Thursday, July 28, 2016

Rankin: ASU-Alcorn State winner takes SWAC East

MONTGOMERY, Alabama --First things first.

Alabama State coach Brian Jenkins says he’s not thinking about facing two-time defending conference champion Alcorn State right now.

“I’ve got UTSA,” said Jenkins at SWAC Media Day this month in Birmingham as the Hornets open the 2016 season Sept. 3 at FBS school Texas-San Antonio. “Now Alcorn is a phenomenal football team, but to put my focus on Alcorn right now would be a disrespect to the team we have to play first.”

I can respect that, but the outcome of the Sept. 10 matchup in Lorman, Miss., will likely determine the SWAC East representative in the Dec. 3 league title game in Houston.

Alcorn State was picked to win the division. ASU finished second in the voting by the league’s head coach and sports information directors. The Hornets have lost two straight to the Braves, but this is the year to pull off the upset and take the early driver’s seat to play for a conference championship.

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