For North Carolina A&T, it was a case of not being able to keep up with the Joneses.
Alabama State quarterback Ricky Jones threw a touchdown pass and scored three times, twice on passes from running back Carviss Jones, as the Hornets beat the Aggies 36-13 Saturday in the Heritage Bowl.Ricky Jones led his team in rushing, receiving and passing. He gained 152 yards on 14 carries, including 83 on a third-quarter touchdown run, had two receptions for 112 yards and threw for 214 yards.
A crowd of just 7,724, far less than the expected 30,000, turned out to watch Alabama State (11-0-1) cap off an undefeated season by beating North Carolina A&T (9-3) in the first bowl game for predominantly black schools.
The game matched the winners of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
Bowl officials were disappointed by the turnout, but optimistic about the game's future.
"We did a poor job of marketing," said Dr. Dorsey Miller, the president of the Heritage Sports Authority of South Florida.