Alabama State Scores 21 Unanswered Points to Win 82nd Magic City Classic

This 82nd version of the Magic City Classic saw a little of everything on Saturday. We saw unnecessary roughing calls, blocked field goals, strip fumbles, touchdown plays called back, and last second Hail Mary’s for touchdowns. The Bulldogs used their last second hail-mary by Damon Stewart to take a three-point lead into the locker room to end of the first half. This play would propel them to score and unanswered 21 points to put this game away.

Cameron Buford with Voice of the Fans

On a beautiful 84-degree fall day at Birmingham’s historic Legions Field, Alabama State Hornets fans saw their second consecutive Magic City Classic game 31-16 against in state rival Alabama A&M Bulldogs. These two schools have been playing the Magic City Classic since 1940, making it the longest Historic Black College and University classic game in the country.  Even after the Hornets have won the past two games in this matchup, the Bulldogs of Alabama A&M hold the series lead 44-40-3. 

This 82nd version of the Magic City Classic saw a little of everything on Saturday. We saw unnecessary roughing calls, blocked field goals, strip fumbles, touchdown plays called back, and last second Hail Mary’s for touchdowns. The Bulldogs used their last second hail-mary by Damon Stewart to take a three-point lead into the locker room to end of the first half. This play would propel them to score and unanswered 21 points to put this game away.

Sophomore Damon Stewart finished the game with 202 yards passing, one touchdown and no interceptions. His 47-yard touchdown pass down right before the half was the biggest pass play of the day for either team. He targeted junior wide receiver Kisean Johnson eight times in the game, and Johnson pulled down four catches for 82 yards and a touchdown.  

After the Bulldogs, Xavier Lankford connected with their senior from Birmingham, Terrell Gardner, for a 39-yard touchdown late in the first half. They tried a squib kick that was quickly recovered, giving the Hornets great field position with little time on the clock left in the half. Stewart would then connect with Johnson on an improbable hail Mary touchdown pass to end the half and allow them to take a three-point lead going into the locker room.

“When he called the first play and then called the time out, when we got in the huddle, he said, ‘let’s take a shot’,” said Stewart about the hail-mary play at the end of the first half. “With him (coach) trusting me, I trust Kisean (Johnson), I saw they had three down (lineman), I knew I would have to buy myself some time to let them boys get downfield. I like my guy over any guy in the country, so I gave him a chance, and he made the play.”    

“I really was just trying to get in field goal range,” Alabama State Head Coach Eddie Robinson Jr. “At that point, I said hey ‘let’s take a shot’.” Defense played great, and the special teams scored alot of points for us.”

“It’s my ball or nobody’s ball! My ball or nobody ball,” Birmingham native Johnson said about the hail-mary catch. “Way confident, when I seen it come off Stewart’s hand; ’I’m like, oh it’s mine!’ Like I always say, whoever lines up in front of me, It’s my ball, or it’s nobody’s ball.”

“It’s my ball or nobody’s ball! My ball or nobody ball,” wide receiver Johnson said about the hail-mary catch. “Way confident when I seen it come off Stewart’s hand; ’I’m like, oh it’s mine!’ Like I always say, whoever lines up in front of me, It’s my ball, or it’s nobody’s ball.”

Stewart led the Hornets in passing by completing 17-23 passes with one touchdown pass. Senior Ja’Won Howell lead the Hornets in rushing with nine carries for 52 yards. Lankford led the Bulldogs in passing by completing 22-40 passes with one interception, he also led the team in rushing by rushing for 14 time for 54 yards. Gardner pulled in six of 11 targets for 62 yards receiving.  

Sophomore Robert McMinn led both team in punt return yardage, with four returns for 103 yards. He put the first point on the board in the game with his 48-yard punt return, in this game. Hornets’ sophomore linebacker Colton Adams recorded a game high 12 tackles, and fellow sophomore Andrian Maddox recorded the games only sack.

“We know (Alabama) State has a great defense, and they don’t give up a lot of points. We knew point would be tough to come by,” explains coach Alabama A&M Head Coach Connell Mayner. “Once we got down by ten, they start milking the clock and snapping everything under two or three seconds.”

“Special teams cost us the football game,” Coach Mayner said. “If everybody does what they’re supposed to do, we got a good football game. If they don’t, this is what happens.”   

“It was a back and forth game. At the end of the second quarter, we had two scores under a minute, you don’t have that happen a whole lot,” Coach Robinson Jr. said, “That’s why they call this the Magic City Classic.”

“It was amazing. I told the other reporters, “’this is like the Super Bowl to me,”’ growing up coming to the game or looking at on TV,” Johnson said about playing in this game. “Now that I, get a chance to play in it, it means a lot to me. So, every time I see the Magic City Classic game on the schedule, I’m thinking super bowl.” 

Alabama State will take on Grambling State in the Port City Classic on November 4, 2023 at Ladd Peebles Stadium, and Alabama A&M will welcome Florida A&M to Louis Crews Stadium that same weekend.