Alabama State wins the 100th Turkey Day Classic over Tuskegee, 34-6

Alabama State University defeated Tuskegee 34-6 in the 100th Turkey Day Classic this afternoon in Montgomery.

Alabama State held Tuskegee to 93 passing yards and 138 yards on the ground while extending its quarter series to nine without allowing a touchdown.

Quarterback Kareem Keye completed 12 of 18 passes for a career-high 331 yards and four touchdowns, while on offense Robert McMinn caught four passes for a career-high 152 yards and two touchdowns.

The win improved Alabama State’s record to 7-5, securing a third straight winning season under head coach Eddie Robinson Jr. The last time Alabama State won three straight seasons was under head coach Reggie Barlow, who led the Hornets five straight winning seasons from 2010-2015.

The Tuskegee Golden Tigers finished their regular season with a record of 5-6.

The first quarter was dominated by Alabama State, which took a 21-3 lead. The Hornets quickly capitalized on big plays, including a 45-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kareem Keye to Jalen Jones at 13:07.

Just 48 seconds later, Alabama State struck again with a 73-yard touchdown pass to Robert McMinn.

By the 5:45 mark of the first quarter, Alabama State added another touchdown, a 20-yard pass to Eric Horn, giving the Hornets a 21-0 lead.

Tuskegee responded with a 30-yard field goal from Lorcan Ryans to cut the deficit to 21-3, but the Golden Tigers were unable to generate consistent offense.

In the second quarter, Tuskegee experienced a brief recovery. A strong 13-play, 50-yard drive led to another Ryans field goal, this time from 47 yards, making the score 21-6.

However, Alabama State responded almost immediately with a 63-yard touchdown pass to McMinn, giving the Hornets a 28-6 lead with just under six minutes left.

Despite a solid defensive performance, including a sack and a few key stops, Tuskegee failed to reach the end zone before halftime.

Alabama State continued to dominate in the third quarter, extending its lead to 31-6 on a 42-yard field goal by Brandon Gilliam at 4:30. The Golden Tigers struggled to find their footing on offense as they failed to capitalize on a crucial interception and punt return.

Despite some promising offense, Tuskegee failed to score, and Alabama State ended the game with another field goal from Gilliam, making the final score 34-6.

Offensively, Tuskegee managed just 231 total yards of offense, including 138 yards rushing and 93 yards passing. Johnny Morris led the rushing attack with 88 yards on 17 carries, while Raequan Beal completed 9 of 20 passes for 86 yards but was intercepted twice.

Defensively, the Golden Tigers were led by Terence Maize, who recorded five tackles, and Masiah Wells, who recorded two tackles for a loss.