Alabama State ran its streak over Southern University to three with a 30-17 win in the Birmingham Football Classic on Saturday at Legion Field. The Hornets outscored the Jaguars 27-3 over the last three quarters to open the season with a conference win.
Hornets head coach Eddie Robinson, Jr. and Jaguars head coach Marshall Faulk are natives of New Orleans, playing high school football in the Crescent City before heading off to college and eventually the NFL. Robinson and Faulk faced each other before as pros. Faulk’s St. Louis Rams defeated Robinson’s Tennessee Titans 23-16 in Super Bowl XXXIV at the Georgia Dome 150 miles east in Atlanta.
It took a few snaps for the Hornets offense to get going, similar to their 2025 match-up down in Baton Rouge, LA. Even the stats looked similar. Andrew Body threw for 192 yards and a touchdown on 14-of-23 passes on Saturday. A year ago, his stat line read 16-25-198 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Jamarie Hostzclaw rushed for 53 yards on 15 carries this year compared to 54 yards on 14 carries in 2025.
Southern struck first on a 29-yard touchdown run by Mike Franklin. The Jaguars’ drive benefited from two 15-yard penalties on the Hornets’ defense to set up the score.
Christian Johnson’s 41-yard pass to Daejawn Smith at the Hornets ‘ 1-yard line set up the Jaguars’ second score of the first half. Johnson scored his first touchdown in the Columbia Blue and Gold, diving behind the blocking of his right guard.
Alabama State responded with a touchdown of their own on the ensuing drive. Body’s pass to Randall King brought the Hornets fans to their feet. The red-shirt sophomore broke several tackles to turn a 21-yard pass into a 61-yard gain to the red zone. Hostzclaw did the rest with great blocking from the offensive line. The junior back sprinted 15 yards through traffic, hurdling out of a defender’s grasp into the end zone.
The 2026 Hornets continued the same ability to move the ball on offense while keeping opposing offenses in check. Bama State scored an average of 42.42 points per game last season while allowing just 21.42.
Alabama State returns to Montgomery to face Division 2 Lane College from the SIAC.