BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Alabama A&M had to survive one last Alabama State push Saturday, but the Huntsville Bulldogs came away with a 31-28 win over their rivals in the 85th Magic City Classic in Birmingham.
The Bulldogs jumped ahead 14-0 in the first half. Quarterback Cornelious Brown threw a 6-yard scoring pass to Jaylan Bean in the opening quarter, then hit Imari Conley from 8 yards out early in the second.
Alabama State got back in it after a goal-line stand. The Hornets stopped A&M on fourth-and-goal at the 2 and marched 98 yards, with Jareese Howard running 17 yards for a touchdown to make it 14-7. Diwonne Williams then blocked a 41-yard Hornets field goal try before the break.
A 29-yard field goal pushed the Bulldogs lead to 17-7 in the third quarter, but Alabama State answered with a 71-yard drive capped by a 4-yard Jamarie Hostzclaw run. Brown restored a 10-point cushion with a 9-yard touchdown run early in the fourth.
Howard scored again from 3 yards out with 10:09 left, and the game turned wild late. Kolton Nero ripped off a 61-yard run and finished the drive with a 4-yard score for a 31-21 lead with 3:47 to play.
Alabama State struck right back. Daionte Hicks brought the kickoff back 86 yards, and Howard punched in his third touchdown of the day to make it a three-point game, 31-28, with just over three minutes on the clock.
The annual rivalry game between the Bulldogs and the Hornets is the 85th edition of the Classic, a tradition that is as much about the action and the pageantry as the final score.
The Bulldogs defense had the final word. After an A&M punt, the Hornets reached fourth-and-8 and threw incomplete with 1:09 left, and Alabama A&M ran out the clock.
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