2011 ALABAMA STATE FOOTBALL vs. Prairie View A&M Panthers Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011 Montgomery, Ala. 1 p.m. Cramton Bowl (19,500) ALABAMA STATE (5-1, 5-0 SWAC) THE GAME: It’s a matchup of division leaders and a possible preview of the 2011 SWAC Championship Game when the SEPTEMBER Alabama State Hornets host the Prairie View A&M Panthers. 3 @ Miss. Valley State* W, 41-9 10 @ Eastern Michigan L, 7-14 THE SERIES: The Hornets lead the series with Prairie View, 21-4- 17 Grambling State* W, 31-17 1. Alabama State has dominated throughout the years against 24 @ Jackson State* W, 21-14 the Panthers, but PV won three straight games in the series OCTOBER from 2007-09. The Hornets ended the streak with a 18-15 win at 1 Alcorn State* W, 31-23 Prairie View last season. 8 @ Texas Southern* W, 43-29 LAST WEEK: Both teams won important division games on 15 Prairie View A&M* (ESPNU^) 1 p.m. the road. Alabama State won its eighth straight SWAC game, 29 vs. Alabama A&M* (ESPNU^) 2:30 p.m. defeating Texas Southern 43-29. Prairie View won at Southern, Birmingham, Ala. 23-20. 70th State Farm Magic City Classic NOVEMBER FAST START Getting out the gates quickly has been a staple of 5 @ Arkansas-Pine Bluff* 2:30 p.m. Reggie Barlow’s ASU teams, as three times in five years the 12 Southern* 1 p.m. Hornets have started 3-1. However, for the first time since 2005, 24 Tuskegee (ESPNU%) 3 p.m. ASU is not only 5-1 overall but 5-0 in SWAC play. 88th Turkey Day Classic DECEMBER HORNETS TOP-RANKED, TOP 25: Alabama State moved to the 10 SWAC CHAMPIONSHIP (ESPNU%) Noon top of the charts on Oct. 3, being voted as the top-ranked team in Birmingham, Ala. Black College Football by several polls. The Sheridan Broadcasting * SWAC Games ^ Tape Delay % Live Network (SBN) media poll, Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN) media poll, both the Boxtorow.com media and coaches PRAIRIE VIEW A&M (4-2, 4-1 SWAC) polls, and Urban Sports News all voted the Hornets number one. For the first time since 2005, the Hornets are ranked in the FCS SEPTEMBER Sports Network/Fathead.com Top 25, coming in at No. 24. 4 Bethune-Cookman L, 14-63 SWEET HOME ALABAMA After traveling to Mississippi (twice), 10 @ Texas Southern* W, 37-34 Michigan, and Texas for four of the first six games, the Hornets 17 Arkansas-Pine Bluff* L, 29-36 will play all but one remaining contest this season in the state of 24 Miss. Valley State* W, 43-34 Alabama. OCTOBER 1 Grambling State* W, 31-23 NOTABLES 8 @ Southern* W, 23-20 15 @ Alabama State* 1 p.m. • Alabama State is 4-0 this season, has won 11 straight games 29 Jackson State* 4 p.m. and is 31-4 since 2003 when scoring at least 30 points. ASU’s NOVEMBER 43-point outburst is the most by the Hornets since a 47-7 win 5 @ Texas State 3 p.m. over Mississippi Valley State in 2007. 12 @ Alcorn State* 4 p.m. 19 Alabama A&M* 2 p.m. • With two takeaways against Texas Southern, the Hornets have * SWAC Games forced at least one turnover in 25 straight games (69 takeaways over that time: 29 fumbles/40 INTs). ON THE AIR Radio WVAS-FM 90.7 • Wide receiver Nick Andrews, the Hornets’ all-time leader in Jonathan Spells (play-by-play), Tony Fleming (analyst) receiving touchdowns, moved from fourth to second in receiving Robb Taylor (sidelines) Jay Holcey (studio) yards last week at Texas Southern. He is also second in ASU history in receptions (see chart page 8). TV/Internet ESPNU/ESPN3.COM Adam Amin (play-by-play) Jay Walker (analyst) • CB Saeed Lee’s has four interceptions in the past three games. Live on the internet at www.espn3.com (20-yard pick 6 at Jackson State; 2 INTs vs. Alcorn State, 1 INT at Tape-Delayed at 9:30 p.m. Texas Southern). ALABAMA STATE SPORTS INFORMATION Duane Lewis - Sports Information Director/Football Contact 915 S Jackson St. Montgomery, Ala. 35216 W: 334-229-5230 www.bamastatesports.com [email protected] FIVE NEW FACES JOIN COACHING STAFF Fred Kaiss (Offensive Coordinator) joins the ASU staff from Hampton University, where in his second stint there, he served as offensive coordinator in 2010. He previously coached the Pirates from 2001-06, serving as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach/recruiting coordinator and special teams coordinator. His offense averaged 44.6 points per game in 2004 in the first of back-to-back Black College National Championship seasons for Hampton. Kaiss also twice coached at Tennessee State. He initially served the Tigers as special teams coordinator/wide receivers coach (1997-99). Upon his return he was offensive coordinator (2006-09) and also wide receivers coach (2009). No stranger to the SWAC, Kaiss coached running backs, was recruiting coordinator and special teams’ coordinator at Southern (1993-96), helping the Jaguars win two Black College National titles (1993, 1995). He also was offensive coordinator/receivers coach at Alabama A&M (2000- 01). Kaiss, a part of four national championship teams as a coach, began his collegiate coaching career in 1992 as the offensive coordinator, quarterback coach and receivers coach at Morgan State. Shannon Harris (Receivers) comes to ASU after also spending one season at Hampton as quarterbacks coach under Kaiss. He previously spent six seasons at Tennessee State, serving in various capacities, and quarterbacks coach (2004, 2009), tight ends coach (2005) and receivers coach (2006-08).He played collegiately at Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College (1998-2000), where he was selected to the All-Mississippi South team and played in the Mississippi Junior College All- Star game. The Wiggins, Miss. native played quarterback for TSU from 2001-02, setting a school record for total offense with 3,137 yards as a senior. After his playing career at TSU ended, he remained with the program as a student assistant coach. He also played the 2003 season with the Shreveport Battle Wings of the Arena Football League II. Willard Scissum (Offensive Line) comes to the Hornets from Alcorn State, where he served as offensive line coach (2008-10). Scissum, who coached the offense line for NFL Europe’s Berlin Thunder and Ft. Valley State (2007), spent six seasons at Morehouse College, first as offensive line coach (1998-2000) and later as head coach (2002-2005), sandwiched around a brief stint as co-offensive coordinator at Morris Brown (2001). The Huntsville, Ala. native was a four-year starter at the University of Alabama, where he was a member of three bowl teams while playing two seasons for the legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant. Scissum played professionally for four seasons (1985-88), playing in both the National Football League (with the Denver Broncos and the Washington Redskins) and Canadian Football Leagues (with the Calgary Stampede and British Columbia Lions). His coaching career began as a student assistant at Alabama A&M (1991-94), before joining the Crimson Tide staff as a grad assistant (94-97). Dominique Stevenson (Safeties) comes to Alabama State after spending the past two years as an intern at LSU, where he helped mentor Linebacker Perry Riley who was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the 4th round and free agent Linebacker Harry Coleman in 2010. Stevenson also helped mentor 1st round pick Patrick Peterson, who was First Team All-SEC and Thorpe Award Winner. Roy Dawkins (Secondary) was a four-year letterman and a three-year starter at defensive back for the Hornets from 1993-96, and was a teammate of Barlow’s for three seasons in the Black and Gold. Dawkins began his coaching career in the fall of 1997 as a student assistant at Alabama State. After graduating from ASU in 1999, he spent the past 12 seasons coaching in the high school and college ranks. Dawkins coached three seasons at Central Haynesville High School in Haynesville, Ala., serving one season as defensive coordinator and defensive back coach (1999) before becoming head coach for two seasons(2000-01). Dawkins spent the next three seasons in Montgomery, one as defensive back coach at Sidney Lanier High School (2002), and two at Huntingdon College (2003-04) in the same capacity. After two seasons coaching defensive backs at Raines High School (2005-06) in Jacksonville, Fla., Dawkins coached four years at Northview High in Dothan, Ala. He mentored the defensive line for two seasons (2007-08) before spending the past two seasons as defensive coordinator/defensive back coach (2009-10). PRESEASON HONORS/WATCH LIST 2011 HORNETS OFFENSIVE NOTES: Alabama State ranks eighth in the SWAC in total offense, averaging 304.3 yards #8 WR Nick Andrews per game. The Hornets rank ninth in rushing offense, 1st Team All-SWAC averaging 84.2 yards per game. ASU ranks third in passing 1st Team Phil Steele All-SWAC offense, gaining 220.2 yards per game. Alabama State ranks third in scoring offense, averaging 29.0 points per game. #59 DL Kynjee Cotton • Red-Zone Efficiency: Through the first six weeks of the 1st Team All-SWAC season, the Alabama State offense has been efficient and 2nd Team Phil Steele All-SWAC potent inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. The Hornets have scored on 22 of 25 possessions in the red zone this #65 OL Edmond Davis season, with 14 of them ending in touchdowns. The 2nd Team Phil Steele All-SWAC 88.0% scoring percentage is third in the SWAC.