After a long offseason, the wait is finally over for Alabama State and Southern. Fans of each side have been waiting months to see their team take the gridiron. The matchup will take place Saturday evening at ASU Stadium. These teams have likely been reviewing the film from their last matchup in 2021. That one resulted in a 24-21 win for Southern.
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Alabama State (6-5 Overall in 2022)
The Hornets will enter this season after a 6-5 campaign last year. They averaged 18.8 points and 307 offensive yards per contest in 2022. Defensively, the Hornets conceded an average of 20.2 points per game.
It’s the first game of the season for Alabama State. Last season, Alabama State’s offensive play selection split was 40% pass, 60% run.
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![Alabama State](https://hbcugameday.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-17.png?w=1024&h=576&crop=1)
Alabama State went 6-5 in 2022. They’ll want to capitalize on this opportunity, as this is the first time they’ve had home field advantage all year. Alabama State has lost three straight matchups against Southern since Oct 10, 2015.
Southern (7-5 Overall in 2022)
The Jags will come into this season after securing a 7-5 record in 2022. They averaged 31.7 points and 398 offensive yards per contest in 2022. The Jags’ defense allowed an average of 21.8 points per game.
It’s the first game of the season for Southern. Last season, Southern’s offensive play selection split was 38% pass, 62% run.
![Southern](https://hbcugameday.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/image-18.png?w=1024&h=576&crop=1)
Southern enters after putting up a 7-5 campaign in 2022. They are no stranger to playing on the road, as they have yet to have the home field advantage this year. This is the first FCS HBCU matchup this season for Southern.