadium in about six weeks.
ASU President William Harris announced during a Tuesday business and community breakfast held at the Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Spa at the Convention Center that a bond issue to finance the project had recently been approved.
"We should have shovels in the ground in the next six weeks," he told an audience of enthusiastic ASU supporters who gathered at the breakfast as part of ASU's homecoming festivities this week. The proposed ASU stadium project is a 30,000-seat, mixed use stadium ...
Alabama State (6-3, 5-3 SWAC) at Southern (2-7, 1-6), Radio - WVAS-FM 90.7 (Montgomery)
Following last week's wild win over Jackson State -- a game in which Jackson State was flagged 17 times for 143 yards, resulting in an expletive-filled tirade from its coach that drew a one-game suspension -- Alabama State can secure its spot in the SWAC title game this week.
The Hornets (6-3, 5-3 SWAC) meet a Southern squad (5:30 p.m.) that has struggled under first-year coach Stump Mitchell, particularly on defense. In each of its six conference losses, Southern (2-7, 1-6) has allowed 27 points or more.
Jackson State (6-3, 4-3 SWAC), UAPB (5-4, 4-3 SWAC), 3:30 p.m. ET at Golden Lion Stadium, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Radio: JSU Network (WHLA-95.5 FM, Jackson), Yahoo Internet Radio: JSU vs. UAPB . Jackson State's chances of winning the SWAC East and traveling to Birmingham for the conference title game are hanging on by the thinnest of threads.
A loss at Pine Bluff seals the once high-flying Tigers' fate. They won't win the East. A win and JSU will anxiously await the final score of the Alabama State-Southern game. If the Jaguars pull the upset, the Tigers will have a chance to claim the East crown with a win over Alcorn State.
That said, the most intriguing storyline heading into the game is the absence of coach Rick Comegy, who was suspended by the SWAC for his profane criticism of officials last week. Comegy said the coordinators will handle head coaching duties, but who makes the tough calls: Kick a field goal or go for it on fourth? And what about calling timeouts?
Alcorn State (5-4, 4-3 SWAC) at Prairie View A&M (5-4, 4-3 SWAC) 2:00 p.m. ET, It’s a position that every school in the SWAC East division wants to be in, but right now, only Alcorn State can say the magic words. “We control our destiny.”
With Alcorn’s win over Alabama A&M and Jackson State’s loss to Alabama State last week, the Braves move to the head of the class in the East division. A win in their final two games means the Braves (5-4, 4-3 SWAC) will advance to the SWAC championship game for the first time ever.
HUNTSVILLE, Al. - Alabama A&M usually is a contender for the Southwestern Athletic Conference East Division title. The Bulldogs have won four East Division titles under coach Anthony Jones and won the school's lone SWAC championship in 2006.
This season, Jones and company will be lucky to escape the East Division cellar. "We're seeing and feeling what it's like to be on the other side of the stick," Jones said. A&M (2-7, 1-6) will try to stay out of the East Division cellar when it takes on Mississippi Valley State (0-9, 0-8) Saturday at 1 p.m. in Greenville, Miss. The Bulldogs, mired in a five-game losing streak, will try to avoid losing to the Delta Devils, who have lost 10 straight games dating back to last season when they fell to A&M 17-12.
TUSCALOOSA, AL - In an exhibition game four nights earlier, Alabama was pushed into double overtime before pulling out a 73-68 victory over an NCAA Division II team. That was slow time. This was showtime. That was Alabama-Huntsville. This was Florida A&M, a Division I opponent. This was a slam dunk.
The Crimson Tide went for style points Friday night and came away with a 76-37 victory over the Rattlers in its season opener at Coleman Coliseum. Nine of Alabama's 32 field goals were slam dunks. Six were 3-pointers. "That's probably the most fun we've had," said junior forward JaMychael Green, who led the way with four dunks and 14 points. Men's Basketball Opens With Win
Alabama had an easy time of it in its season-opening game Friday night, defeating Florida A&M 76-37, in Coleman Coliseum. In a preliminary game, the Bama women defeated Tennessee State, 82-55, also the season-opener. Grant gave sophomore guard Ben Eblen his first start, joining freshman point guard Trevor Releford, senior guard Senario Hillman, sophomore forward Tony Mitchell and junior post man JaMychal Green.
“Chris Hines had a medical issue yesterday and missed practice. Nothing major,” Grant said. “I just put Ben in the lineup today. Ben has done a good job in practice in terms of what we asked.“ The first three men off the bench, all entering around the 15-minute mark of the first half, were senior guard Charvez Davis (recovered from minor hernia surgery), senior forward Chris Hines, and freshman guard Charles Hankerson.
OMAHA, Neb. -- Creighton used an 11-0 run early in the second half to break open a close game and pick up a 71-57 victory over Alabama State in the season-opener for both teams. The game was the first on the Creighton sideline for head coach Greg McDermott, hired in April to replace Dana Altman.
Antoine Young led Creighton with 21 points and a career-high seven rebounds, while freshman Doug McDermott had 16 points and seven rebounds in his Bluejay debut. Also in double-figures for the hosts were Jahenns Manigat with 12 pionts and Kenny Lawson Jr. with 11 points.
Alabama State was led by nine points from Kenderek Washington. The Hornets were 24-of-58 from the field, including 9-of-25 from three-point range.
Creighton used an 11-0 run early in the second half to break open a close game and pick up a 71-57 win over Alabama State in the season-opener for both teams. The game was the first on the Creighton sideline for Greg McDermott, hired in April to replace Dana Altman.
Antoine Young led Creighton with 21 points and a career-high seven rebounds while freshman Doug McDermott, Greg's son, had 16 points and seven rebounds in his Bluejay debut. Alabama State was led by nine points from Kenderek Washington. The Hornets were 24-of-58 from the field, including 9-of-25 from three-point range.
After building a 31-21 lead with four minutes to play in the first half, Alabama State scored nine straight points to get to within one point heading into the final minute. Two free throws by Young gave Creighton a 33-30 lead at intermission.
Alabama State's basketball team was a disappointment in 2009-10, at least by coach Lewis Jackson's standards. The Hornets played too much half-court offense, couldn't finish plays around the basket or at the free-throw line and didn't rebound to his satisfaction.
"When I took the job, I wanted to be a team that was going to get up and down the floor," said Jackson, who is beginning his sixth year at his alma mater. "But last year I kind of got caught with some guys we thought would be able to play and they were unable to do it at that time."
MONTGOMERY—Kenderek Washington scored 19 points and Ivan Johnson added 16 to lead Alabama State University to a 67-57 win over Georgia Southwestern State University in exhibition play to open the 2010-11 season.
ASU jumped out to a 16-7 lead in the first nine minutes of the game, but as the defensive intensity on both teams increased, the Hornets shooting fell off as they only scored six more points in the final 11 minutes of the first half.
MONTGOMERY — For so much of this season, Jackson State depended on its sure-armed quarterback. On Saturday night, the Tigers couldn't overcome his mistakes and a multitude of foolish penalties.
Passing into a swarming secondary, Casey Therriault tossed a season-high three interceptions, and Jackson State committed 17 penalties in a 32-30 loss at Alabama State, suffering a major setback in its quest to win the Southwestern Athletic Conference Eastern Division and sending its coach into a rage.
MONTGOMERY — If there was a bright side to Jackson State's 32-30 loss to Alabama State on Saturday night, it was the emergence of two guys Tigers fans have been waiting to explode: receiver Keenan Tillman and running back B.J. Lee. Tillman, a junior who was second on the team in receiving yards last year, has been hampered by a hamstring injury for most of the season. It looks like he's all better now.
Alabama State and Alabama A&M have significantly different goals for the rest of the season. ASU remains in the thick of contention for the Southwestern Athletic Conference East Division title, while A&M is trying to end a three-game losing streak and salvage a season gone sour. But for one week, both these teams have the same objective: win the Magic City Classic. In many ways, winning this game is one of the primary objectives for any season.
"This game goes a long way in determining whether you have a successful year," said A&M coach Anthony Jones. "You feel more pressure on this game than any other one. Nobody will accept any excuses for losing." The 69th playing of the Magic City Classic is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Legion Field in Birmingham.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Eight games, all on the road. The Savannah State Tigers are just looking for a break. "We haven't won a game, so we've got it in our mind that we have to play as hard as we can to try and win a football game," said senior linebacker J. Vince Cochran, the team's leading tackler. "Just give more effort than we usually do to try and pull one out."
The Tigers put together an inspired defensive effort against Alabama State on Saturday, but the end result was the same. Savannah State wore down in the second half and allowed the Hornets to pull away for a 24-0 win in front of 5,237 fans at Cramton Bowl.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Devin Dominguez completed 18 of 27 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns as Alabama State beat Savannah State 24-0 on Saturday.
The Hornets (4-3) took a 7-0 lead in the second quarter after an 8-yard touchdown pass from Dominguez to Nick Andrews. Dominguez hooked up with Landon Jones on a 12-yard scoring pass in the third quarter as Alabama State entered the fourth with a 14-0 lead.
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Based on the talent that Savannah State has recruited in their first year in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for football, basketball, baseball and the band, the Tigers are going to become a competitive force in short order. I like the enthusiasm of the kids and how they are not letting this growth period negatively impact their long term goals toward creditability and high achievement in the conference.
Keep plugging away SSU as you continue laying the foundation for a solid Division I program. In a few years as you become competitive, Alabama State, Georgia State and Georgia Southern won't even take your athletic director's telephone calls to schedule a game with the Tigers.
Already, the Georgia State Band wants no parts of a 5th quarter in the Dome with the Tigers. Go SSU!
LORMAN, MS — It may only be the fourth week of the season, but when Alabama State heads into Jack Spinks Stadium to take on the Alcorn State Braves, SWAC East division title implications could be on the line.
Alabama State has a 3-0 record in the SWAC, including an 18-15 upset victory over Prairie View last week, while the Braves have a 1-0 conference mark following a 27-9 win over Mississippi Valley State. And if the Braves want to play in their first SWAC Championship Game, the Hornets might be the team that stands in their way.
“Regardless of what our records are early in the year, this is a big game,” Alcorn State head coach Earnest Collins said.
Bridge gives Alcorn dual threat at quarterback Don't berate Alcorn State coach Earnest Collins if he's coy about his quarterback plans for Saturday's key conference game against streaking Alabama State. It's a coaching thing. They all do it. Collins replaced starting quarterback Terrence Barnes with true freshman Brandon Bridge during Alcorn's win over Mississippi Valley State last week, sparking the Braves to the 27-9 victory.
That raises the question: Who will start Saturday? "We'll work that out in practice," Collins said earlier this week.
Bridge, a 6-foot-5, 195-pounder from Canada, ran and threw for a combined 250 yards. He threw a touchdown and ran for another after replacing Barnes in the second quarter. Bridge, who Collins says runs the 40-yard dash in less than 4.6 seconds, accounted for 150 yards more in three quarters than Barnes had in the first two games. READ MORE, CLICK TITLE.
MONTGOMERY, AL — After opening the season with consecutive home games, the Alabama State University Hornets will hit the road for the first time in 2010 with a 4 p.m. kickoff at reigning Southwestern Athletic Conference champions, Prairie View A&M University.
The game will feature the top offense in the SWAC as the Hornets have scored 72 points over their first two games. The game also features the only two teams in the league that have picked up conference wins as Prairie View defeated Texas Southern in its first game of the year. ASU has picked up two conference victories with wins over Mississippi Valley State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Perfection isn't in Devin Dominguez's future. The former Harding standout understands that even while not accepting it. “You strive for perfection and focus on being perfect,” he said. “Of course we know it's tough and that you'll never be truly perfect, but you might as well try.”
Dominguez tries these days as Alabama State's starting quarterback and the results, although imperfect, are impressive. He has led the Hornets to a 2-0 start and earned Southwestern Athletic Conference offensive player of the week honors.
INDIANAPOLIS — The UTSA men's basketball team learned its NCAA Tournament destination and opponent on Sunday evening and the Southland Conference Tournament Champion Roadrunners will square off against Alabama State, which won this weekend's Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament. The two squads will play at 5:40 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday at UD Arena as part of the newly-created "First Four" games on the campus of the University of Dayton.
