2020 Alabama State Hornets football team

2020 Alabama State Hornets football
2020 Alabama State Hornets football
Conference	Southwestern Athletic Conference
	East Division
Record	3–3 (3–2 SWAC)
Head coach	Donald Hill-Eley (3rd season);
Offensive coordinator	Joe Blackwell (2nd season)
Defensive coordinator	Travis Pearson (2nd season)
Home stadium	New ASU Stadium

2020 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings

Team	W		L	W		L
East Division
No. 24 Alabama A&M x$	3	–	0	5	–	0
	3	–	2	3	–	3
Jackson State	3	–	2	4	–	3
Mississippi Valley State	1	–	3	1	–	3
West Division
Arkansas–Pine Bluff x	4	–	0	4	–	1
Southern	4	–	1	5	–	1
Prairie View A&M*	2	–	1	2	–	1
Texas Southern	1	–	2	1	–	2
Grambling State	0	–	4	0	–	4
Championship: Alabama A&M 40, Arkansas–Pine Bluff 33
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions Note: The SWAC played a spring conference-only schedule (February–May 2021) due to COVID-19 pandemic. Alcorn State opted out of the spring season; all of their scheduled games were counted as forfeit wins for their opponents. * – Ineligible for FCS postseason play due to NCAA sanctions. Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2020 Alabama State Hornets football team represented Alabama State University as a member of the East Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by third-year head coach Donald Hill-Eley, the Hornets compiled an overall record of 3–3 with a mark of 3–2 in conference play, tying for second place in the SWAC's East Division. Alabama State played home games at New ASU Stadium in Montgomery, Alabama.

On July 20, 2020, the SWAC announced that it would not play fall sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[1] The conference then formalized plans to conduct a schedule for football during the 2021 spring semester.

Schedule

Due to the SWAC's postponement of the 2020 football season to spring 2021, games against Kennesaw State, Tuskegee, and Texas Tech were canceled.^[2]^[3] The SWAC released updated spring schedules on August 17.^[4]

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
February 26	6:00 p.m.	Southern	New ASU Stadium Montgomery, AL	ESPN3	L 21–24	5,654
March 6		at Alcorn State	Casem-Spinks Stadium Lorman, MS		W 2–0 (forfeit)
March 20	3:00 p.m.	Jackson State	New ASU Stadium Montgomery, AL	ESPN2	W 35–28	5,908
April 3	1:00 p.m.	South Carolina State*	New ASU Stadium Montgomery, AL		L 7–14	4,387
April 10	2:00 p.m.	Mississippi Valley State	New ASU Stadium Montgomery, AL		W 42–17	12,345
April 17	6:30 p.m.	vs. Alabama A&M	Legion Field Birmingham, AL (Magic City Classic)	ESPNU	L 14–38	16,500
*Non-conference game All times are in Central time

^[5]^[6]

Game summaries

Southern

Southern at Alabama State

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Jaguars	7	0	7	10	24
Hornets	0	7	14	0	21

Date: February 26, 2021
Location: New ASU Stadium
Montgomery, AL
Game start: 6:04 p.m. CST
Elapsed time: 3 hours and 26 minutes
Game attendance: 5,654
Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C) • Weather: Mostly Cloudy • Wind: N 8 MPH
Referee: Gary Leeper
Television network: ESPN3

Pregame line	Over/under
SOU −7.0	52

Statistics	Southern	Alabama State
First downs	12	22
Total yards	274	274
Rushing yards	139	125
Passing yards	135	149
Turnovers	3	3
Time of possession	23:44	36:16

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Southern	Passing	Ladarius Skelton	10/22, 135 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Ladarius Skelton	10 carries, 72 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Gregory Perkins	1 reception, 59 yards, 1 TD
Alabama State	Passing	Ryan Nettles	16/27, 149 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Ezra Gray	14 carries, 73 yards
	Receiving	Michael Jefferson	5 receptions, 47 yards, 1 TD

Jackson State

Jackson State at Alabama State

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Tigers	0	6	15	7	28
• Hornets	0	14	0	21	35

Date: March 20, 2021
Location: New ASU Stadium
Montgomery, AL
Game start: 3:07 p.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 3 hours and 51 minutes
Game attendance: 5,908
Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C) • Weather: Partly Cloudy • Wind: NE 7 MPH
Referee: Tony Ross
Television network: ESPN2

Pregame line	Over/under
JSU −8.0	46

Statistics	Jackson State	Alabama State
First downs	24	21
Total yards	350	466
Rushing yards	170	209
Passing yards	180	257
Turnovers	2	3
Time of possession	29:56	30:04

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Jackson State	Passing	Jalon Jones	19/50, 180 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Jalon Jones	22 carries, 94 yards, 2 TDs
	Receiving	Corey Reed Jr.	8 receptions, 99 yards, 1 TD
Alabama State	Passing	Ryan Nettles	27/42, 257 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Ezra Gray	23 carries, 195 yards, 3 TDs
	Receiving	Michael Jefferson	8 receptions, 76 yards

South Carolina State

South Carolina State at Alabama State

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
• Bulldogs	7	0	0	7	14
Hornets	0	0	0	7	7

Date: April 3, 2021
Location: New ASU Stadium
Montgomery, AL
Game start: 2:02 p.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 3 hours and 7 minutes
Game attendance: 4,387
Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: SE 4 MPH
Referee: Y. N. Myers

Pregame line	Over/under
ALST −2.5	42

Statistics	South Carolina State	Alabama State
First downs	14	17
Total yards	222	288
Rushing yards	131	97
Passing yards	91	191
Turnovers	2	3
Time of possession	33:43	26:17

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
South Carolina State	Passing	Corey Fields	4/9, 47 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
	Rushing	Alex James	12 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Shaquan Davis	3 receptions, 45 yards, 1 TD
Alabama State	Passing	Ryan Nettles	20/37, 191 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Ryan Nettles	6 carries, 37 yards
	Receiving	Michael Jefferson	5 receptions, 61 yards

Mississippi Valley State

Mississippi Valley State at Alabama State

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Delta Devils	10	0	7	0	17
• Hornets	7	7	7	21	42

Date: April 10, 2021
Location: New ASU Stadium
Montgomery, AL
Game start: 2:00 p.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 3 hours and 31 minutes
Game attendance: 12,345
Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C) • Weather: Showers • Wind: SSW 10 MPH
Referee: Y. N. Myers

Pregame line	Over/under
ALST –14.5	40

Statistics	Mississippi Valley State	Alabama State
First downs	17	22
Total yards	315	466
Rushing yards	169	156
Passing yards	146	310
Turnovers	4	2
Time of possession	32:03	27:57

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Mississippi Valley State	Passing	Jalani Eason	16/28, 135 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Jalani Eason	20 carries, 121 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Darius Williams	2 receptions, 49 yards
Alabama State	Passing	Ryan Nettles	20/34, 305 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT
	Rushing	Ryan Nettles	7 carries, 66 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Jeremiah Hixon	5 receptions, 93 yards, 1 TD

Vs. Alabama State

Alabama State vs. Alabama A&M

Team	1	2	3	4	Total
Hornets	7	7	0	0	14
• Bulldogs	7	10	14	7	38

Date: April 17, 2021
Location: Legion Field
Birmingham, AL
Game start: 6:30 p.m. CDT
Elapsed time: 3 hours and 45 minutes
Game attendance: 16,500
Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C) • Weather: Light Clouds
Television network: ESPNU

Pregame line	Over/under
AAMU −4.5	52

Statistics	Alabama State	Alabama A&M
First downs	20	24
Total yards	285	484
Rushing yards	181	112
Passing yards	104	372
Turnovers	0	0
Time of possession	31:12	28:48

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Alabama State	Passing	Chris Scott	13/28, 89 yards, 1 TD
	Rushing	Ezra Gray	19 carries, 101 yards
	Receiving	Jahod Booker	5 receptions, 58 yards
Alabama A&M	Passing	Aqeel Glass	25/40, 372 yards, 3 TDs
	Rushing	Aqeel Glass	5 carries, 45 yards
	Receiving	Zabrian Moore	4 receptions, 138 yards, 2 TDs

References

^ Stephenson, Creg (July 20, 2020). "SWAC becomes latest FCS conference to postpone 2020 football season to spring". AL.com. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
^ Visser, David (July 21, 2020). "SWAC Suspends Fall Football Season". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
^ Kelley, Kevin (July 14, 2020). "2020 Tuskegee-Alabama State football game canceled". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
^ "SWAC Releases 2021 Spring Football Schedule". swac.org. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
^ "Alabama State Hornets Schedule 2020". ESPN. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
^ "2021 Spring Schedule". Alabama State University. Retrieved November 1, 2022.

[1] Stephenson, Creg (July 20, 2020). "SWAC becomes latest FCS conference to postpone 2020 football season to spring". AL.com. Retrieved July 21, 2020.

[2] Visser, David (July 21, 2020). "SWAC Suspends Fall Football Season". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved July 20, 2020.

[3] Kelley, Kevin (July 14, 2020). "2020 Tuskegee-Alabama State football game canceled". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved July 15, 2020.

[4] "SWAC Releases 2021 Spring Football Schedule". swac.org. Retrieved August 18, 2020.

[5] "Alabama State Hornets Schedule 2020". ESPN. Retrieved November 1, 2022.

[6] "2021 Spring Schedule". Alabama State University. Retrieved November 1, 2022.

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1	11:17	SOU	Chase Foster 14-yard interception returned (Cesar Barajas kick) (3 plays, 0 yards, 1:26)	SOU 7–0

2	01:08	ALST	Jeremiah Hixon 32-yard pass from Ryan Nettles (Hunter Hanson kick) (8 plays, 60 yards, 3:48)	TIE 7–7

3	11:45	SOU	Ladarius Skelton 8-yard rush (Cesar Barajas kick)br/>(7 play, 45 yards, 3:15)	SOU 14–7
	08:21	ALST	Michael Jefferson 14-yard pass from Ryan Nettles (Hunter Hanson kick) (8 plays, 70 yards, 3:24)	TIE 14–14
	00:15	ALST	Jacory Merritt 1-yard rush (Hunter Hanson kick) (3 plays, 5 yards, 1:22)	ALST 21–14

4	14:20	SOU	Gregory Perkins 59-yard pass from Ladarius Skelton (Cesar Barajas kick) (3 plays, 74 yards, 0:55)	TIE 21–21
4	12:20	SOU	Cesar Barajas 41-yard field goal (4 plays, 1 yard, 0:52)	SOU 24–21


2	10:01	JSU	Glenn Misiak 31-yard field goal (7 plays, 14 yards, 1:46)	JSU 3–0
	06:57	ALST	Jeremiah Hixon 35-yard pass from Ryan Nettles (Hunter Hanson kick) (6 plays, 78 yards, 2:59)	ALST 7–3
	04:37	JSU	Glenn Misiak 22-yard field goal (6 plays, 20 yards, 1:54)	ALST 7–6
	08:21	ALST	Jahod Booker 8-yard pass from Ryan Nettles (Hunter Hanson kick) (12 plays, 89 yards, 4:00)	ALST 14–6

3	08:26	JSU	Team Safety (2 plays, -1 yards, 1:04)	ALST 14–8
	04:48	JSU	Corey Reed Jr. 17-yard pass from Jalon Jones (Glenn Misiak kick) (8 plays, 50 yards, 3:38)	JSU 15–14
	04:04	JSU	Jalon Jones 3-yard rush (two-point conversion pass attempt failed) (3 plays, 4 yards, 0:23)	JSU 21–14

4	10:50	ALST	Ezra Gray 4-yard rush (Hunter Hanson kick) (10 plays, 95 yards, 3:58)	TIE 21–21
	06:53	ALST	Ezra Gray 49-yard rush (Hunter Hanson kick) (6 plays, 86 yards, 2:43)	ALST 28–21
	01:42	JSU	Jalon Jones 2-yard rush (Glenn Misiak kick) (14 plays, 67 yards, 5:04)	TIE 28–28
	01:29	ALST	Ezra Gray 50-yard rush (Hunter Hanson kick) (1 play, 50 yards, 0:09)	ALST 35–28


1	11:44	SCSU	Alex James 12-yard rush (Dillom Bredson kick) (7 plays, 65 yards, 3:16)	SCSU 7–0

4	03:05	ALST	Wallace Corker 9-yard pass from Ryan Nettles (Hunter Hanson kick) (4 plays, 11 yards, 1:20)	TIE 7–7
4	01:17	SCSU	Shaquan Davis 17-yard pass from Corey Fields (Jacory Benson kick) (7 plays, 59 yards, 1:45)	SCSU 14–7


1	10:53	MVSU	Orlando Fernandez 26-yard field goal (10 plays, 66 yards, 4:07)	MVSU 3–0
	05:46	ALST	Myles Crawley 3-yard rush (Hunter Hanson kick) (3 plays, 14 yards, 1:07)	ALST 7–3
	00:10	MVSU	Jalani Eason 24-yard rush (Orlando Fernandez kick) (6 plays, 54 yards, 2:55)	MVSU 10–7

2	14:32	ALST	Wallace Corker 59-yard pass from Ryan Nettles (Hunter Hanson kick) (3 plays, 77 yards, 0:32)	ALST 14–10

3	04:59	ALST	Jeremiah Hixon 15-yard pass from Ryan Nettles (Hunter Hanson kick) (4 plays, 80 yards, 1:57)	ALST 21–10
3	01:45	MVSU	Malik Myers 7-yard pass from Jalani Eason (Orlando Fernandez kick) (9 plays, 75 yards, 3:14)	ALST 21–17

4	12:59	ALST	Ryan Nettles 14-yard rush (Hunter Hanson kick) (2 plays, 22 yards, 0:27)	ALST 28–17
	09:13	ALST	Jahod Booker 14-yard pass from Ryan Nettles (Hunter Hanson kick) (5 plays, 71 yards, 1:43)	ALST 35–17
	01:00	ALST	Robert Rivers 1-yard rush (Hunter Hanson kick) (5 plays, 22 yards, 2:40)	ALST 42–17


1	08:30	ALST	Jacory Merritt 1-yard rush (Hunter Hanson kick) (11 plays, 95 yards, 0:00)	ALST 7–0
1	03:14	AAMU	Gary Quarles 7-yard rush (Spencer Corey kick) (9 plays, 78 yards, 0:00)	TIE 7–7

2	07:30	ALST	Michael Jefferson 9-yard pass from Chris Scott (Hunter Hanson kick)br/>(11 plays, 58 yards, 5:40)	ALST 14–7
	06:42	AAMU	Gary Quarles 15-yard rush (Spencer Corey kick) (5 plays, 85 yards, 0:42)	TIE 14–14
	00:00	AAMU	Spencer Corey 46-yard field goal (1 play, 0 yards, 0:04)	AAMU 17–14

3	12:13	AAMU	Zabrian Moore 44-yard pass from Aqeel Glass (Spencer Corey kick) (9 plays, 78 yards, 2:47)	AAMU 24–14
3	03:17	AAMU	Zabrian Moore 38-yard pass from Aqeel Glass (Spencer Corey kick) (10 plays, 99 yards, 4:28)	AAMU 31–14

4	12:31	AAMU	Odieu Hilaire 2-yard pass from Aqeel Glass (Spencer Corey kick) (9 plays, 52 yards, 3:32)	AAMU 38–14

Alabama State Hornets football
Venues	Cramton Bowl (1923–2012) New ASU Stadium (2012–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Alabama A&M: Magic City Classic Tuskegee: Turkey Day Classic
People	Head coaches NFL draftees
Seasons	1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912–1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919–1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
National championship seasons in bold