Alabama St notes:

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ASU HORNETS Season Notes:

Hornets come out stinging

By A. Stacy Long
Montgomery Advertiser

DETROIT -- Ronald "Rock" Dillon lifted his hand to his face, pursed his lips and crossed an index finger over them.

Deep in the bowels of Ford Field on Saturday, Dillon pleaded to keep Alabama State and its win over Florida AM a secret.

"Shhhh," Dillon said to mark ASU's 38-22 victory. "We're going to keep it on the hush, and we'll sneak up on everybody."

A month's worth of turmoil with coaching suspensions, player dismissals and judges' rulings finally ended Saturday in front of an announced crowd of 54,951.

Richard Rowe scored one touchdown and set up two others -- all on special teams -- while Dillon made three sacks and Robert Randolph ran for two scores in the inaugural Detroit Football Classic.

Shhhh? Sorry.

"It felt great to just get on the field," ASU quarterback Tarvaris Jackson said. "One of the reasons we won is that we just wanted to have fun and put everything behind us.

"We've gone through a lot since December. It's been like a nightmare, but everybody stayed focused."

The Hornets (1-0) startled their new coach with a late-game bucket bath, reveled in a surprising victory and stormed off trying to keep everything quiet.

"We were fortunate enough to force some turnovers, make some big plays and win," said ASU coach Charlie Coe, who had to towel off on the sidelines after catching a cooler full of water.

Coe, a career assistant until Alabama State named him its interim coach Aug. 4, said it was the first time he had been doused.

"My wife threw (a bucket) on me one day," Coe said, "but it wasn't after a football game."

The maelstrom that started with L.C. Cole's suspension and included three player suspensions and one dismissed lawsuit may have had one unintended side effect: It distracted Florida AM.

"We thought they weren't going to be prepared," said FAMU running back Rashard Pompey, whose team was ranked fourth nationally among black colleges.

"We came in a little lackadaisical and I guess we figured it would be a walkover," Pompey said. "I don't want to make any excuses, but that was one of the reasons."

Sparked by two long Rowe punt returns, Alabama State led by three touchdowns before the Rattlers (0-1) picked up a first down.

Rowe had a 51-yard punt return for a touchdown to make it 7-0, then ran another punt 64 yards to set up Randolph's first touchdown. Halfway through the second quarter, Randolph scored on a 4-yard run to make it 21-0.

"I feel FAMU came in with their eyes closed," Dillon said. "In the second half, they fought us, but in the first half, it seemed like they thought they were just going to win."

The Rattlers scored with six seconds left in the second quarter on a 2-yard Ben Dougherty-to-Cardan Alexander pass, then opened the second half with another touchdown drive. A Dougherty 4-yard run, plus a 2-point pass to Alexander, cut ASU's lead to 21-15.

"It appeared to us that we were just not ready to play this first football game at this particular time," FAMU coach Billy Joe said. "Alabama State looked a little better prepared. They showed a lot more energy and a lot more preparedness."

The Hornets answered with a 78-yard drive to make it 28-15. Jackson, who finished 10-of-18 passing for 142 yards, threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Horace.

Florida AM scored to get within six at 28-22, then intercepted a Jackson pass and moved within scoring range again before Rowe helped seal it. Rowe blocked Juan Vasquez's 35-yard field goal, and Erlin Sanders picked up the ball and ran 65 yards to make it 35-22.

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Rowe sparks Hornets' victory

By A. Stacy Long
Montgomery Advertiser


DETROIT -- Richard Rowe's first punt return was a blaze of speed. The second, a pirouette.

The first turned into a touchdown and the second set up another, sparking Alabama State's 38-22 win over Florida AM on Saturday at Ford Field.

"I told the team that I really thought the kicking game would make the difference today," ASU coach Charlie Coe said. "You can ask them. I'm not a soothsayer ... but Richard really took that to heart."

Rowe, who missed part of preseason practice after questions over his eligibility arose, ran almost untouched on the first one, but was almost tackled on the second.

The senior spun out of trouble 10 yards into the return, stabilized himself by dropping one hand to the turf, caught his balance and raced off again.

Punter Damon Miller wrestled Rowe out of bounds at the 3 to prevent a touchdown. ASU's Robert Randolph scored on the next play.

"I used to play running back in high school, so I know if a guy doesn't lock you up, you have a chance to get away," Rowe said. "I planted my left hand and took off."

Rowe's second-half impact didn't come from his punt returns. He blocked a field goal that Erlin Sanders returned for a touchdown and caused a fumble that stopped another FAMU drive.

"He was just focused all week," receiver Chad Lucas said. "He stayed off to himself a lot, and when he was around, he kept talking about how we had a game to play."

After working out since the end of last season, Rowe missed almost a week of preseason practice while Alabama State investigated whether his eligibility had expired.

He returned, then had an impact Saturday.

"This summer, he worked hard. It seemed like he was always running," quarterback Tarvaris Jackson said. "That stuff pays off.

"It paid off in this game."

Pickin', grinnin': Senior cornerback Antoine Hill made his 13th career interception, which ties him for fifth on ASU's career list. Hill is four interceptions short of Emmanual Martin's record set from 1988-91.

Robinson speaks to team: Former Alabama State great Eddie Robinson Jr. spoke to the Hornets on Friday night.

Robinson gave a 10-minute motivational speech about the season and about the Hornets' last trip to Michigan. In 1991, Alabama State pounded Grambling 60-14 at the Pontiac Silverdome.

That explains the citation: Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was an All-America offensive tackle at Florida AM in 1992.

When he took office in 2001, Kilpatrick was the youngest mayor in the city's history. Kilpatrick, 33, was an honorary FAMU team captain Saturday and dressed in a black Rattlers jersey for the pregame coin toss.

Coaching debut pitfall: Charlie Coe won his first game as Alabama State's coach Saturday, becoming the first to do so in 34 years.

The last Alabama State coach to win his ASU debut was Henry Holbert, who led the Hornets to a 17-0 win over Savannah State in 1969.

Until Saturday, Alabama State was 0-for-8 in a coach's debut, including the first game of each of Willie Parker's stints as head coach in 1973, 1984 and 1986.

May I see your ticket?: The Alabama State band made its first misstep of the season before the season even started. The band sat in the wrong section of Ford Field about 45 minutes before the game.

Tops in Division I-AA: Florida AM coach Billy Joe entered Saturday's game with 228 career wins and is the winningest active Division I-AA coach. Starting his 30th year as a head coach, the 62-year-old Joe is 228-95-4.

First time in long time: Saturday's game was the first between the Hornets and Rattlers since 1990 when Alabama State won 44-32 in Mobile. The teams first met in 1906 and the Hornets lead the series 20-15-2.

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Tallahassee Democrat

Alabama State drops FAMU in season opener
By Heath A. Smith
DEMOCRAT STAFF WRITER

DETROIT - NOTHING SPECIAL

Attempting to become the only Division I-A historically black college or university makes the Florida A&M Rattlers unique, but it certainly didn't make them special Saturday against the DivisionI-AA Alabama State Hornets.

Alabama State scored 21 points off FAMU special-teams gaffes en route to a surprisingly dominant 38-22 victory against the Rattlers in the first Ford Detroit Classic played in front of 54,951 at Ford Field.

"I'm disappointed that we gave up those points on special teams," said FAMU head football coach Billy Joe. "We always assume that special teams will hold its own or win games. It is a very important factor of our program. We have just not been playing good solid, fundamentally sound Rattler special teams over the past few years, and of course we did not play good special teams today."

FloridaA&M's special teams woes could be traced back to one source - Alabama State's Richard Rowe, who played a key role in the each of the three special-teams plays that led to Hornet touchdowns.

Rowe returned Damon Miller's punt 51 yards for the Hornets' first score of the game, then set up the Hornets' next touchdown with a 64-yard punt return to the Rattlers' 3. He also forced a fumble while playing safety.

Perhaps the most significant of Rowe's special-teams superlatives came on the first play of the fourth quarter with FAMU threatening to cut the Hornets' lead to less than a touchdown.

Rowe blocked Juan Vasquez's 30-yard field-goal attempt, which Erlin Sanders picked up at the Rattlers' 35 and returned for a touchdown. The Rattlers never recovered.

"I told my guys before the game that special teams was going to be a critical part of this football game," said Alabama State interim head football coach Charles Coe, who replaced former head coach L.C. Cole barely a month ago. "Richard took what I said to heart and did an outstanding job for us. We made a strong statement with our special teams."

Florida A&M's special-teams problems took away from what otherwise was a pretty good debut for starting quarterback Ben Dougherty. He finished the game 26 of 35 for 271 yards, a touchdown and one interception but was sacked six times.

"Ben is a real fine quarterback and an intelligent young man," Joe said. "He's mature, but of course he's also new and inexperienced to the Gulf Coast Offense. I thought he handled it extremely well, though. I thought we could have helped him a little bit more if we would have gone with our offense from the beginning."

Instead of coming out in FAMU's usual four- or five-receiver sets, Joe started the game with a two-back, three-receiver set. The Rattlers produced minus-3 yards in the first quarter with that formation.

FAMU went four wide in the second quarter to spread Alabama State's defense. The change seemed to work and, on the Rattlers' next series, Dougherty drove the offense 58 yards for its first score - a 2-yard pass to Cardan Alexander.

"We got away from the Gulf Coast Offense in the first quarter and a half," Joe said. "We were a little bit too methodical and too structured, and that's really not our game. Our game is a no-huddle, fast-break offense, and that is what we did the last part of the second quarter."

But the Rattlers were already down by 21 points. They managed to pull within a touchdown twice in the second half but never took the lead.

"It hurt," Dougherty said about the loss. "We lost the game. We can't take anything away from Alabama State. They came ready to play."

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M/A -- 9/01/03

Hornets take advantage of Rattlers

By A. Stacy Long
Montgomery Advertiser



DETROIT -- Film freaks Tarvaris Jackson and Chad Lucas noticed a Florida AM weakness to be exploited last week.

With Alabama State breaking in a new coach and a new offensive backfield, the Rattlers had no such advantage.

Jackson and Lucas hooked up on three long third-down conversions in the Hornets' 38-22 win in Saturday's Detroit Football Classic at Ford Field, taking advantage of a defense where the Rattlers had a linebacker cover a receiver.

Now, Alabama State opponents -- beginning with Bethune-Cookman, ASU's foe Saturday in Mobile -- will have their own time to look over the Hornets.

"This is going to put us out there a little, ain't it?" said Lucas, who made four catches for 80 yards. "We'll just have to enjoy this today (Saturday) and then get ready for next week."

Richard Rowe scored one touchdown and set up two others with two long punt returns and a blocked field goal as the Hornets made Charlie Coe's debut as ASU's coach a successful one.

The Hornets scored three touchdowns before Florida AM earned a first down and finished with 274 yards of offense. The Rattlers, who had more yards (285), crept to within six points in the fourth quarter, but Rowe's block led to a 65-yard Erlin Sanders return to make it 35-22.

"We've got a lot of what we call A-T-Hs, athletes," said linebacker Ronald "Rock" Dillon, who made 14 tackles and three sacks. "We've got a lot of great players and a lot of smart coaches. "They came in and adjusted to us, rather than us adjusting to them."


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Pickin', grinnin': Alabama State cornerback Antoine Hill's second-half interception was the 13th of the senior's career, which puts him for fifth on ASU's career list. Hill is four interceptions short of Emmanual Martin's record set from 1988-91.


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Coaching debut pitfall: Coe's victory in his debut was the first by an ASU coach since Henry Holbert led the Hornets to a 17-0 win over Savannah State in 1969.
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Hornets' defense has challenge

By A. Stacy Long
Montgomery Advertiser


Tarvaris Jackson was set in his confidence, concretely believing Alabama State's defense won't let an offense put up basketball-like numbers on the Hornets.

The ASU quarterback, talking about Saturday's game with Bethune-Cookman, said Bethune-Cookman won't repeat its offensive effort from last week.

The Wildcats, fresh off a 62-12 season-opening stoning of Savannah State, play the Hornets (1-0) at 7 p.m. Saturday in Mobile's Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

Bethune-Cookman, which is ranked eighth in Division I-AA, won't be repeating its fireworks, Jackson said.

"I don't think our defense is going to give up 62," Jackson said Tuesday.

Bethune-Cookman hung 48 first-half points on Savannah State, while quarterback Allen Suber ran for 117 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown, and threw for 174 yards and two more scores.

Suber, a candidate for the Walter Payton Award, crossed the 2,000-yard rushing plateau with his 54-yard touchdown run.

"He is an outstanding talent and we have to do all we can to stop him," ASU coach Charlie Coe said. "He makes that offense go."

While Suber is a senior, his favorite target last weekend was a freshman. Eric Weems caught five passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns.

Weems ran for two other scores and was the 10th Bethune-Cookman player to score four touchdowns in a game. Suber became the ninth last year.

"We feel we can stop anybody, but I have to give credit to Bethune-Cookman," ASU linebacker Ronald "Rock" Dillon said. "It's like they have three backs in the backfield and four receivers. You have to decide what you want to concentrate on."

Bethune-Cookman finished with 453 yards of offense and Savannah State totaled 88, including minus-19 rushing.

"We have to stay on the field as much as possible," Jackson said. "We need to help out the defense and keep their offense off the field."

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Mobile Regsiter - 9/4/03

Keep Suber on ice

The best way for Alabama State to keep Bethune Cookman playmaker Allen Suber under control is to keep him off the field

09/04/03

By CASSANDRA M. TAYLOR
Sports Reporter


Alabama State quarterback Tarvaris Jackson won't be on the field at the same time as his counterpart, Bethune-Cookman's Allen Suber, but Jackson knows he can play a large role in keeping the playmaking Suber under control.


Jackson will try to lead ASU (1-0) past the Wildcats Saturday in the 30th annual Gulf Coast Classic at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

While the Hornets whipped Flori da A&M 38-22 last weekend, Bethune Cookman pummeled Savannah State 62-12 behind Suber's 7-of-10 passing for 174 yards and two touchdowns.

"I don't think our defense is going to give up 62 points," Jackson said. "But I think we just need to go out there and score and keep our defense off the field.

"I heard their quarterback is good," he continued. "So our job is to keep the defense off the field as much as possible."

Jackson (6-3, 225) completed 10-of-18 passes for 142 yards, one touchdown and an interception in ASU's win over FAMU. The Montgomery native said he felt good about the win, especially with all the off-field problems surrounding the Hornets.

"It felt pretty good to get out on the field after everything that had gone on," he said. "When I first transferred here, it was like everything was going wrong. But to finally get on the field without anyone trying to hold us back, it felt good to get out there and win.

"The important thing is we won and that's my job," he said. "I'm supposed to go out there and help my team win, so I think I did my job."

For Jackson and the Hornets to be successful, they'll have to establish the running game, as they did against FAMU.

"I didn't have to throw the ball a lot (last week), maybe just a couple of times on third and long," Jackson said. "But the running game took the pressure off the offensive line and me as well."

The Hornets ran the ball 37 times for 193 yards and two touchdowns against Florida A&M.

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M/A -- 9/5/03

Rowe blazes trail for ASU

By A. Stacy Long
Montgomery Advertiser



Tarvaris Jackson's dream scenario starts with he and Richard Rowe crouched behind a line waiting on an Alabama State teammate to yell, "Go."

Jackson isn't sure what comes first: the race's first step or Jackson's first, ahem, "move" toward victory.

Jackson's dream does not involve simply racing Rowe -- he's long given that up as a fruitless endeavor -- but beating Rowe, using whatever means he can.

"Does he slip? Does he fall?" Jackson said. "If not, I'd have to push him down, or maybe he'd pull a hamstring."

Rowe, one of the fastest players on the team, turned in a special teams effort last week that has scared off any would-be challengers before Alabama State's next game.

The Hornets (1-0) play Bethune-Cookman (1-0) at 7 p.m. Saturday at Mobile's Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

"We've never raced," said fellow defensive back Erlin Sanders, who returned a field goal that Rowe blocked for a touchdown last week.

"As long as we win games, there's no competition between us. Maybe we'll race when the season is over."

Rowe returned one punt for a touchdown, returned another punt inside the 5 before being wrestled out of bounds by the kicker -- the kicker? -- and helped start ASU's season with a 38-22 victory over Florida AM.

His first return went for 51 yards and his second 64 before running into the kicker. The kicker?

"When you break loose, you're taught to never look back," Rowe said. "I saw somebody in my peripheral vision, but I didn't know it was a teammate. If I had known, I'd have put a move on him and scored, but I tried to muscle it on in."

Rowe, who also returned two kickoffs, finished with 177 return yards and a set of higher expectations. Target, meet Rowe.

"What our special teams don't realize is that was only our first game together," Rowe said. "We're going to do nothing but get better.

"People don't want our special teams on the field."

Rowe feared he would never get to this season. He missed almost a week of practice while Alabama State investigated whether his eligibility had already expired.

A summer full of workouts and preparations almost evaporated into a lost season.

"I know how much he worked this summer and how much he deserved to be out there this season," Sanders said. "When they cleared him, I was excited. I was the first one to pat him on the back."

Rowe turned to Sanders first early in the fourth quarter of last week's game when FAMU lined up for a field goal. Rowe whispered something and the two combined for a touchdown.

"I told him I knew I was going to block it and for him to grab it and score," Rowe said. "Their tackle looked tired and I thought I could get past him, but I didn't know I'd come in that wide open."

Rowe, a senior from Selma, was so open he almost ran past the ball, but Sanders followed the script perfectly, scooped it up and ran for the end zone.

It didn't take long for Rowe to catch up.

"Hey, after the first 15 or 20 yards, I slowed down," Sanders said. "Next time, we'll just run side-by-side."


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M/A --- 9/6/07 (Saturday Edition: Preview)

Hornets want Sunshine State bragging rights

By A. Stacy Long
Montgomery Advertiser

Jatavious Abrams pictures a Spring Break highlighted by a warm sun, a bright smile and an extended chest.

The Alabama State running back sees himself proudly displaying an ASU T-shirt and bragging on his team, if only today's game turns out to be another victory.

When the Hornets (1-0) play Bethune-Cookman (1-0) at 7 p.m. today at Mobile's Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Abrams will be playing for a two-game sweep of teams from his home state and some star treatment when he hits the sand in the spring.

"I'll be able to go to Black College Beach Week and do a little jaw-jacking," Abrams said. "I'll go whether we win or lose, but if we win, it will be a lot sweeter."

Abrams, a junior from South Bay, Fla., has already been sharing tales of phone calls he's received from home this week and the promises family and friends have made.

"Some Bethune-Cookman alumni I know have been telling me that we better be ready," Abrams said. "They're not a team to be played with."

Abrams is one of 13 players on Alabama State's roster whose listed hometown is in Florida.

Last week's 38-22 win over Florida AM meant the Hornets won't go 0-2 vs. the Sunshine State. A win this week would give ASU wins over both the Rattlers and Wildcats for the first time since 1976.

"It's like bragging rights," said ASU tight end Greg Jones, who is from West Palm Beach, Fla. "But we just want to go out and play well and play hard.

"We're preparing for whoever we play. It could be the University of Florida, but we'd still prepare hard, work hard and come out to win."

Bethune-Cookman, which is ranked eighth in Division I-AA, was the preseason favorite to win the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference after winning the title a year ago. Florida AM isn't eligible for the MEAC title because the Rattlers plan to move to Division I-A next year.

"It's always a big game when you play either of those two," said Erlin Sanders, an Alabama State defensive back from Boca Raton, Fla. "Both of those teams are always some of the top teams in the MEAC."

Bethune-Cookman finished 11-2 last year after a 34-0 loss to Georgia Southern in the first round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.

Quarterback Allen Suber had 2,342 yards of total offense, ran for 15 touchdowns and threw for eight more as a junior. In Bethune's 62-12 win over Savannah State last week, Suber accounted for 291 yards and three scores.

"One man won't win it alone," said ASU's Richard Rowe, who scored one touchdown and set up two others against Florida AM. "He can't do it all himself."

Abrams' holiday plans depend on how the Hornets contain Suber and extend the season-opening surprise against Florida AM into a season-opening streak.

It will also help him against a cousin who goes to Bethune-Cookman.

"I haven't talked to him yet, but he's been sending me messages," Abrams said. "He told me, 'We're going to come down to Alabama and show you a real Florida team. Florida AM was a fake.'"

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[mighty hornet]

FAMU defeat leaves Alabama State less rattled

By DERRICK MAHONE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution


Perhaps no team in the country entered the season in more turmoil than Alabama State, but after its stunning 38-22 victory over Florida A&M last week in Detroit, the Hornets are feeling a little better about the season.

Apparently, the players unleashed all their frustrations from problems that occurred during the offseason on the Div. I-bound Rattlers.

An internal investigation uncovered major NCAA rules infractions in the Alabama State program that led to the dismissal of head coach L.C. Cole and two assistants days before preseason practice began.

In steps interim coach Charles Coe, a longtime Div. I collegiate assistant, and 15 players file a lawsuit against the university to reinstate Cole. The suit was thrown out by a judge, but a suit by Cole is still pending.

Starting the season has provided some relief for the players.

"It felt great just to get on the field," Hornets quarterback Tarvaris Jackson said. "One of the reasons we won is that we just wanted to have fun and put everything behind us. We've gone through a lot since December. It's been like a nightmare, but everybody stayed focused."

 

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M/A -- 9/7/03

Wildcats burst trips Hornets

By A. Stacy Long
Montgomery Advertiser

MOBILE -- Bethune-Cookman scored 22 points in a 5-minute stretch of the second half to rally for a 31-26 win over Alabama State on Saturday at the Gulf Coast Classic.

A defensive 2-point conversion and three touchdowns carried the Wildcats (2-0) from a 10-point deficit to a 12-point lead in front of an announced crowd of 10,212 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

Alabama State (1-1) trailed 31-19 until Tarvaris Jackson threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Horace to make it 31-26. The Hornets had three possessions in the final 10 minutes, but couldn't win the game.

Alabama State had an apparent defensive touchdown negated with about 2? minutes to play.

ASU's Marcus Winn hit Bethune quarterback Allen Suber and the ball fell to the ground. ASU's Bobby Coleman picked up the ball at the 43 and raced to the end zone, but officials rules Suber was in the act of throwing the ball and called it an incomplete pass.

Bethune-Cookman, which is ranked eighth in Division I-AA, trailed 19-9 when ASU's Lee Carter scored with 1:54 left in the third quarter.

On the extra point, Richard Woodbury blocked Anthony Johnson's kick. Bethune's Nick Collins recovered the ball in one end zone and raced to the other to make it 19-11.

The Wildcats drove for a touchdown after the ensuing kickoff, held Alabama State (1-1) to a three-and-out and drove for a go-ahead score.

Rodney Johnson's 6-yard score cut ASU's lead to 19-17. Suber's 3-yard TD run -- set up by a 39-yard pass from Suber to Eric Weems -- pushed Bethune-Cookman ahead 24-19.

The Wildcats scored a defensive touchdown on ASU's third play after the touchdown.

Steve Baggs recovered an ASU lateral and returned it 33 yards for a touchdown to make it 31-19 with 12:02 left in the game.

The Hornets converted two turnovers into touchdowns in the third quarter before the blocked extra point.

ASU led 13-9 when Robert Randolph scored on a 5-yard run with 2:50 left. Randolph's score came on the first play after Bethune-Cookman's Lawrence McCloud lost a fumble.

The Wildcats lost another fumble on their first play after the kickoff that Alabama State turned into another touchdown.

Lee Carter's 1-yard touchdown run gave the Hornets a 19-9 lead, but Bethune-Cookman grabbed momentum on the extra point.

In the first half, the teams traded field goals and missed opportunities.

The Wildcats drove inside the ASU 25-yard line four times in five possessions, but managed only three Jesus Cortez field goals.

On the fifth, Bethune-Cookman had a first-and-goal at the 2, but Alabama State held.

The Hornets dropped P.J. Smith for a 4-yard loss on first down before two Rodney Johnson runs got the ball to the 1.

The Wildcats chose against a fourth field goal and went for the touchdown, but ASU's Antoine Hill tipped Suber's pass away from Eric Reed.

The play left Bethune-Cookman nursing a 9-6 lead at halftime.

Alabama State had two drives that crossed the Bethune-Cookman 20 and ended with Johnson field goals. The freshman had a 32-yarder in the first quarter and a 31-yarder in the second.

Through three quarters, Jackson was 10-of-19 passing for 157 yards, while Keldrick Williams had 70 yards rushing on 12 carries. Receiver Chad Lucas had six catches for 94 yards.

Suber, Bethune-Cookman's Walter Payton Award candidate, had 10 rushes for 96 yards and was 5-of-11 passing for 67 yards.

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Gulf Coast Classic historically unkind to ASU

By A. Stacy Long
Montgomery Advertiser



MOBILE -- Alabama State played in the 30th Gulf Coast Classic on Saturday night, but the Classic hasn't been too good to the Hornets.

Alabama State was 13-16 in Gulf Coast Classics entering Saturday night's game with Bethune-Cookman.

Bethune-Cookman is the eighth different team the Hornets have played at the game in Mobile.

ASU has played Southern nine times in the game and Southern is 8-1. Alcorn State is 4-3 in Gulf Coast Classics.

ASU owns winning Classic records against Texas Southern (3-1), Florida AM (2-1), Jackson State (2-1) and Clark-Atlanta (1-0). Livingston and Alabama State have split two games.

Freshman starter: Mario Lane, a Montgomery native, made his first career start Saturday in his second career game.

Lane started at left defensive end for the Hornets. Last week against Florida AM, Lane had three tackles, including 1 1/2 for loss.

Johnson's trip home: Place-kicker Anthony Johnson, who scored Alabama State's first six points, is from nearby Bay Minette.

The freshman kicked a 32-yard field goal in the first quarter and added a 31-yarder in the second quarter.

Toe the line: Alabama State's Erlin Sanders made a fateful step when he caught the kickoff after Bethune-Cookman's first score Saturday.

Sanders, a senior, caught the ball just over the goal line and looked down to see where he was. When he looked, he stepped forward to catch his balance, and stepped out of the end zone.

With the option for a touchback taken away, Sanders scrambled out to the 13 before being tackled.

Rare state appearance: Bethune-Cookman appearance in Alabama was the Wildcats' first since a 27-10 loss at Samford in 1993.

Bethune-Cookman last won in Alabama in 1978, beating Tuskegee 22-18.

2-0 not common at ASU: Alabama State has only had two 2-0 starts in the last 30 years, but was trying for a second straight Saturday night.

The Hornets started 3-0 in 2002. In 1991, ASU won its first four games, tied one and won its last seven to claim the black college national championship.

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Mobile Register -- 9/07/03

Bethune-Cookman holds off Hornets

Wildcats hang on for 31-26 win before 10,000 in Gulf Coast Classic

09/07/03

By BRADLEY HANDWERGER
Sports Reporter


The Bethune-Cookman Wildcats scored three quick touchdowns in the middle of the second half but had to hold on for dear life in a 31-26 win over the Alabama State Hornets in the 30th annual Gulf Coast Classic Saturday night at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

In front of 10,212 fans, the Wildcats got a 100-yard return of a blocked PAT kick from Nick Collins, followed by touchdown runs of 6 yards from Rodney Johnson, 3 yards from Allen Suber and Cedric Edmonds' 33-yard run with a fumbled lateral to come from behind and take a 31-19 lead early in the fourth quarter.

Bethune-Cookman rolled up 466 yards -- 319 on the ground -- in the win. Running back Rodney Johnson ran for 156 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries while quarterback Suber ran for 130 yards on 18 carries and was 8-of-16 passing for 137 yards.

ASU's Tarvaris Jackson was 14-of-33 passing for 232 yards and touchdown. Suber -- the game's offensive MVP -- was carried off the field following the game due to cramps.

Alabama State (1-1) scored what looked to be the go-ahead touchdown on a 43-yard yard fumble return with 2:38 left in the game, but the referee ruled that Suber's arm was going forward when the ball was knocked out of his hand.

Down 31-19, the Hornets stormed back, going 89 yards in three plays to cut the Bethune-Cookman lead to 31-26 when Jackson found Brandon Horace open in the end zone.

Bethune-Cookman (2-0) then held the lead by not allowing Alabama State past the 50 on its final possessions.

The Hornets' Robert Randolph bulled his way in from the 5 following Bethune-Cookman running back Ricky Williams' fumble, giving ASU a 13-9 lead with 2:50 left in the third quarter.

On Bethune-Cookman's next series, Brad Lee fumbled and Hornet defensive back Amster Fertil recovered, giving ASU the ball at the Wildcat 33. A personal foul penalty on the Wildcats then put the ball at the 1. From there, Lee Carter skirted around left end for the touchdown, giving ASU a 19-9 lead. The extra-point kick was blocked by Richard Woodbury and Collins picked it up and took it all the way back for two points, setting the stage for Bethune-Cookman's winning outburst.

=============

daSource

 

[unknown]

10,000? Damn did BCC bring any fans?

 

[DAHILL]

doesnt look like either school did

 

[SlickPartna]

Originally posted by unknown1
10,000? Damn did BCC bring any fans?

NOPE!

This is not Southern we are talking about.
Heck the band was took up a bigger section than the fans or rather the band members parents did.

Oh well.... ASU's side was filled as usual.

 

[SlickPartna]

M/A -- 9/08/03

Disputed call cost Hornets

By A. Stacy Long
Montgomery Advertiser


Bobby Coleman skirted down the sideline, spun past a would-be tackler and sprinted into the open field.

He slowed as he reached the end zone with what would have been a game-winning touchdown in Saturday's Gulf Coast Classic.

The noise the Alabama State defensive back heard behind him interrupted any celebration.

The whistle was too loud.

A disputed call with about 2? minutes to play stopped the Hornets from counting an apparent touchdown and helped seal Bethune-Cookman's 31-26 victory in front of an announced crowd of 10,212 at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

Coleman's 43-yard fumble return that would have landed him in the headlines and handed Alabama State (1-1) an upset over Division I-AA's eighth-ranked team officially never happened.

"We had the game," Coleman said. "We needed to get the ball back and we got a turnover, but they took it away.

"It was our game, it was in our hands, and they took it away like that."

Alabama State coach Charlie Coe said Sunday that the Hornets will send a tape of the play to the Southwestern Athletic Conference office. The game featured officials from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, of which Bethune-Cookman -- Saturday's visiting team -- is a member.

"I know it won't do any good, but we'll send them a tape and see what they think about it," said Coe, who coaches his first game at Cramton Bowl on Saturday when the Hornets play Alcorn State (1-1) at 7 p.m.

"From watching the film, I thought it was a legitimate fumble, but those guys are the ones that make the calls."

With Bethune-Cookman (2-0) facing a third-and-six near midfield, ASU's Marcus Winn blitzed and forced quarterback Allen Suber to scramble.

Winn caught up, made the hit and the ball bounced away. Incomplete pass.

"It definitely was a fumble," Winn said. "I hit him and the ball came out. I know it was a fumble.

"If we get that touchdown, we'd have won the game."

On the film, Suber -- Bethune-Cookman's Walter Payton Award candidate -- appeared to have been tucking the ball away to protect it from Winn's hit instead of throwing it forward.

Coleman had run about 15 yards before head linesman Rob Thompson, positioned in front of the Bethune-Cookman sideline and nearest to Winn and Suber -- motioned that it was an incomplete pass.

"You could plainly see that it was a fumble," Coleman said Saturday night.

======================================

daSource

:redhot:

 

[mighty hornet]

How in da world did they call that an incomplete pass when Suber was rolling out to run the ball!!!!!!!!!!

TERRIBLE CALL!!!!!!!!!!

ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:tdown::tdown:

 

[SlickPartna]

M/A -- 9/09/03

Hornets, Coe eye Alcorn this week

By A. Stacy Long
Montgomery Advertiser

Charlie Coe's first Southwestern Athletic Conference game will be against a team that once recruited him.

Too bad a girl got in the way.

"I thought I was in love," Coe said. " I wanted to stay close to home.

"Puppy love kept me close to home ."

Coe passed on a baseball scholarship to Alcorn State to sign with a community college in his hometown of St. Louis, but will coach football against the Braves this weekend.

Alabama State (1-1) plays its home opener at 7 p.m. Saturday at Cramton Bowl against the Braves (1-1), who landed some of Coe's classmates, but missed out on the infielder.

"Some of my friends are Alcorn State graduates," Coe said. "They've already called and said that we better watch out 'because the Braves are coming to town.'"

On Monday, the Hornets tried to move past last weekend's loss to Bethune-Cookman and a disputed call that led to the 31-26 loss.

Officials ruled an apparent fumble to be an incomplete pass and nullified Alabama State's fumble return for a touchdown. Coe said the Hornets are sending a tape of the play -- "and a few others" -- to the SWAC office.

"It won't change the fact that we lost, but we want to see what they think," Coe said. "We've got to put that behind us."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Injuries: Offensive lineman Derrick Warford and safety Jamaal Fletcher had MRIs on Monday in Birmingham, Coe said.

The two went down with left knee injuries in Saturday's loss to Bethune-Cookman. Warford rotates with Antonio Bradford at right guard, while Fletcher is the Hornets' starting safety.

Warford and Fletcher's status for Saturday is unknown.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Freshman starter: Mario Lane, a Montgomery native, made his first career start in his second career game in last weekend's 31-26 loss to Bethune-Cookman.

Lane was the starting left defensive end for the Hornets and may stay there this weekend. In two games, Lane has made eight tackles, including two for a loss.

"I've been impressed with his work habits and his attitude," defensive line coach Rock Roggeman said. "We tried to force-feed him as much as we could during two-a-days, and he stepped to the plate."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chris Coleman: Coe said he is still waiting to hear from the NCAA on an appeal to have tight end Chris Coleman reinstated.

Coleman has missed ASU's first two games after the school declared him academically ineligible because he had not made sufficient progress toward a degree.

Coleman and Coe have said Coleman retook a class this summer to improve a D he had made instead of taking another class. Because of that, both said, Coleman did not meet the academic standards.

Both said ASU officials cleared Coleman to take the class.

"I'm optimistic and I think they'll rule in his favor," Coe said.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Going recruiting: Though ASU hired him on an interim basis, Coe said he and his staff will branch out to high school games Friday night and start the recruiting process.

Coe is under contract only through January.

"I have to assume this will not be a six-month job," Coe said. "It may be, but I have to assume it isn't."

================================

daSource

 

[SlickPartna]

M/A -- 9/11/03

Williams looks for end zone

By A. Stacy Long
Montgomery Advertiser

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/images/news_daily/091103/ASUfb.jpg


Two games into his Alabama State career, Keldrick Williams has piled up the yards and grabbed a centerpiece role in the Hornets' offense. Now, if he can get that pesky touchdown thing out of the way.

When Williams plays his first home game at ASU on Saturday, the running back will still be looking to visit the end zone for the first time.

"I've gotten very close," Williams said as the Hornets (1-1) prepared for Saturday's 7 p.m. game with Alcorn State (1-1) at Cramton Bowl.

"Maybe I'll have a big breakout game this weekend," Williams said. "If I can just get into the open about the 20, I'll know we're in."

Williams is the Southwestern Athletic Conference's fourth leading rusher, but is the only one of the top nine to have not scored.

The Montgomery native has 150 yards in two games, has averaged more than four yards per carry and has a big, fat zero under touchdowns.

"Keldrick is a hard worker, so I'm sure it's right around the corner," receiver Chad Lucas said. "He's been one inch from scoring, so I feel he'll break one real soon. I haven't scored, either."

Williams' scoring drought stems from the Hornets' offensive choices when they get into short-yardage situations.

The 205-pound sophomore comes out and Alabama State goes with a backfield that features bigger runners.

"I told him if he breaks one, he better take it to the house because if he only gets close, we're going to give it to one of those big guys," ASU coach Charlie Coe said.

"He'll get his touchdowns; they'll come."

Coe said he would like to run the ball more, which would lead to more carries for Williams, the team's No. 1 back.

Williams has carried the ball 35 times in two games. His longest run was an 18-yarder in last weekend's loss to Bethune-Cookman.

"When we get close, we change formations and that's it for me," Williams said. "When I get the chance to break one, I have to take it on in."

Four of ASU's six offensive touchdowns have been on runs of five yards or less. The other two have been on Tarvaris Jackson passes to Brandon Horace.

"This isn't basketball or baseball where you have RBIs and points," said offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic, who is the Hornets' run game coordinator.

"If he gets the team to the 3 and some other guy gets it in, we all score. Everybody realizes what he does for us."

One problem, Coe said, is that Williams' class schedule cuts into his practice time.

"He's figuring into carrying the ball more, but he misses a lot of practice time because of classes," Coe said. "He doesn't get the chance to get on the field as much as we'd like."

Williams said he misses the first 20 or 25 minutes of practice each Wednesday and Thursday because of class.

"But we meet a lot, too," Williams said. "It's still different than being on the field

=====================

daSource

 

[SlickPartna]

M/A -- 9/12/03

Hornets' Lucas faces prep teammate

By A. Stacy Long
Montgomery Advertiser

Chad Lucas heard the compliment and it came from the strangest of places.

The Alabama State receiver caught a pass in front of the Alcorn State sideline last year, then distinctly heard a comment hurled at him from the bench.

One of the enemy had spoken.

"Nice catch," the voice said.

When Alabama State plays Alcorn State at 7 p.m. Saturday at Cramton Bowl, Lucas will seek out more compliments.

Corvin Johnson will look to do the same.

Johnson and Lucas may be on opposing sides of Saturday's game between the Hornets (1-1) and Braves (1-1), but the two may know each other better than any of their teammates.

Growing up together in Tuskegee will do that.

"We're all trying to win a championship, but we're on different sides of the field," Johnson said. "I know I'm playing against my homeboy, but I have a job to do. My team is depending on me."

Johnson and Lucas have called each other at least twice this week, plan to meet on the field before the game for a friendly hug and will scatter to opposite sides of the field to settle their differences.

"I wish him well, but I wish the Hornets well, also," Lucas said. "I hope he does well, but I hope we win. I'm pretty sure he'd say the same."

The two were almost inseparable as children. They teamed up for baseball, basketball and football all the way through their time at Booker T. Washington High.

Today, they're two of the top receivers in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Through two games, Lucas leads the league with 174 receiving yards, Johnson is third with 139, and a former high school coach won't say which one is a better player.

"Do you want a father's answer or a coach's answer?" said Wiley Lucas, Chad's father who was Booker T. Washington's defensive coordinator.

"I'll say they're even. Corvin is an outstanding athlete and Chad is doing very well this year."

Wiley Lucas once had both Johnson and his son on defense, but the experiment was a failure.

"Neither one of them would hit anything," Wiley Lucas said. "I quickly put their butts back on offense."

They once hit each other and the childhood scrap -- Chad Lucas remembers -- led to the two becoming close friends.

Lucas said he doesn't know why the two fought one day ("It could have been over a Nintendo game or something"), but Johnson said they had "several" fights.

Their next fight, albeit more friendly than those youthful tiffs, will come Saturday.

"You have fun with it, but once you hit the field, it's just like anything else," said Alabama State coach Charlie Coe, who shared two stories from his professional baseball career.

Once, a friend of Coe's slid into the infielder with his spikes high.

Another time, in a spring training game, a pitcher threw at him. Both teams were filled with Detroit Tigers minor leaguers.

Neither incident ended the friendship.

"You play hard and you play to win," Coe said. "When it's all over, you shake hands, go out and have a Coke."

When Johnson and Lucas see each other Saturday, it could be the last time they'll meet on a football field.

After all those years of youth football, high school ball and now college, both face the possible end of their careers. They're college seniors ... with NFL hopes.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Warford out for year: Offensive lineman Derrick Warford will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury, Coe said.

Warford, the Hornets' second-string right guard, left last week's game with Bethune-Cookman after hurting his left knee. An MRI this week showed Warford had suffered a season-ending ligament injury.

Warford, a redshirt junior, will petition the NCAA for a medical redshirt, Coe said.

To adjust to Warford's absence, offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic said second-string tackles Nathaniel Sconiers and Ryan Beneby have practiced at right guard. This week, Kapilovic said he expects starter Antonio Bradford to take every snap.

Free safety Jamaal Fletcher, who also left last week's game with a left knee injury, is doubtful this week, Coe said.

=====================

daSource

 

[SlickPartna]

M/A -- 9/13/03 (GAMEDAY!)

'It's payback this year'

By A. Stacy Long
Montgomery Advertiser

The bus ride home was unusually quiet, a fitting postscript to a day Alabama State football players describe in unflattering terms.

Alcorn State had just feasted on the Hornets, treated Alabama State's vaunted defense like a windshield treats a bug, and otherwise abused the Hornets in such a way that they've yet to forget.

A year later, the Braves (1-1, 1-0 Southwestern Athletic Conference) return the trip, play the Hornets (1-1, 0-0) at 7 tonight at Cramton Bowl and face a team still shocked at how they were treated a year ago.

"It was pretty embarrassing," defensive back Erlin Sanders said. "It's payback this year."

The ride home from Lorman, Miss., would have made a librarian proud. The Hornets sat silently, stunned and stupefied at the extent of their ineptness.

"That was the longest ride I have ever had as an Alabama State Hornet," linebacker Ronald "Rock" Dillon said. "We had never been manhandled like we were in that game."

A year later, Dillon can still recite the statistic that was so shocking against a team that was supposedly one of the best against the run.

Alabama State's 12 opponents totaled 1,095 yards rushing (91.2 per game) last season.

Almost a third came on Sept. 28 at Alcorn State.

"They had 339 yards rushing," Dillon said. "I'll never forget it."

The Braves bashed the Hornets 48-37 and blistered Alabama State for 555 yards of total offense.

Defense?

What defense?

"That's in the past, but all we have to do is put on the film and see how they humiliated us," Alabama State defensive line coach Rock Roggeman said. "They basically did what they wanted. They ran effectively and they threw effectively. They executed and they whipped us."

The Hornets' prognosis of their problems that day came down to Alcorn State's surprising strategy.

With Alabama State's dominating numbers against the run, the Hornets figured Alcorn would keep to the air and made its game plan accordingly.

"We thought we were prepared for them, but we weren't," defensive lineman Charles Parham said. "They had a little sneak attack."

The Braves had four players run for at least 70 yards, threw for 216 more and handed Alabama State its worst defensive showing of the year. The Hornets finished 6-6.

"They flat out ran the ball down our throats," Dillon said. "They were the only team to run the ball on us last year. I hope that's what they have in mind this week."

After two games this year, Alabama State's defense has not matched the numbers of a year ago. The Hornets are allowing 188 rushing yards a game, including Bethune-Cookman's 319 last week.

"We'll try to reclaim some of our luster and do a better job," linebackers coach George Copeland.

Alabama State can also start living up to its preseason SWAC expectations.

During the summer, SWAC coaches picked the Hornets to finish last in the league's East Division. Today's game is Alabama State's SWAC opener.

"We all know we're a first-place team," Sanders said. "Now, we have to prove it to everybody else. It's time for everybody to feel our wrath.

"We want to be a sleeper and surprise everybody."

Alabama State opened the year with a 38-22 win over Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference power Florida AM, then lost 31-26 last week to Bethune-Cookman, the preseason MEAC favorite.

"I kind of like being the underdog," offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic said. "I like that role, but after our first two games, I don't think we'll surprise anybody anymore."

The preseason pick gave extra fuel to offseason workouts -- kind of like last year's Alcorn State game did for this week's game.

It was a major topic of conversation.

"I know we were 6-6 and that's not the type of season we expected, but it was all right," Parham said. "It kind of shocked us that they picked us last.

"We're going to believe we can go all the way. We have to keep our faith and we'll be No. 1."

============

daSource

 

[SlickPartna]

M/A -- 9/13/03 (GAMEDAY!)

Randolph puts 'T' in touchdown

By A. Stacy Long
Montgomery Advertiser



The sweat pours out of Robert Randolph more easily than the words and almost as freely as the touchdowns that have flowed for the Alabama State running back.

Randolph, the Hornets' short-yardage savant, is hitting the end zone with a high percentage entering today's 7 p.m. game with Alcorn State at Cramton Bowl.

Eight carries into his sophomore year, Randolph has already scored three touchdowns.

"Whatever it takes to get the job done," Randolph said. "It's all because of our offensive line. Any of the backs we have could have done the same thing."

Randolph bulled his way in twice in Alabama State's season opener, then rolled into the end zone again last week.

He's been one of the main ingredients in the Hornets' red zone success -- they're 9-of-9 this year -- and could be called the Tip of the T.

"He's a load and he carries the ball hard," ASU coach Charlie Coe said. "He's earned the right to get the ball in his hands more."

The Hornets call their short-yardage offense the T and split that into two groups according to size.

The Big T's backfield may be fans of the Big Mac. It features Randolph (235 pounds), Lee Carter (220) and Justin Holmes (250).

"Randolph is a horse," said assistant coach Chris Kapilovic, who coordinates the running game.

"In our goal-line offense, we take care of everybody but maybe the free safety or the corner, and those guys don't want any piece of him 1-on-1."

Randolph said he missed the first 10 games of last season while he learned the offense and watched more experienced Hornets play.

In the final two games of the season, Randolph finished with 27 carries for 158 yards and -- ruining his career touchdown percentage -- scored only once.

Now he's making up for lost time.

"I just go in with the attitude to not be stopped by one guy," Randolph said. "I don't want to let one guy bring me down.

"They teach all of us running backs that."

Randolph is tied for second in scoring in the Southwestern Athletic Conference and trails only Alcorn State kicker David McConnell.

Southern's Kenneth Peoples has also scored three touchdowns, in 35 more carries. Texas Southern's LaChaz Green has a fumble return and two runs for scores.

"If (a touchdown) happens, it happens. If it doesn't, it doesn't," Randolph said. "It doesn't matter who scores. It's all about winning the SWAC championship."

When the Hornets get close to the end zone, it's been all about Randolph. He's on a pace to score 18 touchdowns -- if paces mean anything two games into the season.

"That's who we get the ball to in that situation," said quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, who has two touchdown passes.

"We know he's going to fight hard for the touchdown."

===============

daSource

"Randolph is a horse," said assistant coach Chris Kapilovic

Correction: This dude is not a horse...
HE'S A MONSTER!!! :eek2: :eek2: :eek2:

 

[SlickPartna]

Birmingham News: 09/14/03

This article is from Birmingham news. They for whatever reason thought Alcorn Braves was the Albany Braves.

...sorry.

The Montgomery Advertiser had several articles covering the game, but I found none of them on-line! Hmmm.... they most be losing money or it may be a --- CONSPIRANCY! (sp)

===========================

Former Poets write winning story to ASU game with Albany


09/14/03

BILL LUMPKIN III
For The Birmingham News


MONTGOMERY - A couple of former Poets made a triumphant return to Cramton Bowl Saturday night.

Tarvaris Jackson and Keldrick Williams, former standouts for the Sidney Lanier High School Poets in Montgomery, returned to Cramton Bowl for the first time since 2000 and combined for five touchdowns as Alabama State rallied for a 49-28 win over Albany State.

Jackson played the past two seasons at Arkansas and Williams at Tennessee before the former high school teammates decided to return home and play for the Hornets.

Williams rushed for 113 yards on 13 carries and scored three touchdowns while Jackson threw for a touchdown and ran for another as ASU snapped a two-year losing streak to the Braves.

Alabama State (2-1, 1-0 SWAC) trailed 21-14 late in the third quarter before the Hornets parlayed two turnovers into 21 points in a four-minute stretch.

Jackson scored on a 30-yard run with 4:46 left in the third quarter to tie the game at 21.

Three plays later, Erlin Sanders intercepted an Albany pass and returned it 22 yards for the go-ahead score.

Amster Fertil covered a fumble at the Albany 32 and Jackson's 7-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Horace pushed the Alabama State lead to 35-21 with :55 left in the quarter.

Williams added a 35-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and Robert Randolph closed out the scoring with a 2-yard run after the Hornets covered a fumble at the Albany 5.

The Hornets needed just two plays to take a 7-0 lead. Jackson handed off to Williams, who then pitched it back to Jackson as part of a 67-yard flea-flicker completion to Chad Lucas. Williams scored from six yards out on the next play.

Albany (1-2, 1-1 SWAC) tied the game at 7 on Donald Carrie's 48-yard strike to Corvin Johnson on a third-and-18 call with 10:49 left in the first half.

The Hornets gift-wrapped Albany's go-ahead score as Jackson was blindslided by Michael Howleit and Ross Gordon recovered the fumble in the end zone.

Richard Rowe's interception at the Albany 16 and a pass interference penalty helped the Hornets tie the game early in the third quarter. Williams scored his second touchdown of the night on a 2-yard run.

The Braves came right back with a 78-yard, 12-play drive, taking more than six minutes off the clock. Carrie called his own number from a yard out for the 21-14 advantage at the 5:58 mark.

But that was it for the Braves as Alabama State took advantage of the visitors' six turnovers.

================================

daSource

 

[SlickPartna]

M/A -- 9/16/03

Hornets still have areas to improve

By A. Stacy Long
Montgomery Advertiser


The Alabama State football team could start using Canadian Football League rules and just punt on third down.

Its offense hasn't used third downs very well.

Heading into Saturday's game at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, the Hornets have converted barely 20 percent of third-down conversions and rank eighth of nine Southwestern Athletic Conference teams.

"It's been disheartening and it's one of the things we want to focus on this week," said ASU assistant coach Chris Kapilovic, who coordinates the team's running game.

"We've had opportunities, but whether it's been a missed block, a dropped ball, a misread or a bad call, it keeps happening."

Alabama State (2-1) plays Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-2) at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Golden Lion Stadium and will try to break out of its third-down funk.

The Hornets are 8-of-36 on third downs this season, including an abysmal 2-of-21 in its last two games.

"That's not a good percentage," ASU coach Charlie Coe said. "We'll definitely have to look into that, but you also have to give credit to the other team. Those guys have made the plays, too."

Alabama State's saving grace has been its success on early downs. On first down, the Hornets have earned at least four yards 60 percent of the time.

"Four yards or better is always good," Coe said. "To do that 60 percent of the time is exceptional."


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Winn top defender: The SWAC named Alabama State linebacker Marcus Winn its Defensive Player of the Week on Monday. Winn had 12 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble in ASU's 49-28 win Saturday over Alcorn State.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yardage adjustment: Keldrick Williams, named the SWAC's Newcomer of the Week, had his rushing yardage adjusted after Saturday's game.

Williams was credited with 113 yards Saturday night, but Alabama State officials found two runs that were misapplied, which deducted 15 yards from Williams.

A 2-yard run by Williams was mistakenly credited as a 22-yard run Saturday, while a 5-yard run by Williams was mistakenly not credited to the sophomore.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not in the SWAC: Though Saturday's opponent is a SWAC school, ASU's game with Arkansas-Pine Bluff won't count in the SWAC standings.

Though the Hornets play every school in the 10-team league, only seven count toward the SWAC race. Alabama State's home game with Grambling State on Nov. 8 also won't count.

===================

daSource

 

[SlickPartna]

M/A -- 09/18/03

Hornets respect retired numbers

By A. Stacy Long
Montgomery Advertiser

Kevin Harris shrugged off the change and said it didn't matter.

Four years after the Alabama State offensive lineman first pulled No. 61 over his shoulders, Harris thought he had staked a claim to the jersey and distinguished himself in it.

Turns out No. 61 was already reserved for someone else.

Harris, a four-year starter and fifth-year senior, had to find a new number last week when Alabama State officials discovered No. 61 was retired in honor of a player from the 1970s.

"I wanted to keep wearing it, but I understand," Harris said. "If my number was retired, I wouldn't want anyone else wearing it either. It wasn't anything I was going to worry about."

Harris was one of four Hornets who had to find new jerseys last week when Alabama State said their jersey numbers had been retired in honor of former players.

Harris turned in No. 61 and unveiled No. 62 against Alcorn State. Center Cary Nagel switched from No. 51 to No. 50. Defensive lineman Vander Himmons is now No. 74 where he was No. 93. Defensive back Antron Jackson is No. 40 instead of No. 31.

"I'm surprised this hadn't been done before," said ASU coach Charlie Coe, whose Hornets (2-1) play at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-2) at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

"If you get your jersey retired, it should stay retired."

Harris' No. 61 was retired in honor of Willie Tyson, who played at Alabama State in the mid-1970s, while Nagel's No. 51 belongs to Larry Shaw, who played in the 1960s.

Jackson's 31 was Joe Pettis' number in the 1960s when Pettis was fatally stricken on the practice field, said Robert E. James, an ASU fan who is an unofficial historian of the athletic department.

Himmons' 93 belonged to Curtis Green, who had a nine-year NFL career after being drafted out of ASU in 1980.

"I wouldn't mind meeting that guy," Himmons said. "He made it to the NFL and they retired his jersey.

"He paid the price and I respect that. Maybe I can get 74 retired someday."

Harris was the only one of the four to try a campaign to keep his number.

He called Tyson, who lives near Washington, and asked if he could finish his final season in the number he's worn for the last three years. Harris wore No. 53 as a freshman -- "When you're a freshman, you get what's left" -- but switched to 61 a year later.

"I talked to him about it and explained how I didn't know it was retired," Harris said. "He said he hated that it was my senior year."

While Harris, Himmons and Jackson got their numbers by simple luck, Nagel had a reason behind wanting No. 51. He was honoring Pro Football Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus.

"He's the man to me," Nagel said. "I love Dick Butkus."

Nagel wanted to wear the jersey when he first started playing in high school, but a teammate -- current Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Justin Ena -- already had it. Instead, Nagel wore a No. 51 T-shirt under his No. 63 jersey.

After Ena graduated, Nagel took 51 as a junior, but had to give it up as a senior and turned to 77. The jersey was ripped and the school couldn't replace it.

Nagel wore 51 at one junior college where he played, but didn't at another because it was taken. His move to Alabama State gave him another opportunity at 51 -- he thought.

"I just feel comfortable in that number," Nagel said. "I just feel like Butkus is playing with me a little bit."

Nagel used some computer research to decide he would move to No. 50. It was Butkus' jersey at the University of Illinois.

Fortunately, ASU's No. 50 fit him.

"I would have made it fit," Nagel said. "I had to make 51 fit. It was a tight jersey."

Last week's game with Alcorn State didn't reveal any curses because any of the four switched jerseys. The Hornets gave up only one sack in a 49-28 victory.

"We'll be all right," said Himmons, who still wears No. 93 for practices and dresses in the locker assigned to No. 93.

"The number doesn't make me. I make the number."

================

daSource