HOUSTON – For the second time in five days Alabama State’s football team went on the road and left the opposition’s field with a win. This time the Hornets used a ferocious rushing attack to defeat Texas Southern 41-23.
The Hornets (2-3/2-2 SWAC) rushed for over 300 yards and finished the game with 374 yards while averaging 8.1 yards per rush on 46 carries. ASU went on to finish the game with 539 yards, a season-high.
Two first year players Ellis Richardson and Alex Anderson led the Hornets offense. Both players finished with season and career-highs rushing as Richardson finished with 135 and Anderson had 134.
Richardson also completed 14 of his 21 attempts for another 162 yards and three touchdowns. Richardson and Anderson both had touchdown runs including Anderson’s 75 yard sprint to counter a touchdown from TSU that give the Tigers a 23-20 lead. Anderson’s dash put the Hornets back up 27-23 and ASU never looked back.
Khalid Thomas scored two touchdowns on passes from Richardson, one from 21 yards out and the other from 46. Thomas also had 53 yards rushing to go along with his 73 receiving yards.
ASU’s defense held the TSU (2-3/1-3 SWAC) offense to 23 points and 368 yards of total offense. The Tigers entered the game averaging 32 points and over 430 total yards per game.
Kourtney Berry and Bradley Street finished with 11 tackles each to lead ASU. The defense had three sacks and nine tackles behind the line of scrimmage to help slow down the TSU offense.
Detavion Galmer finished with four tackles but two of those were sacks. Daerius Washington had six stop and also recovered one of the TSU fumbles.
The Hornets did not score first for the first time this season, but they did score on their opening drive as Richardson capped a 15-play, 79 yard drive with a six yard run to even the score at seven.
After another TSU touchdown ASU went into the second quarter trailing 14-7, but on the first play of the second quarter, Richardson hit Khalid Thomas who tip-toed down the sideline for 21 yards and evened the score at 14.
ASU took the lead with less than four minutes left before halftime as Stanley Robinson scored from a yard out. The extra point was missed, but the Hornets had their 20-17 halftime lead.
The Hornets will be back home Saturday Oct. 10 when they host Southern at 6 p.m. It will be the Hornets first home game since they hosted Grambling State back on Sept. 19.
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