The Alabama State Hornets emerged victorious once again in the Magic City Classic, decimating SWAC East rival Alabama A&M, with a final score of 56-13. The game was put out of reach almost immediately, thanks to a relentless scoring attack by the Hornets' offense in the first and second quarters.
Alabama A&M momentarily found pay dirt first after a long drive was capped by Maurice Edwards' eight-yard touchdown run. However, the ensuing extra point was missed, leaving A&M with a narrow 6-0 lead—a lead that vanished within minutes. Alabama State put together a scoring barrage for the remainder of the first quarter that immediately ended any hope of a competitive rivalry game.
The Hornets quickly mounted a five-play, 51-yard drive, culminating in quarterback Andrew Body finding Dylan Creech for a five-yard touchdown to put Alabama State up 7-6. Just five minutes later, Body connected with Creech again for a 16-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 14-6. The avalanche continued when Marcus Harris II ripped off a 17-yard touchdown run with 1:58 left in the first quarter, giving Alabama State a commanding 21-6 advantage.
The lead was already insurmountable, but Alabama State did not let up. They managed to outscore themselves from the first quarter by putting up an astounding 28 points in the second quarter alone. Andrew Body was completely locked in, throwing four touchdown passes in the second quarter. He first found Harris for an eight-yard touchdown to start the period, making it 28-6.
Body then connected with Dylan Djete for an 18-yard score to cap off a six-play, 64-yard drive. In rapid succession, following an interception thrown by A&M’s Eric Hanley on the drive immediately following the kickoff, Alabama State quickly ripped off a two-play, 59-yard drive that ended with Body finding Jailen Jones for a long 59-yard touchdown. This incredible offensive outburst left Alabama State up 49-6 at the half.
After the second quarter, there was no hope for an Alabama A&M comeback. The Bulldogs found a way to score a touchdown in the third quarter when J.D. Davis II completed a pass to Franck Pierre, moving the score to 49-13. However, Alabama State answered just four minutes later to ice the game when Jahbari Kuykendall ripped off a 13-yard touchdown run, putting the final score at 56-13.
Alabama State proved they are one of the best teams in HBCU football in the Magic City Classic. Andrew Body finished the game throwing for 304 yards on 19-of-24 passing, accounting for five passing touchdowns. The running back room also put in work, with the team finishing with 103 yards on the ground, including Body contributing 66 yards on seven carries and one rushing touchdown.
Coming up next, Alabama State is set to play Tremaine Jackson and the SWAC West-leading Prairie View A&M Panthers next Saturday at 3:00 p.m. Meanwhile, Alabama A&M is set to duel with Grambling State next Saturday at 3:00 p.m.
