By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times
Banks rushes for an A&M-record 211 yards in victory.
There was some concern about Alabama A&M's running game entering the season. After all, the Bulldogs had lost Nic Luke and Ta'mar Scott, who had combined for more than 3,500 yards the last three years, and didn't have a tailback on their roster that had carried the ball from scrimmage.
That concern grew even more after the Bulldogs managed just 147 yards last week against Tennessee State. In fact, many of those yards came late after the game had long been decided.
Saturday night, A&M fans began to put those concerns to rest after Ulysses Banks, in only his second career start, put together a game for the ages.
Banks, a 5-foot-8, 172-pound redshirt sophomore from Birmingham, set a school record with 211 yards on just 19 carries and scored two touchdowns and A&M finished with 608 yards in total offense in a 41-10 shellacking of Clark Atlanta in its home opener at Louis Crews Stadium.
Banks, who averaged a whopping 11.1 yards per carry, broke the record of Jeremiah Bonds, who had 197 yards rushing against Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 20, 2003.
"It hasn't sunk in yet," Banks said when asked about his record-breaking performance. "The offensive line blocked excellent tonight. They opened up the holes, I saw them and I tried to hit them hard. It was good blocking, good vision and good running."
A&M's offense overpowered Clark Atlanta's defense.
The Bulldogs rushed for 307 yards and threw for 301. It is the second time in Football Championship Subdivision play that an A&M offense has surpassed 600 yards in total offense. The Bulldogs had 650 yards in a 52-6 win over Jackson State in 2005.
"We came out clicking," said A&M quarterback Kelcy Luke, after compiling his first career 300-yard passing game, going 21-of-32 for 301 yards and four touchdowns. "Everybody was on the same page. We knew what we wanted to do and we executed the game plan."
It is the first time in school history A&M has opened the season with back-to-back 40-point plus games.
The offense is vastly different from the ball-control units seen from Anthony Jones' teams the past five years.
"We've got some speed out there now," Jones said. "We had some guys on the shelf last year because we decided to go with experience. We rode that experience to a championship.
"Now, we're trying to do the same thing with speed. We've got some young guys who are making big plays for us."
Banks is one of them.
He led the nation in kickoff returns last season and if he can have a few more games like he had Saturday night, he could lead the nation in rushing.
"He did a great job of running the football," Jones said. "He made some great reads and some great cuts. I'm happy for Banks because he worked extremely hard to put himself in the position he's in now."
The win lifted A&M to 2-0 for the only second time since 1966, when the Bulldogs finished 8-1.
A&M wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard.
The Bulldogs went 73 yards in just five plays to take the lead as Banks scored on a 3-yard run barely two minutes into the game.
After Clark Atlanta tied the game, the Bulldogs scored a pair of touchdowns within a four-minute span to take control.
Banks scored on a 4-yard run and Luke found Rashad Johnson with a 65-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-7 at the end of the first quarter.
"We wanted to break their will," Jones said.
Johnson, who had a 20-yard touchdown catch late in the third quarter, finished with three catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns. He was one of nine players to catch passes. Thomas Harris finished with a team-high six catches for 92 yards, while tight end Charles Moody had five catches for 68 yards and a touchdown.
"We've got some good receivers outside and we're going to take advantage of them," Luke said.
The Panthers pulled within 21-10 after Henry Boynton kicked a 39-yard field goal to open the third quarter, but Luke found Nate Baxter with a 15-yard touchdown pass to complete a seven-play, 76-yard drive with nine minutes remaining and Johnson's second touchdown iced the game.
"We've got the right kids with us and they're believing in what we're saying," Jones said.
Banks rushes for an A&M-record 211 yards in victory.
There was some concern about Alabama A&M's running game entering the season. After all, the Bulldogs had lost Nic Luke and Ta'mar Scott, who had combined for more than 3,500 yards the last three years, and didn't have a tailback on their roster that had carried the ball from scrimmage.
That concern grew even more after the Bulldogs managed just 147 yards last week against Tennessee State. In fact, many of those yards came late after the game had long been decided.
Saturday night, A&M fans began to put those concerns to rest after Ulysses Banks, in only his second career start, put together a game for the ages.
Banks, a 5-foot-8, 172-pound redshirt sophomore from Birmingham, set a school record with 211 yards on just 19 carries and scored two touchdowns and A&M finished with 608 yards in total offense in a 41-10 shellacking of Clark Atlanta in its home opener at Louis Crews Stadium.
Banks, who averaged a whopping 11.1 yards per carry, broke the record of Jeremiah Bonds, who had 197 yards rushing against Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 20, 2003.
"It hasn't sunk in yet," Banks said when asked about his record-breaking performance. "The offensive line blocked excellent tonight. They opened up the holes, I saw them and I tried to hit them hard. It was good blocking, good vision and good running."
A&M's offense overpowered Clark Atlanta's defense.
The Bulldogs rushed for 307 yards and threw for 301. It is the second time in Football Championship Subdivision play that an A&M offense has surpassed 600 yards in total offense. The Bulldogs had 650 yards in a 52-6 win over Jackson State in 2005.
"We came out clicking," said A&M quarterback Kelcy Luke, after compiling his first career 300-yard passing game, going 21-of-32 for 301 yards and four touchdowns. "Everybody was on the same page. We knew what we wanted to do and we executed the game plan."
It is the first time in school history A&M has opened the season with back-to-back 40-point plus games.
The offense is vastly different from the ball-control units seen from Anthony Jones' teams the past five years.
"We've got some speed out there now," Jones said. "We had some guys on the shelf last year because we decided to go with experience. We rode that experience to a championship.
"Now, we're trying to do the same thing with speed. We've got some young guys who are making big plays for us."
Banks is one of them.
He led the nation in kickoff returns last season and if he can have a few more games like he had Saturday night, he could lead the nation in rushing.
"He did a great job of running the football," Jones said. "He made some great reads and some great cuts. I'm happy for Banks because he worked extremely hard to put himself in the position he's in now."
The win lifted A&M to 2-0 for the only second time since 1966, when the Bulldogs finished 8-1.
A&M wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard.
The Bulldogs went 73 yards in just five plays to take the lead as Banks scored on a 3-yard run barely two minutes into the game.
After Clark Atlanta tied the game, the Bulldogs scored a pair of touchdowns within a four-minute span to take control.
Banks scored on a 4-yard run and Luke found Rashad Johnson with a 65-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-7 at the end of the first quarter.
"We wanted to break their will," Jones said.
Johnson, who had a 20-yard touchdown catch late in the third quarter, finished with three catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns. He was one of nine players to catch passes. Thomas Harris finished with a team-high six catches for 92 yards, while tight end Charles Moody had five catches for 68 yards and a touchdown.
"We've got some good receivers outside and we're going to take advantage of them," Luke said.
The Panthers pulled within 21-10 after Henry Boynton kicked a 39-yard field goal to open the third quarter, but Luke found Nate Baxter with a 15-yard touchdown pass to complete a seven-play, 76-yard drive with nine minutes remaining and Johnson's second touchdown iced the game.
"We've got the right kids with us and they're believing in what we're saying," Jones said.
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