2003 Alabama State Hornets football team

The 2003 Alabama State Hornets football team represented Alabama State University as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the 2003 NCAA Division I-AA football season. Led by first-year head coach Charles Coe, the Hornets compiled an overall record of 8–5, with a mark of 5–2 in conference play, finished as SWAC East Division co-champion, and lost to Southern in the SWAC Championship Game.

2003 Alabama State Hornets football
SWAC East Division co-champion
SWAC Championship Game, L 9–20 vs. Southern
Conference	Southwestern Athletic Conference
Division	East Division
Record	8–5 (5–2 SWAC)
Head coach	Charles Coe (1st season)
Offensive coordinator	Chris Kapilovic (1st season)
Home stadium	Cramton Bowl
Seasons ← 2002 2004 →

2003 Southwestern Athletic Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
Alabama State xy		5	–	2					8	–	5
Alcorn State x		5	–	2					7	–	5
Alabama A&M		4	–	3					8	–	4
Jackson State		2	–	5					2	–	10
Mississippi Valley State		1	–	6					2	–	9
West Division
No. 13 Southern xy$		6	–	1					12	–	1
No. 17 Grambling State x		6	–	1					9	–	3
Texas Southern		3	–	4					5	–	6
Arkansas–Pine Bluff		3	–	4					4	–	7
Prairie View A&M		0	–	7					1	–	10
Championship: Southern 20, Alabama State 9
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions Rankings from The Sports Network Poll

Schedule

Date	Opponent	Site	Result	Attendance	Source
August 30	vs. Florida A&M*	Ford Field Detroit, MI (Detroit Classic)	W 38–22	54,500	[1]
September 6	vs. Bethune–Cookman	Ladd–Peebles Stadium Mobile, AL (Gulf Coast Classic)	L 26–31		[2]
September 13	Alcorn State	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL	W 49–28		[3]
September 20	at Arkansas–Pine Bluff	Golden Lion Stadium Pine Bluff, AR	W 24–22	2,700	[4]
September 27	at Southern	A. W. Mumford Stadium Baton Rouge, LA	L 10–35	26,400	[5]
October 11	at Jackson State	Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Jackson, MS	W 27–20	7,528	[6]
October 18	Prairie View A&M	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL	W 59–7	7,488	[7]
October 25	vs. Alabama A&M	Legion Field Birmingham, AL (Magic City Classic)	L 17–20		[8]
November 8	No. 13 Grambling State	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL	L 34–37	8,124	[9]
November 15	at Mississippi Valley State	Rice–Totten Stadium Itta Bena, MS	W 55–31		[10]
November 22	at Texas Southern	Reliant Stadium Houston, TX	W 38–26		[11]
November 27	Tuskegee*	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL (Turkey Day Classic)	W 48–28		[12]
December 13	vs. No. 13 Southern	Legion Field Birmingham, AL (SWAC Championship Game)	L 9–20	31,617	[13]
*Non-conference game Rankings from The Sports Network Poll released prior to the game

^[14]

References

1. "Alabama State wins Detroit Classic". Detroit Free Press. August 31, 2003. Retrieved July 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "B–CC rallies". South Florida Sun Sentinel. September 7, 2003. Retrieved July 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Williams, Hornets run over Braves". The Clarion-Ledger. September 14, 2003. Retrieved July 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Winn preserves win for visiting Hornets". The Montgomery Advertiser. September 21, 2003. Retrieved July 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Hornets fall quickly to Jaguars' fast start". The Montgomery Advertiser. September 28, 2003. Retrieved July 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Second-half wake-up call too late for Jackson State". The Clarion-Ledger. October 12, 2003. Retrieved July 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "Alabama State wins without Coe". The Montgomery Advertiser. October 19, 2003. Retrieved July 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Cylar's four FGs lead A&M past Alabama State". The Anniston Star. October 26, 2003. Retrieved July 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
9. "Grambling holds off Ala. State". The Shreveport Times. November 9, 2003. Retrieved July 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "What a rush! Williams leads ASU stampede". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 16, 2003. Retrieved July 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
11. "Hornets clinch Eastern title". The Montgomery Advertiser. November 23, 2003. Retrieved July 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
12. "Jackson has big game on Turkey Day". Birmingham Post-Herald. November 28, 2003. Retrieved July 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
13. "Turnovers lead to SWAC title for Jags". Sun Herald. December 14, 2003. Retrieved July 30, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
14. "Alabama State Hornets Schedule 2003". ESPN. Retrieved July 31, 2023.