MIAMI GARDENS – No Florida A&M, no Jackson State, no problem.
Neither the FAMU Rattlers nor the Jackson State Tigers made an appearance at the Orange Blossom Classic for the first time, which had many wondering which two teams would take their place.
It turned out to be the North Carolina Central Eagles and the Alabama State Hornets, who went on to present viewers a competitive game at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday (Sept. 1).
The most consistent player on the field for both teams in this one was junior running back J’Mari Taylor, who showed a remarkable level of patience, poise, and athleticism as he led the Eagles (1-0) to a 31-24 win over the Hornets (0-1).
Taylor (24 carries for 128 yards; 2 catches for 18 yards) reached the end zone three times, two on short runs in the first half and one on a wide-open touchdown catch from quarterback Walker Harris (9-for-18, 119 yards, 1 touchdown).
This one was not decided until 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter, when freshman defensive back DJ Estes (3 tackles) caught a wide-open interception to seal the deal.
The HBCU showdown had a lightning delay at the 14:57 mark of the third quarter for nearly 90 minutes.
Former North Carolina Central quarterback Davius Richard, who is a Belle Glade native and Glades Central alum, offered his commentary on the Eagles successful appearance on the Orange Blossom Classic stage at Hard Rock Stadium.
“I feel like it’s a great stage that has some great history to showcase their talent and give the fans something they’ve been waiting for all season,” Richard said.
In total yardage it was close, as Alabama State actually had the edge over NCCU by a margin of 291-270. Alabama State even had more first downs than NCCU (17-15) and came out on top in time of possession (31:35-28:25).
But there were two things that mattered the most: turnovers and red zone scoring chances.
NCCU did not turn the ball over, while Alabama State turned the ball over twice with interceptions thrown. And NCCU had four red zone scoring opportunities, while Alabama State only had one throughout the game.
We will highlight North Carolina Central’s press conference that occurred after the Orange Blossom Classic ended.
As for Alabama State, senior quarterback Andrew Body had a great outing overall. He completed four of six passes for 27 yards, caught a 9-yard pass, and added 15 carries for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
Here’s a score from Body, who finished with 170 total yards of offense.
We have Alabama State’s press conference right below for your viewing.
And to close this out, we have some Alabama State photos that stood out as well.
ALL PHOTO CREDITS: Chuck Bethel
Muck City Media Enterprises 
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