1997 Alabama State Hornets football team

The 1997 Alabama State Hornets football team represented Alabama State University as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by eleventh-year head coach Houston Markham, the Hornets compiled an overall record of 3–8, with a mark of 2–6 in conference play, and finished tied for seventh in the SWAC.

1997 Alabama State Hornets football
Conference	Southwestern Athletic Conference
Record	3–8 (2–6 SWAC)
Head coach	Houston Markham (11th season)
Offensive coordinator	Dieter Brock (1st season)
Home stadium	Cramton Bowl
Seasons ← 1996 1998 →

1997 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 12 Southern $		8	–	0					11	–	1
No. 14 Jackson State ^		7	–	1					9	–	3
Arkansas–Pine Bluff		6	–	2					8	–	3
Texas Southern		4	–	4					5	–	6
Alcorn State		4	–	4					4	–	7
Mississippi Valley State		3	–	5					4	–	6
Alabama State		2	–	6					3	–	8
Grambling State		2	–	6					3	–	8
Prairie View A&M		0	–	8					0	–	9
$ – Conference champion ^ – NCAA Division I-AA playoff participant Rankings from The Sports Network Poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
August 31	vs. Jackson State	Legion Field Birmingham, AL (Labor Day Classic)	L 11–38	44,316	[1]
September 6	vs. Texas Southern	Cardinal Stadium Beaumont, TX	L 6–31		[2][3]
September 13	No. 2 Troy State*	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL	L 13–20		[4]
September 20	Alcorn State	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL	L 6–20		[5]
September 27	at Arkansas–Pine Bluff	Pumphrey Stadium Pine Bluff, AR	L 10–18		[6]
October 4	vs. Southern	Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL (Gulf Coast Classic)	L 16–27	29,331	[7]
October 18	Prairie View A&M	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL	W 56–7		[8]
October 25	vs. Alabama A&M*	Legion Field Birmingham, AL (Magic City Classic)	W 20–13		[9]
November 9	Grambling State	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL[A 1]	W 20–13		[11]
November 15	at Mississippi Valley State	Magnolia Stadium Itta Bena, MS	L 10–34		[12]
November 27	Tuskegee*	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL (Turkey Day Classic)	L 16–21		[13]
*Non-conference game Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game

Notes

1. This game was originally scheduled to be played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, but moved to Montgomery due to low ticket sales and a lack of up-front money from the promoters.^[10]

References

1. "Pratt fall, Jackson State star stings Hornets again". Birmingham Post-Herald. September 1, 1997. Retrieved July 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "Hornets look to rebound in Texas". The Montgomery Advertiser. September 6, 1997. Retrieved July 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Texas So. crushes Hornets". The Montgomery Advertiser. September 7, 1997. Retrieved July 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Troy comes from behind to beat ASU". The Anniston Star. September 14, 1997. Retrieved July 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Alcorn State rolls to win". Hattiesburg American. September 21, 1997. Retrieved July 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Hornets rally falls short once again". The Montgomery Advertiser. September 28, 1997. Retrieved July 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Southern tops ASU". Daily World. October 5, 1997. Retrieved July 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Prairie View A&M drops 74th straight". Asbury Park Press. October 19, 1997. Retrieved July 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Hornets keep A&M scoreless in second half to preserve win". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 26, 1997. Retrieved July 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Grambling–Alabama State is moved from Rose Bowl". Los Angeles Times. LATimes.com. Associated Press. September 18, 1997. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
11. "Farewell, Coach Rob". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 10, 1997. Retrieved July 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Davis-led Delta Devils dump Hornets 34–10". The Clarion-Ledger. November 16, 1997. Retrieved July 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Tigers win No. 500". Birmingham Post-Herald. November 28, 1997. Retrieved July 29, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.