By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times
Coach takes blame for blowout loss at hands of Grambling
Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones didn't offer any excuses. He didn't need to, because this one was pretty easy to figure out.
"We got outplayed and that's my fault," Jones said Sunday afternoon. "My team wasn't prepared."
Jones' comments were in reference to A&M's 31-6 drubbing at the hands of Grambling on Saturday night.
Grambling led 17-6 at intermission and A&M never threatened.
"When you play a good football team on the road, if you don't play your best, you're going to be embarrassed," Jones said. "We didn't play our best. They had something to do with it, but so did we."
How bad did A&M play? Check out these numbers:
Offensively, the Bulldogs failed to score a touchdown for the first time since a 44-0 loss to Grambling in 2005.
The Bulldogs finished with 147 yards of total offense - 30 rushing and 117 passing. A&M entered the game averaging 519 yards - 225 on the ground and 294 through the air.
A&M was 4-of-15 on third-down conversions and was whistled for seven penalties for 55 yards.
Defensively, the Bulldogs allowed 378 yards and 9-of-16 third-down conversions. A&M had allowed only 47 points through its first three games and 278 yards per game.
"We just didn't play well as a team," Jones said. "I would have liked to have seen us play this team giving our best effort, but I don't think that happened Saturday. If we were the same team I saw those first three weeks and we got beat ... I could accept that, but that wasn't the case.
"When you're the head coach and people play well, you get praised. When they don't play well, you take the blame. I'm taking the blame for this one."
Despite the loss, A&M's season is far from over.
The Bulldogs' hopes of winning the Eastern Division title and reaching the SWAC championship game are still intact.
"Am I pushing the panic button?" Jones asked. "No. We lost one game. It's the way we lost that's so disappointing. Can we bounce back? I think we can. I'm going to work my hardest to make sure we do."
A&M (3-1, 1-1) will try to do so Saturday when Texas Southern (0-4, 0-3) come to town for homecoming.
Kickoff is at 3 p.m. at Louis Crews Stadium.
The Tigers shocked the Bulldogs 17-7 on homecoming two years ago and A&M needed a late interception last year to come away with a hard-fought 19-14 victory.
"Texas Southern doesn't fear us," Jones said. "We've got to make sure we're ready for this team."
"We're going to be prepared - I guarantee you we're going to be prepared."
Coach takes blame for blowout loss at hands of Grambling
Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones didn't offer any excuses. He didn't need to, because this one was pretty easy to figure out.
"We got outplayed and that's my fault," Jones said Sunday afternoon. "My team wasn't prepared."
Jones' comments were in reference to A&M's 31-6 drubbing at the hands of Grambling on Saturday night.
Grambling led 17-6 at intermission and A&M never threatened.
"When you play a good football team on the road, if you don't play your best, you're going to be embarrassed," Jones said. "We didn't play our best. They had something to do with it, but so did we."
How bad did A&M play? Check out these numbers:
Offensively, the Bulldogs failed to score a touchdown for the first time since a 44-0 loss to Grambling in 2005.
The Bulldogs finished with 147 yards of total offense - 30 rushing and 117 passing. A&M entered the game averaging 519 yards - 225 on the ground and 294 through the air.
A&M was 4-of-15 on third-down conversions and was whistled for seven penalties for 55 yards.
Defensively, the Bulldogs allowed 378 yards and 9-of-16 third-down conversions. A&M had allowed only 47 points through its first three games and 278 yards per game.
"We just didn't play well as a team," Jones said. "I would have liked to have seen us play this team giving our best effort, but I don't think that happened Saturday. If we were the same team I saw those first three weeks and we got beat ... I could accept that, but that wasn't the case.
"When you're the head coach and people play well, you get praised. When they don't play well, you take the blame. I'm taking the blame for this one."
Despite the loss, A&M's season is far from over.
The Bulldogs' hopes of winning the Eastern Division title and reaching the SWAC championship game are still intact.
"Am I pushing the panic button?" Jones asked. "No. We lost one game. It's the way we lost that's so disappointing. Can we bounce back? I think we can. I'm going to work my hardest to make sure we do."
A&M (3-1, 1-1) will try to do so Saturday when Texas Southern (0-4, 0-3) come to town for homecoming.
Kickoff is at 3 p.m. at Louis Crews Stadium.
The Tigers shocked the Bulldogs 17-7 on homecoming two years ago and A&M needed a late interception last year to come away with a hard-fought 19-14 victory.
"Texas Southern doesn't fear us," Jones said. "We've got to make sure we're ready for this team."
"We're going to be prepared - I guarantee you we're going to be prepared."
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