HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A span of 364 days has separated the ultimate rivals that are Alabama A&M (3-4, 3-1 SWAC) and Alabama State (4-3, 2-2 SWAC) but both will return to Birmingham, Alabama and "The Old Gray Lady" to renew that rivalry with the 81^st Magic City Classic on Saturday, October 29. Game time is set for 2:30 p.m. at Legion Field.
 
WHERE TO WATCH
If you aren't making the annual pilgrimage to Birmingham and Legion Field this weekend, fear not, we have you covered once again! Make sure to catch the game on live on ESPN+ and. Need to know the numbers? Follow live stats for all the play-by-play action. For those that are making the trip and don't yet have tickets, be sure to get them at the Magic City Classic home page.
 
Catch full coverage following the game on www.AAMUSports.com, the official online home of Alabama A&M Athletics.
 
ST. LOUIS? PINE BLUFF? MAKES NO DIFFERENCE AS A&M DOWNS UAPB 34-31
After seeing their game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff redirected from St. Louis, Missouri to Arkansas midweek, the Bulldogs showed the change had no ill effects as they pulled out a back-and-fourth 34-31 victory.
 
After going up 10-0 in the first quarter, A&M would face and adjusted UAPB attack. With the passing game going nowhere, the Golden Lions fed the ball to Kayvon Britten, who finished the day with otherworldly numbers of 277 yards on the ground and four touchdowns.
 
That effort would power Arkansas-Pine Bluff to a 14-10 lead at the end of one but see them trail 24-17 at the break. Following a touchdown apiece in the third that put A&M up 31-24, Britten and UAPB went 70 yards in 17 plays to knot it up with just under 12 minutes to play.
 
The Bulldogs would come right back with their own 16-play effort, this one ending on the foot of sophomore kicker Victor Barbosa (Hialeah Gardens, Fla.) from 29-yards out for a 34-31 lead with 5:59 left. From there, the defense anchored by senior linebacker Dre Terry (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) would hold the line and lock down the three-point victory.
 
Terry erupted for 14 tackles and a 31-yard interception and junior defensive end Zareon Hayes (Dillon, S.C.) wrecked the UAPB offense with 10 tackles, five solo, 1.5 for loss and an eight-yard sack. On offense, sophomore running back Donovan Eaglin (Houston, Texas) delivered 126 yards on 19 carries and redshirt-junior running back Harold Jemison, Jr. (Nashville, Tenn.) finished with 69 yards and two scores on 12 carries.
 
ABOUT THE GAME
With all due respect to Keith Jackson, Pasadena and the Rose Bowl, the Magic City Classic is "The Grandaddy of Them All" when it comes to Historically Black College and University (HBCU) football.
 
The bitter rivals that are Alabama State and Alabama A&M tangle every year at "The Old Gray Lady" and the game is regarded as the largest HBCU contest in the country. With a seating capacity north of 71,000 and two teams that have played each other 85 times dating back at least to 1924, it's not hard to see why.
 
Easily more than just a game, and often seen as bigger than the opportunity for playoffs and championships, The Magic City Classic also features the Classic Kickoff, Magic City Classic Parade, Tailgate Party and a halftime shown renowned for performances by the Mighty Marching Hornets and the Marching Maroon and White.
 
This year's edition is the 81^st in the history of the event and will see the Bulldogs go for a fifth straight win over the rival Hornets.
 
THUNDER AND MO' THUNDER
Having transitioned from a lightning quick passing attack to a ground-and-pound that has them ranked No. 3 in the country in time of possession at 35:47, Alabama A&M tends to bruise and batter their opponents on their way to victories.
 
A large part of that effort (literally and figuratively) are 5-11, 226-pound Donovan Eaglin and 6-1, 250-pound Harold Jemison, Jr. as they have combined for more than 700 yards rushing on 137 carries. Eaglin has toted the rock 92 times for 526 yards and five touchdowns while Jemison has 204 yards on 45 carries, four that have ended with him in the endzone.
 
And the thunder isn't just on offense either as Appalachian State transfer Zareon Hayes (Dillon, S.C.) has been cracking offenses all season long. On the year the defensive end has racked up 33 tackles – 18 solo and a whopping nine for loss. With the latter he is averaging 1.5 TFL per game, good for No. 13 in the country while his 0.33 forced fumbles per game are 11^th.
 
RACKING UP THE HONORS (SEASON EDITION)
While more than half the roster is new the returnees are well known and have racked up the preseason recognition.
 
That started with three All-SWAC Preseason selections as senior running back Gary Quarles (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) and senior wide receiver Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim (Miramar, Fla.) earned Second-Team while junior offensive lineman Carson Vinson (Cary, N.C.) was selected to the Second-Team.
 
Quarles and Ibrahim would add to the mantle with the latter picking up Stats Perform FCS Preseason Third-Team All-American honors while both he and the diminutive tailback were named to the BOXTOROW Preseason All-American Team.
 
Ibrahim is also now a 10-time All-American following his most recent honor, a Second-Team selection by Hero Sports and both he and Quarles have been named to the prestigious Deacon Jones Award Watch list representing the top player from a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).
 
In-season, Eaglin cracked the seal on the awards with his SWAC and BOXTOROW National Player of the Week honors on Monday, October 3. Senior linebacker Dre Terry (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) then added to those honors, claiming SWAC Defensive Player of the Week on October 17, marking the first Bulldog to claim that honor since 2018.
 
MORE THAN 70-PERCENT OF A SEASON IN THE SPOTLIGHT
The Bulldogs are a popular choice to hit the airwaves in 2022 as more than 70-percent of their season will be on national television.
 
In an 11-game schedule, A&M will be featured six times by traditional networks, beginning with CBS Sports Network carrying the season-opening UAB contest. Also being picked up will be Troy (ESPN3), Florida A&M (ESPN+), Alabama State (ESPN Networks), Mississippi Valley State (ESPNU) and Jackson State (ESPN+).
 
That slate plays to the fan that can't get to all the road games as every single one of those six games are on the road. A&M will also see a pair of home games aired on the new endeavor that is HBCUGo, with those being the October 8 game against Grambling and the regular season finale with Texas Southern on November 19.
 
NATIONAL TV BROADCAST SCHEDULE
9/1/22 at UAB (CBS Sports Network)
9/10/22 at Troy (ESPN3)
9/24/22 at Florida A&M (ESPN+)
10/8/22 vs. Grambling (HBCUGo)
10/29/22 at Alabama State (ESPN+)%
11/3/22 at Mississippi Valley State (ESPNU)
11/12/22 at Jackson State (ESPN+)$
11/19/22 vs. Texas Southern (HBCUGo)
%Magic City Classic in Birmingham, Alabama
$Gulf Coast Challenge in Mobile, Alabama
 
ABOUT THE ALABAMA STATE UNIVERSITY HORNETS
The Hornets come in with a 4-3 overall record and 2-2 mark in SWAC play. They opened the season with a Week Zero win over Howard (23-13 on 8/27) and knocked off Division II Miles (21-13 on 9/3) before falling 45-7 at UCLA (9/10). ASU then fell to Prairie View (24-15 on 9/24), beat Texas Southern (16-13 on 9/24) on the road and fell 26-12 to Jackson State (10/8). Most recently the downed Mississippi Valley State 24-9 on October 15.
 
LET'S GET SERIE-OUS – AN 81-YEAR TRADITION IN MAGIC CITY
The Bulldogs head to Birmingham, Alabama and Legion Field for the 81^st time to take on rival Alabama State, a tradition dating back to 1924.
 
A&M leads the all-time series 43-40-2 and has won the last four trips to the Magic City Classic, something not done by either team since the Bulldogs claimed five in a row from 2005-09. Prior to that, ASU won six straight from 1990-96 and Alabama A&M seven from 1981-87. The Bulldogs also claimed seven straight from 1960-67 while ASU took 11 consecutive meetings from 1924-47.
 
The Magic City Classic was played in Spring 2021 and at night for the first time with the Bulldogs running roughshod over ASU, 38-14, on April 17 that season and, most recently, A&M posted a 42-28 decision on October 30, 2021.
 
Series Flashback
With 85 games to choose from, one of the most entertaining games in the series history came just three years ago as A&M pulled out 43-41 triple overtime victory on October 26, 2019. Check out the full recap to get the details on one of the most exciting games in the series history of the every year's biggest game.
 
CHASING HISTORY
Head coach Connell Maynor has won his first four Magic City Classics, putting him one away from equaling Anthony Jones for the second longest streak by one coach in program history. Jones won five straight from 2005-09 but that stretch started in his fourth season at the helm of the Bulldogs.
 
The only other longer streak by an A&M coach came from one of the most successful individuals in program history, that being seven straight wins by Louis Crews from 1960-67. That run also coincided with his first seven years in Huntsville, something Maynor has in common with the Bulldog legend. He has won his first four meetings with Alabama State, making his run the second most successful to begin a career at A&M.
 
Scouting The Alabama A&M University Bulldogs
Record: 3-4, 3-1 SWAC
Last Time Out: W, 34-31 at Arkansas-Pine Bluff on October 16
Streak: Three Wins
 
Quick Links
Football Home Page
Schedule
Roster
Statistics

Individual Statistical Offensive Leaders
Passing Yards: Xavier Lankford – 1,045
Passing Touchdowns: Xavier Lankford – 5
Completions: Xavier Lankford – 92
Completion Percentage: Xavier Lankford – .550
Rushing Yards: Donovan Eaglin – 526
Rushing Touchdowns: Donovan Eaglin – 5
Carries: Donovan Eaglin – 92
Receiving Yards: Isiah Cox – 284
Receiving Touchdowns: Isiah Cox, Keenan Hambrick, Cameron Young – 2
Receptions: Brian Jenkins, Jr. – 28
 
Individual Statistical Defensive Leaders
Tackles: Dre Terry – 44
Tackles (Solo): Zareon Hayes, Dre Terry – 18
Tackles (Assisted): Dre Terry – 26
Tackles For Loss: Zareon Hayes – 9.0
Sacks: Thomas Douglas, JaBraun McNeal – 3.0
Interceptions: Moses Douglass, Avian Rice – 2
 
Individual Statistical Special Team Leaders
Field Goals Made: Victor Barbosa – 5 (5-of-7)
Punting Yards: Troy Lendvay – 736
Touchbacks: Zach Alvarez – 2
Inside 20-Yard Line: Troy Lendvay – 7
Punt Returns: Isiah Cox, Terrell Gardner – 2
Punt Return Yards: Isiah Cox – 30
Kickoff Returns: Terrell Gardner – 6
Kickoff Return Yards: Terrell Gardner – 130
 
Team Statistics
Scoring: 21.6
Passing: 204.7
Rushing: 159.6
Total Offense: 364.3
Touchdowns: 19
Kickoff Return Average: 18.5
Punt Return Yards Average: 9.2
Time of Possession: 35:47
Sacks: 15
Interceptions: 7
Tackles: 530
Tackles For Loss: 56.5


Scouting The Alabama State University Hornets
Record: 4-3, 2-2 SWAC
Last Time Out: W, 24-9 vs. Mississippi Valley State on October 15
Streak: One Win
 
Quick Links
Football Home Page
Schedule
Roster
Statistics
 
Individual Statistical Offensive Leaders
Passing Yards: Myles Crawley – 772
Passing Touchdowns: Myles Crawley, Dematrius Davis – 4
Completions: Myles Crawley – 53
Completion Percentage: Dematrius Davis – .610
Rushing Yards: Jacory Merritt – 297
Rushing Touchdowns: Ja'Won Howell – 4
Carries: Jacory Merritt – 77
Receiving Yards: Kisean Johnson – 276
Receiving Touchdowns: Jeremiah Hixon – 2
Receptions: Jeremiah Hixon – 22
 
Individual Statistical Defensive Leaders
Tackles: Colton Adams – 70
Tackles (Solo): Colton Adams – 30
Tackles (Assisted): Colton Adams – 40
Tackles For Loss: Brandon Gaddy – 6.5
Sacks: Young-rolle Stefon – 3
Interceptions: Keenan Isaac, Adrian Maddox – 2
 
Individual Statistical Special Team Leaders
Field Goals Made: Nathanial Eichner – 5 (5-of-8)
Punting Yards: Aubrey Grace – 1,192
Touchbacks: Aubrey Grace – 3
Inside 20-Yard Line: Aubrey Grace – 8
Punt Returns: Robert McMinn – 5
Punt Return Yards: Robert McMinn – 35
Kickoff Returns: Robert McMinn – 6
Kickoff Return Yards: Robert McMinn – 141
 
Team Statistics
Scoring: 16.9
Passing: 202.1
Rushing: 106.4
Total Offense: 308.6
Touchdowns: 15
Kickoff Return Average: 20.3
Punt Return Yards Average: 8.8
Time of Possession: 29:48
Sacks: 15
Interceptions: 5
Tackles: 507
Tackles For Loss: 44.5