SWAC
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Alabama
Barring an unlikely calamity, the
conference title will belong to Alaba
ma State. The Hornets finished sec
ond behind Jackson State a year ago,
but in the process , proved that they
will be a powerhouse to bereckoned
MOT.
Jackson State , in the meantime,
won t take a back seat to anyone . As _
usual, they'll be right in the thick of
the race from start to finish. JSU has
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State is primed to win it all
developed a tradition of maintaining a
steady supply of talented players .
Grambling, on the other hand, will
have a say in who finally emerges as
the ultimate SWAC victor. But the G
Men witl^lsdne&loliridTepiace
ments for several key players in order
to seriously challenge. But then
again , coach Eddie Robinson has a
finely honed skill of getting the max
out of his players.
League teams should be aware
thai Mississippi Valley State is no
longer a team to be taken lightly. The
Delta Devils barely missed the break
even point, which Is quite an achieve
ment considering how downtrodden
they had been in recent seasons.
Southern University enters the
season Ml of hope that consistency
will become a trademark, while Atcom
Suae Is out to show that ' 90 s dismal
? ~ ? ? Photo by Mark Gail.
Downtown Reggie Brown averaged 17 yards a catch as Alabama State's prime-time wide receiver.
record was an aberration.
Texas Southern got a brief taste
of victory during the early part of last
year. They still remember it in spite
of a disappointing second half of the
season^ That should be sufficient
incentive to Inspire TSU to reach new
heights.
Prairie View ASM returns to the
SWAC fold after axeing football last
year. The Panthers faithful are realis
tic enough to know that winning a
championship in '91 is out of the
question. But at least they have a
team that will have a season.
of Finish I
State gill
2, Jackson Step
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8. Prairie View A&M
Hi
Alabama State
Make no mistake, this should be
the year that the Hornets' sting opera
tion comes full circle. Coach Houston
Markham's guys are primed after
going 8-2-1, their best showing in 22
seasons. And with only two starters
missing from last year, all systems are
_go for ASU to begin their reign as
league kings.
For starters, Alabama State has
proven they can beat the best around.
They handed Jackson State, last
year's SWAC champ, its only confer
ence loss and they also beat Gram
bling. But don't forgot that ASU'3 two
defeats were by a total margin of two
points. That's why they are the hands
down pick to win the title this time
around.
Linebacker Eddie Robinson is the
center of attention for a defense that
allowed the fewest points (14M- ppg>
and rushing yards (106.4 ypg) a year
ago. Robinson recorded 89 hits last
season and was an Associated Press
Ail-American pick. Additionally, he was
the first player selected to represent
the West squad in next January's
East-West Shrine All-Star game.
Defensive end Charles Northern is
a stand-out up front, while DB
Emmanuel Martin (7 interceptions) is a
pass thief supreme in the secondary.