BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Alabama A&M and Alabama State meet Saturday in the 85th Amazon Magic City Classic presented by Coca-Cola, a Southwestern Athletic Conference rivalry game at Legion Field.
Kickoff is 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at Legion Field, 400 Graymont Ave. W. The game streams on ESPN+, with Tiffany Greene and Jay Walker on the call, and airs on WJAB 90.9 FM. The stadium opens at 12:30 p.m.
The day starts with the Magic City Classic Parade at 8 a.m. downtown, running from 18th Street North and Seventh Avenue North to 16th Street North and Fourth Avenue North. Admission to the parade is free, and it airs live on WBRC 6 News. The tailgate party at Legion Field runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Alabama A&M (6-2, 3-1 SWAC) returns from its open week seeking a third consecutive victory. The Bulldogs beat Bethune-Cookman and then Grambling State 61-31 on homecoming at Louis Crews Stadium, piling up 669 yards of total offense. Quarterback Cornelious Brown IV accounted for six touchdowns against Grambling State, throwing for 417 yards and five touchdowns and adding an 8-yard rushing score. Jaylan Bean caught 10 passes for a career-high 240 yards and four touchdowns, and David Faulk kicked a school-record 56-yard field goal.
Brown has completed 149 of 245 passes for 2,158 yards and 21 touchdowns this season. Jarel Williams leads the receivers with 39 catches for 686 yards and eight touchdowns, and Bean has 34 receptions for 577 yards and eight scores. Alabama A&M averages 40.1 points and 485.3 yards per game, and the Bulldogs rank No. 1 in the Black College Football and HBCU BOXTOROW polls.
Alabama State (4-3, 2-2 SWAC) also returns from an open week, after beating Arkansas-Pine Bluff 21-15 on Oct. 17. The Hornets snapped a two-game losing streak behind three rushing touchdowns and a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions. Jamarie Hostzclaw leads the rushing attack with 404 yards and six touchdowns, and Jareese Howard has added 237 yards and five scores. Alabama State averages 25.7 points per game and allows 17.9.
Alabama State has won the past four meetings. The Hornets won last season’s Classic 56-13, while Alabama A&M’s most recent victory came in the 2021 fall meeting, 42-28. The teams have split their past 10 matchups, 5-5.
Halftime brings the Battle of the Bands, featuring Alabama A&M’s Marching Maroon & White and Alabama State’s Mighty Marching Hornets.