Alabama A&M Jones' deal almost done

Photo: Betty Austin, AAMU Athletic Director

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times Sports Staff

Raise would make A&M coach one of SWAC's highest paid.

Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones is close to signing a deal that would make him the fourth-highest paid coach in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

The school's board of trustees approved a $32,500 raise for Jones last June that will pay him $142,500 annually. He is also slated to receive $12,500 for his radio and television show. The $12,500 would be paid from funds raised by Jones, who has been asked to raise $50,000 to be deposited into the school's football budget to help offset the deficit.

Jones will also receive bonuses for winning classic games, homecoming and the SWAC championship. Amounts were not available Tuesday, but Jones received $10,000 for winning the SWAC championship, $2,500 for the Magic City Classic and the John Merritt Classic, $2,000 for being SWAC Coach of the Year and Washington Pigskin Coach of the Year and $1,000 for homecoming.

The new deal will go into effect next month when the school's new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

A&M athletic director Betty Austin presented Jones with the contract earlier this month, but he says he hasn't had a lot of time to look it over.

"It's kind of a rough deal for me because a contract is a big thing," Jones said. "It takes a lot of looking into to make sure the language is correct and agreeable."

Jones, whose contract runs through 2009, said he hopes to be able to review the contract and get it back to Austin in the near future, but admitted the contract was the last thing on his mind.
"My concern right now is making sure my football team is ready to play," he said. "Am I concerned about my contract? Of course I am, but this week is a very urgent week."

A&M, 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the SWAC, is coming off of a 31-6 drubbing at the hands of Grambling. The Bulldogs host winless Texas Southern on Saturday afternoon for homecoming. Kickoff is at 3.

While Jones expressed thanks to A&M president Robert Jennings, Austin and the board of trustees, he said it would have been better had he been able to get the contract in July and likely could have had it done before the Bulldogs reported for preseason practice on Aug. 1.

"That would have been ideal because football season is tough," he said. "Every week you've got a deadline. I try to teach our players that. Every week our product is put on full display and people don't want to hear why you were distracted. They expect the product to be working at optimal level."

Jones has compiled a 44-19 record during his five-plus seasons and has led the Bulldogs to three appearances in the SWAC championship game. A&M won its first SWAC title last December with a 22-13 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff. His 44 wins rank him third on the school's all-time wins list.

"We've had some success, but this program isn't where we want it to be," Jones said.

Jones was the seventh-highest paid coach in the league last season with a base salary of $110,000. Only Texas Southern's Steve Wilson, Mississippi Valley State's Willie Totten and Alcorn State's Johnny Thomas made less money.

However, the salary increase makes Jones the fourth-highest paid coach in the SWAC, trailing Southern's Pete Richardson, Grambling's Rod Broadway and Jackson State's Rick Comegy.

Alabama A&M notebook

Huntsville Times

Jones says Bulldogswere trapped by success

Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones said Monday his team started reading its press clippings instead of preparing for Grambling.

The Tigers whipped the Bulldogs 31-6 Saturday night, handing A&M its first loss of the season.

"If you go back and listen to me talk, I've been trying to warn against this," Jones said. "When you score 45 points per game and you do it consistently, people tend to see that and I think our kids bought into it.

"Then we lined up against our best opponent, and we didn't prepare mentally the way we should have. ... We got a little ahead of ourselves and you saw what happened."

As a result, when A&M returns to practice today, Jones said he won't have any problem getting his team to focus on Texas Southern.

"We understand where we are and where we need to be," he said. "It's going to be a lot easier getting their attention now."

Crowd a factor: Tight end John Smith said Grambling's crowd played a part in the Bulldogs' poor play.

The announced crowd of 7,831, Smith said, made it difficult on A&M.

"Most of our guys weren't used to playing in that environment," Smith said. "The crowd was hostile. When we were warming up, they were talking to us. They were rough, but you've got to be able to perform in that type of environment and we didn't do it."

A&M's offense, which entered the game averaging 45 points and 519 yards, managed just six points and 147 total yards.

"It was difficult because we know what we're capable of when we're clicking on all cylinders," said Smith, who caught three passes for 40 yards. "We just couldn't get going. We didn't execute like we did the first three games. We had a good game plan. We just didn't play like we're supposed to play."

Four honored: Tight end John Smith, defensive tackle Justin Harper, inside linebacker Avery Moland and kicker Jeremy Licea were honored as players of the week by the coaching staff for their play in the loss to Grambling.

Smith received recognition on offense after catching three passes for 40 yards. Smith's 24-yard catch before halftime helped set up Licea's 36-yard field goal with six seconds left in the half to allow A&M to pull within 17-6.

Harper and Moland shared the team defensive honor. Harper finished with nine tackles, including six solos, two tackles for loss and a sack while grading out 92 percent. Moland finished with 11 tackles, including nine solos, and one tackle for loss as he graded out 89 percent.

Licea was 2-for-2 on field goals. His 37-yarder was the longest of his career.

Reggie Benson

Pressure on Alabama A&M not new

Photo: AAMU expecting to get back to same form that brought defeat to TSU. This week, its Texas Southern University; not Tennessee State.

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

Bulldogs say they'll bounce back - as they have in past

Alabama A&M fans upset about Saturday's 31-6 shellacking at the hands of Grambling, should take a deep breath and review the Bulldogs' history.

That wasn't the first time the Tigers whipped the Bulldogs, and it certainly won't be the last. But A&M has shown it is capable of bouncing back after losing to Grambling, and the Bulldogs vow they will do it again.

Grambling won 23-13 in 2002 to put the Bulldogs in an 0-2 hole, but A&M won eight of its next nine games to reach the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Game.

The next year, Grambling won 45-14 to drop A&M to 1-2, but the Bulldogs won seven of their next nine games and finished 8-4. In 2005, Grambling won 44-0 but A&M rallied to win eight of its next nine games to reach the SWAC title game.

"We've been down this road before," said cornerback Stephan Tucker, a fifth-year senior. "We had some guys that probably didn't know how important that game was down there and we didn't match their intensity.

"We've got to go back to basics, practice our techniques and fundamentals and we'll bounce back. If we do what we've got to do, we can't be beat. We'll be all right this week. There's no doubt in my mind."

A&M, 3-1 overall and 1-1 in the SWAC, plays Texas Southern (0-4, 0-3) at 3 p.m. Saturday at Louis Crews Stadium.

Although the winless Tigers - who have been outscored 135-43 - appear to be an ideal opponent for the Bulldogs after the Grambling debacle, coach Anthony Jones has warned his team about taking Texas Southern for granted.

"This is not what the doctor ordered," Jones said Monday. "We've got to line up against a team that always plays us tough. They beat us two years ago on homecoming and last year it came down to the wire.

"This is going to be a very, very tough ballgame. I expect them to come here and play with great effort and great emotion."

Since A&M embarrassed Texas Southern 63-0 in 2003, each of the last three games has been more competitive.

The Bulldogs won 22-3 in 2004, lost 17-7 in 2005 and won 19-14 last season on strong safety Marcus Black's interception in the end zone.

"This is a team that if you're not alert in handling all your P's and Q's can be very scary," Jones said. "This is not a team to be joking with. They've made it tough on us. I expect it will be tough again this weekend."

It will be if the Bulldogs play like they did last week against Grambling. A&M played with very little emotion against the Tigers.

Tight end John Smith, a fifth-year senior, said that won't be the case against Texas Southern.

"Being a senior, it's up to us to get this team ready to play," Smith said. "We've got to be ready because Texas Southern always comes in here and plays us tough. We've got to let the younger players know this won't be a cakewalk because they're 0-4.

"We've got to come out and play with energy, enthusiasm and emotion, and I believe we'll do that."

Alabama A&M notebook

Photo: AAMU Cheerleaders

Huntsville Times

Big plays hard to come by for Bulldogs.

Alabama A&M's offense thrived off of big plays during its first three games, but those big plays didn't happen Saturday night against Grambling.

As a result, the Bulldogs struggled.

A&M managed only one big play - a 24-yard pass from quarterback Kelcy Luke to tight end John Smith right before halftime - that helped set up Jeremy Licea's 36-yard field goal that made it 17-6 at intermission.

But the Bulldogs failed to score again.

"We've been a big-play offense, but now we've got to go back and develop that mentality that teams aren't going to line up and let us beat them deep," A&M coach Anthony Jones said. "We've got to make plays and be consistent in making those plays. If we can't, we'll experience what we experienced (Saturday).

Of A&M's 12 possessions, nine of them ended with punts, including five three-and-outs.

The Bulldogs kicked two field goals and fumbled once.

Grambling best team A&M has played: Jones thought Grambling was better than any of A&M's first three opponents. After watching the Tigers up close and personal, he was right.

"That's the best football team we've played all year," he said. "They have a lot of talent. They're the fastest team and the most physical team we've played all year."

A&M will work this week: Jones suggested that the Bulldogs didn't work as hard as they should have in preparing for Grambling. As a result, he said they won't have time to relax this week with Texas Southern coming to town.

"We're coming to work this week," he said. "Those who want to work will work. Those who don't won't be out there. We're going to work this week.

"We're going to make sure we're ready for this football game. Our effort wasn't where it needed to be in some instances (Saturday night)."

Furthermore: A&M has scored on 13 of 14 possessions in the red zone. ... Licea's 37-yard field goal midway through the first half was his career long. ... A&M is 2-10 in its last 12 games against Grambling, including three losses in the SWAC championship game.

Reggie Benson

Jones has no answer for AAMU letdown

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."

Alabama A&M striving for top

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

Grambling history, present give 'Dogs worthy goal

GRAMBLING, La. - When Anthony Jones was named the football coach at Alabama A&M six years ago, he wanted his program to emulate the program that Eddie Robinson had built at Grambling.

The Tigers, who have won more Southwestern Athletic Conference championships than any team in league history, have long been the measuring stick among black college programs.

Under Jones, the Bulldogs have been the league's best team the last five years. A&M has appeared in the SWAC Championship Game three times in that span and finally won it last season by beating Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Despite the success, Jones and A&M have struggled against Grambling. Jones is 2-5 against the Tigers, several of the losses being blowouts - with two of them coming in the SWAC Championship Game. Over the past four years, the teams have split four meetings.

"When I first came here, that was the program I wanted my program to aspire to be," Jones said. "We're close, but we're not there yet."

Jones will try to get his program a little closer tonight when No. 23 A&M visits Grambling at Robinson Stadium. The Bulldogs are 3-0 overall and 1-0 in league play. The Tigers are 1-1 and 1-0. Kickoff is at 6 and the game will be televised on a tape-delayed basis on ESPNU at 9.

Some are calling tonight's game a preview of the SWAC Championship Game. Jones disagrees.

"It's still early," he said. "Anything can happen. We're playing well, they're playing well. But the season is still young."

A&M has easily disposed of its first three opponents, having outscored Tennessee State, Clark Atlanta and Mississippi Valley State by a combined score of 135-47. Meanwhile, Grambling whipped Alcorn State 31-10 before falling at Pittsburgh 34-10.

After watching the film, Jones seems sold on the Tigers.

"This will be our toughest test to date," he said. "This is a good football team. They can beat you in all three phases of the game. We feel the same way.

"If everybody shows up to play, it's going to be a hell of a football game."

Jones said the outcome will be decided on three things: turnovers, big plays and special teams.

"Turnovers are always a premium," he said. "When you start turning the ball over, you shorten the field for the opposing offense and you give them opportunities to score. That changes the complexion of the game.

"We have been a big-play offense. They have been a big-play offense in the past and they still have some of those people on their team. Big plays are always going to be a big deal. Special teams will be a key factor. Who's going to have field position due to special teams and who's going to get points due to special teams?"

Tonight's game is Grambling's home opener. It is also the Tigers' first home game since Robinson died earlier this year. Those factors haven't been lost on Jones.

"It's going to be a tough situation for us to go into," he said. "I'm sure the crowd is going to be loud and supportive, but we'll be ready."

Grambling coach Rod Broadway expects nothing less.

"This will be a great challenge for us," he said. "We're looking forward to playing this game. It will give us an indication of what we can accomplish in this conference."

Alabama A&M notebook

Huntsville Times

Slowing down Edwards will be a big key

If Alabama A&M is going to have a chance to beat Grambling Saturday night, defensive coordinator Brawnski Towns says the Bulldogs have to slow down Tigers wide receiver Clyde Edwards.

Edwards, rated as the seventh-best receiver in the Football Championship Subdivision by The Sports Network, has had an outstanding career and is closing in on a number of records.

He needs 680 yards to surpass Scott Anderson (3,182) as the school's all-time leader in receiving yards. He needs seven touchdowns to surpass Anderson (35) as the Tigers' all-time leader in that category and needs 46 receptions to pass Tramon Douglas (193) in that category.

"It seems like Edwards has there seven years," Towns said, laughing. "We probably need to check his eligibility. (Former coach) Doug (Williams) probably held him out a year or two before they put him in the rotation.

"He's a heck of a receiver. He has made big catches for them over the years against us. The key for us to to get some pressure on (Brandon) Landers to mess up their timing and keep everything in front of us."

Edwards has 15 catches for 239 yards against the Bulldogs. His best performance was a nine-catch, 122-yard effort in the 2005 SWAC championship game when the Tigers won 45-6. He had five catches for 100 yards in A&M's 30-27 overtime victory last season.

Ironically, A&M is the only team in the SWAC that Edwards hasn't caught a touchdown pass against.

Second-half adjustments critical to A&M's success: One of the best things A&M has done during coach Anthony Jones' tenure is make adjustments at halftime and this season is no different. In fact, the Bulldogs have been even more impressive after intermission during their first three games.

While A&M is averaging 45 points per game, the Bulldogs have done significant damage in the second half. A&M has outscored its opponents 100-26 in the second half opposed to 45-21 in the first half. In wins over Tennessee State and Mississippi Valley State, the Bulldogs have erupted for 35 points in the second half in each game.

"Once we're able to make the adjustments and go over them with our kids ... our kids strive on adjustments," Jones said. "You can see them listening. They have a lot of confidence in the coaching staff and we have a lot of confidence in them."

Furthermore: When tailback Ulysses Banks rushed for 103 yards Saturday night against Mississippi Valley State, he became the first A&M running back to compile back-to-back 100-yard games since Nic Luke accomplished the feat in 2005. Banks became the first A&M back in the Division I era to top the 200-yard mark with 211 yards on 19 carries against Clark Atlanta. Luke had 117 yards against MVSU and 116 yards against Allen University. ... With two 100-yard receiving games this season, Thomas Harris became the first A&M wide receiver since Kenyon Hambrick in 2000 to have multiple 100-yard receiving games in a season. Hambrick finished the 2000 season with four games with 100-plus yards. ... Grambling QB Brandon Landers is 0-2 against A&M. A&M is one of three teams - Alabama State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff are the other two - that Landers hasn't beaten during his career.

Reggie Benson

AAMU: Catch him if you can

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

Alabama A&M sophomore blossoms into big-time receiver

There are days when Thomas Harris hardly says a word. Unlike a lot of wide receivers, Harris doesn't desire the spotlight. In fact, he shies away from it.

But the Alabama A&M sophomore can't help but be in it as a result of his spectacular play through the Bulldogs' first three games.

"Coach (Anthony) Jones has put me in the right position to make plays," Harris said. "I'm having fun."

While that may be true, A&M receivers coach Roger Totten said Harris deserves a lot of the credit.

"Thomas is a kid that is very serious about what he's doing," said Totten, who has had a major impact on the Bulldogs' receivers since arriving in July. "I like him because he works and he wants to be good. He doesn't talk a whole lot. He just wants to do his job and that's what you want as a coach."

And what a job Harris has done.

He has been one of the Southwestern Athletic Conference's best receivers thus far, having hauled in 14 passes for 329 yards and two touchdowns. He is averaging a league-best 23.5 yards per catch and 109.7 yards per game.

Harris, a native of Alexander City, is second in the league in receiving yards per game (109.7), fifth in all-purpose yards per game (121.3) and sixth in receptions per game (4.67).

This after catching 27 balls for 327 yards and two touchdowns in helping A&M win its first SWAC championship a year ago.

"I think I'm going to put up big numbers this year," Harris said.

Jones started preparing Harris for this season shortly after the Bulldogs finished spring practice. A&M lost two of its top four receivers to graduation and Anthony Mitchell, who eventually was ruled academically ineligible, was borderline on being able to play. Jones went to Harris and told him he needed to be ready for more.

"He told me he was looking forward to me catching up to 60 balls and being the leader among our receivers," Harris said. "I think I can be a leader, but I'm not a vocal leader. I lead through practicing and playing."

Totten certainly can attest to that.

"Thomas leads by example," he said. "He lets his work speak for him and I have no problem with that. I'm trying to bring a little more emotion out of him because I think he has the potential to be one of the leaders in our receiving corps.

"He's kind of laid-back. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. It's just the way he is, but he performs.

Check out his numbers.

Harris had four catches for 100 yards and a touchdown in A&M's 49-23 season-opening win over Tennessee State. In fact, he had back-to-back catches - a 42-yarder from wide receiver Gerald Stockdale and a 44-yarder from quarterback Kelcy Luke - to put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard against the Tigers.

He had six catches for 92 yards in a 41-10 thumping of Clark Atlanta and torched Mississippi Valley State with four catches for 137 yards and a touchdown in Saturday night's 45-14 win.

Harris had three catches for 124 yards and a touchdown in the second half alone against the Delta Devils.

"We expected him to do that last year," Luke said. "He kind of deferred to the seniors because he was the new guy. He's the only receiver we have back that played a lot last year and he's stepped it up. This year, our offense has opened up and he's taking advantage of it."

Jones isn't surprised.

"Thomas made a lot of big plays last year and we knew he had that big-play potential," he said.

"Last year, he was a young guy surrounded by a bunch of veterans. This year, he was going to have to be the guy and we challenged him. He accepted that challenge."

Harris will try to continue his strong play Saturday night when A&M visits Grambling.

Kickoff is 6 and the game will be tape-delayed on ESPNU, beginning at 9.

It will be Harris' first visit to Grambling.

"I've heard it's very hostile - very loud," Harris said. "I've never been there so I don't know what to expect. I'm just going to go out there focused and ready to play."

Just like he's been through A&M's first three games.

Alabama A&M notebook

Huntsville Times

A&M's Harris, Moland, Mattix honored

Alabama A&M's coaching staff selected receiver Thomas Harris, inside linebacker Avery Moland and kicker Grant Mattix as players of the week for their work in Saturday's 45-14 win over Mississippi Valley State.

Harris was named offensive player of the week after catching four passes for a career-high 137 yards and a touchdown. A 6-foot, 171-pound sophomore, Harris had a huge second half with three catches for 124 yards and a touchdown. He had a 63-yard catch late in the third quarter to help set up Ulysses Banks' 15-yard touchdown run and hauled in a 50-yard touchdown pass from Kelcy Luke on the fourth play of the fourth quarter.

Moland was named defensive player of the week after coming away with a game-high 10 tackles, including six solo stops. He also had 2.5 tackles for loss, one sack and recovered a fumble.

Mattix, a freshman walk-on from Lee High School, handled the kickoff duties and did a great job in helping the Bulldogs contain Clarence Cotton, one of the more dangerous returners in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Cotton returned three kickoffs for 11 yards.

Richardson swipes one: Jimmy Richardson, a senior inside linebacker, had his first career interception in Saturday night's 45-14 win over Mississippi Valley State.

With the game tied 0-0 early in the second quarter and A&M's offense struggling, Richardson picked off a Semaj Williams pass to help set up the Bulldogs' first touchdown. Six plays later, Kelcy Luke fought tight end Charles Moody with a 7-yard strike.

"I read screen and when I came up to get the running back, they overthrew him and the ball fell in my arms," said Richardson, who was also credited with four tackles.

Richardson, who lost his starting job to Mississippi State transfer Carlton Rice, has been bothered by some of the things that have appeared in The Times. "I'm trying to outplay Rice," he said. "Every week, he makes a play, I've got to make a play. That's why we're so good on defense."

Jones defends decision: Luke was pulled with about nine minutes left in the season opener against Tennessee State. He played long after A&M's last two games were decided, but Jones defended his decision to keep him in the game against Mississippi Valley State even with a 38-14 lead with more than 13 minutes remaining.

"I didn't feel the game was secure," Jones said. "I didn't want to give them any life and I didn't feel like we had played well enough. I told Kelcy to put the team on his shoulders and carry us and that's what he did."

Luke was 16-of-29 for 276 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He did most of his damage in the second half when he completed 8-of-11 passes for 220 yards and two touchdowns.

MVSU coach Willie Totten said he had no problems with Luke in the game.

"Coach (Jones) has to do what he has to do," Totten said. "He's got to get his guys ready to play."

- Reggie Benson

Alabama A&M notebook

Reggie Benson, Huntsville Times

A&M offense on hold early

Alabama A&M's offense, which had scored 28 points in the first quarter in its first two games, failed to score in the opening 15 minutes Saturday night against Mississippi Valley State.

On A&M's first offensive play from scrimmage, quarterback Kelcy Luke was picked off by Sam Irons. The Bulldogs were forced to punt on their next three possessions despite good field position.

The Bulldogs put together two drives in the second quarter as Luke found tight end Charles Moody with a 7-yard touchdown pass to cap a six-play, 39-yard drive with 9:12 left in the half. Jeremy Licea kicked a 25-yard field goal to cap a 12-play, 55-yard drive to give A&M a 10-0 lead with 2:29 before intermission.

A&M, who entered the game averaging 45 points and 529 yards per game, had only 166 yards at halftime.

Luke returns to earth

Luke, who was named Southwestern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week after completing 21-of-32 passes for 301 yards and four touchdowns last week in a 41-10 victory over Clark Atlanta, struggled in the first half against Mississippi Valley State.

Luke completed just 8-of-18 passes for 56 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He entered the game having completed 64 percent of his passes for 562 yards, seven touchdowns and just one interception.

Nice timing

Inside linebacker Jimmy Richardson, who lost his starting job to former Johnson High star Carlton Rice, picked a good time to come up with his first career interception.

With the game scoreless early in the second quarter, Richardson picked off a Semaj Williams pass to give the Bulldogs a first down at the MVSU 39.

Six plays later, Luke found Moody for the touchdown.

Moving the chains

With Alabama A&M's offense struggling early in the second quarter, Moody took matters into his own hands Saturday night against Mississippi Valley State.

Facing a fourth-and-four at the Delta Devils' 33-yard line, Luke found Moody, but he was short of the first down. The 6-foot, 249-pound Moody refused to go down, dragging a number of tacklers 6 yards to pick up the first down.

Traylor stuck in neutral

Defensive end Chris Traylor, who has more sacks than anybody in the Southwestern Athletic Conference over the last three seasons, had been held in check through Alabama A&M's first two games.

Traylor was shut out in the season opener against Tennessee State and managed just one last week against lowly Clark Atlanta.

Saturday night against Mississippi Valley State, Traylor had two in the first half and also forced a fumble.

Moland makes presence felt

Entering Saturday's game against Mississippi Valley State, Alabama A&M inside linebacker Avery Moland hadn't done much this season.

He had been credited with only nine tackles through the Bulldogs' first two games.

But he more than made up for it against the Delta Devils. Moland had seven tackles in the first half, including five solos and 2.5 tackles for loss. He also had one sack and recovered a fumble.

Commish in attendance

Duer Sharp, the interim commissioner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, attended Saturday night's Alabama A&M-Mississippi Valley State game.

Sharp, who took over June 15 when Robert Vowels left to take a job with the NCAA, was in Jackson, Miss., Thursday night to watch the Jackson State-Texas Southern game. He was in Montgomery on Friday watching the Alabama State Invitational volleyball tournament and came to Huntsville on Saturday. Sharp was heading to Indianapolis this morning to attend a two-day NCAA conference.

"We just want the student-athletes and coaches to know we're interested in what they're doing," Sharp said.

It was the second time in two weeks that Sharp has been at A&M.

He watched A&M's football team practice on Sept. 4 and stayed around to watch the Bulldogs' first volleyball match under new coach Nedra Brown that night.

"You just want them to know that you're out and if there's an issue we're here to talk about it and we can get it resolved," Sharp said.

Defensive changes

Alabama A&M's starting defense underwent some changes for the third straight week.

Left defensive tackle Renaldo Askew, who started the season opener against Tennessee State before losing his job to David Winston last week against Clark Atlanta, returned to the starting lineup against Mississippi Valley State.

Askew was not credited with a tackle against TSU, while Winston was credited with one stop. Askew had two tackles, including one tackle for loss and a sack against Clark Atlanta, while Winston didn't record a tackle.

Right cornerback Maurice Thomas started for the second week in a row after regular starter Frank Moore was out of the starting lineup for the second straight week after violating team rules.

Furthermore

Former Lee High standout Grant Mattix handled kickoff duties for A&M Saturday night. ... A&M failed to score in the first quarter for the first time this season. ... WR Nate Baxter sustained an ankle injury late in the first quarter and never returned. ... Licea's 25-yard field goal late in the first half was his first of the season. .... Combined, A&M and MVSU were 2-of-15 on third-down conversions in the first half. ... A&M had eight sacks through its first two games. The Bulldogs had four sacks in the first half against Mississippi Valley State.

Alabama A&M notebook

Huntsville Times

MVSU to challenge Bulldogs' offense

Anthony Jones says Alabama A&M's high-powered offense will be challenged Saturday night when Mississippi Valley State comes to town. Kickoff is at 6:30 at Louis Crews Stadium.

The Bulldogs are averaging 45 points and 529 yards in total offense through their first two games. The Delta Devils, while they are next-to-last in the league in total defense, allowing more than 360 yards per game, but coach Willie Totten's team has given up just 16 points per game.

"Their defense is playing solid," Jones said. "They've changed their scheme a little bit and they're going to present some problems for us. They're not giving up a lot of points. Southern had a good day against them, but they shut Arkansas-Pine Bluff down. They've done a good job defensively and we've got to be ready for them."

MVSU has been led by defensive lineman Ronald Green, a 6-foot, 320-pound junior. A first-team, preseason All-Southwestern Athletic Conference selection, Green has 23 tackles through two games. In fact, the Delta Devils' defensive line has been very productive.

Delta Devils strugglingwithout Nelson:Life after Aries Nelson hasn't been too kind to MVSU coach Willie Totten.

Nelson, MVSU's do-it-all quarterback, guided the Delta Devils to back-to-back winning seasons the last two years. Now that he's gone, the Delta Devils offense hasn't run nearly as smooth. Through two games, MVSU is ninth in the SWAC in scoring (11.0) and passing (137.0) and last in rushing (35.5) and total offense (172.5).

Paul Roberts moved into the starting lineup after Nelson left and has completed 55 percent of his passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns, but MVSU hasn't been able to get much going offensively.

"Our quarterback has to grow up," Totten said. "We have to be patient with him. We may be doing a little too much with him right now and that's something we've got to look at. He has the potential to be good."

Towns not fooled by MVSU's offense:A&M defensive coordinator Brawnski Towns says he won't be fooled by MVSU's paltry numbers on offense.

Running back Johey Hargrett, who rushed for 104 yards on 22 carries and scored a touchdown against the Bulldogs last season, is back along with Roberts and wide receiver Clarence Cotton.

Roberts started against A&M last season and was 4-of-6 for 72 yards as MVSU won 23-20. Cotton had two catches for 17 yards.

"Cotton is a good wide receiver and he's an excellent return man," Towns said. "Hargrett is a good running back and Roberts is very agile. We've got to contain those three guys if we expect to have a chance to win."

Reggie Benson

Mother knows best for AAMU Banks

By REGGIE BENSON, Huntsville Times

Mom's advice leads Birmingham tailback to A&M

Ulysses Banks had no intentions of coming to Alabama A&M. He wanted to play in the Southeastern Conference and had verbally committed to the University of Kentucky, but that was before he failed to qualify academically after a star-studded career at Parker High School in Birmingham.

Even so, Kentucky wanted to send Banks to Butler Community (Kan.) College and re-sign him two years later. That's when Banks' mother - Shirley - stepped in.

"My mother helped me make up my mind," Banks said. "She told me you're not going way up there."

Good thing he didn't. If he had, Banks wouldn't hold the single-game rushing record at A&M.

Banks had a night to remember on Saturday night.

In just his second career start, Banks, a 5-foot-8, 172-pound sophomore, rushed for a school-record 211 yards on 19 carries in A&M's 41-10 trouncing of Clark Atlanta. Banks' 211 yards eclipsed the mark of Jeremiah Bonds, who rushed for 197 yards against Mississippi Valley State on Sept. 20, 2003.

"We knew we could have a big night as an offensive unit, but I didn't know it was going to be that big," said Banks, whose father Kenny played for the Bulldogs in the 1980s. "I'm excited about it because it's my first 200-yard game and I've been playing football since I was 3.

"If I wouldn't have done it, it wouldn't have been right. The holes were so big that if I wouldn't have run for 200 yards, I would have let my linemen down because they worked so hard."

One of those linemen, left tackle Darius Turner, was mesmerized by Banks' effort. Turner has spent the last two years blocking for Nic Luke and Ta'mar Scott, more power runners than scat backs.

"I enjoyed his running," Turner said of Banks. "It's not something that I'm used to. He makes my job easy."

Turner and company made it easy for Banks, who admitted he was nervous Friday night and during Saturday's pre-game meal.

Banks shook off his butterflies and had 122 yards at halftime and never imagined he'd be around to top the 200-yard mark.

"I figured I'd play a little in the third quarter and then (Anthony) Green and (Sylvester) Steward would get in and have a big night," said Banks, who had runs of 39, 43 and 34 yards, respectively. "After the third quarter, they told me I needed six more yards and I said six more yards for what.

"They told me to just get six more yards and that's when I broke a long run and I was through for the night."

Banks picked up 34 yards on his final carry early in the fourth quarter to break the record.

Not bad for a guy who hadn't carried the ball in a game from scrimmage until this season.

"We saw what he could do in spring ball," A&M coach Anthony Jones said. "We knew he had the speed. We knew he had good vision. He's not a big kid, so we had to be smart how we used him."

Banks led the nation in kickoff returns last season, averaging 34.3 yards per return, including touchdowns against Southern and Alabama State.

"We don't win those games without him," Jones said. "We wouldn't have won the SWAC championship without him."

A&M probably won't win it without him this season, either.

Alabama A&M notebook

Huntsville Times

Bulldogs bite early

After struggling early in last week's season opener against Tennessee State, Alabama A&M's offense wasted little time in getting it going Saturday night against Clark Atlanta.

The Bulldogs went 73 yards in just five plays to take the lead two minutes into the game.

Quarterback Kelcy Luke found Thomas Harris for a pair of 13-yard gains and tailback Ulysses Banks ripped off a 39-yard gain down to the Clark Atlanta 3 and scored one play later.

Garrett on the prowl

Defensive tackle Whitney Garrett hasn't been much of a sackmaster during his first two seasons with the Bulldogs. Garrett had one sack in 2005 and was credited with half a sack last season.

It didn't take him long to get his first sack of the season Saturday night.

On the Panthers' third play from scrimmage, Whitney, a 6-foot-3, 287-pound junior from Talladega, broke through and sacked Clark Atlanta quarterback Corey Jones for a 3-yard loss.

Tucker takes a seat

A week after being called out by defensive coordinator Brawnski Towns for gambling defensively and giving up a 66-yard pass play that led to a Tennessee State touchdown, defensive back Stephan Tucker was beaten for a long touchdown pass midway through the first quarter against Clark Atlanta.

Mortimer Lightburn got behind Tucker and hauled in a 61-yard touchdown pass from Jones. Henry Boynton's extra made tied the game at 7-all. Frank Moore replaced Tucker two possessions later.

Moore, a preseason All-Southwestern Athletic Conference selection, didn't start after violating a team rule, Towns said. Moore, a 5-foot-9, 170-pound junior from Gadsden, led the league in interceptions last season with six.

Sophomore Maurice Thomas, who came on last season after Tucker sustained an ankle injury against Arkansas-Pine Bluff during the regular season, started in place of Moore.

Johnson goes long

Rashad Johnson sat out last a season as a academic casualty. After two games, he has already made his presence felt.

Johnson, a 5-foot-10, 185-pound wide receiver out of Murphy High School, caught a 65-yard touchdown pass from Luke with just less than three minutes remaining to give Alabama A&M a 21-7 advantage.

Harper takes the field

Defensive tackle Justin Harper, who underwent surgery on his left thumb during preseason practice and wasn't expected to return until the Grambling game on Sept. 22, entered the Clark Atlanta game late in the first quarter.

Banks burns up field

Banks had a huge first half Saturday night. Banks, who led the nation in kickoff returns last season, had 122 yards on just nine carries in the first 30 minutes, including a pair of touchdowns.

New Bulldogs in lineup

Alabama A&M had two new starters in the lineup on defense Saturday night.

David Winston, who sustained a back injury during preseason practice, started at left defensive tackle, while Dominique Cummings was back in the starting lineup at right end.

Winston replaced Renaldo Askew in the starting lineup, while Cummings replaced Jeremy Maddox.

Rematch may be ahead

Clark Atlanta athletics director Brenda Edmond-Square said she would be more than happy to play Alabama A&M again.

Edmond-Square said Clark Atlanta received "more than $20,000" to play A&M.

"We're interested in doing it again if the opportunity presented itself," she said.

Edmond-Square and A&M athletics director Betty Austin have had a long-going relationship and that led to the schools playing each other.

Edmond-Square said the game serves as more than a payday for Clark Atlanta.

"It puts a little money in our pocket, but we also saw this as a test," she said. "We've been rebuilding. We saw a big improvement in our team last year and we saw this game as an opportunity to see how much we've grown."

'Dogs no stranger to Georgia

Alabama A&M's roster is filled with players from Georgia. Thirteen Bulldogs call the Peach State home.

The list includes outside linebackers Bobby McClain (Atlanta) and Dorian Waluyn (Tucker), defensive back Jonathan McConico (Atlanta), punter Rashan Cylar (Stone Mountain), inside linebackers Quinton Holmes (Norcross) and Afu Okusun (College Park), defensive ends Chris Traylor (West Point) and Dominique Cummings (Atlanta), offensive linemen Russell Jackson (Riverdale) and Leon Thompson (Roswell), wide receiver Darius Griffin (Decatur) and defensive tackles Frank Kearse (Savannah) and Renaldo Askew (Atlanta).

Clark Atlanta's roster included three players from Alabama.

The list included running backs Arthur Stokes (Montgomery), linebacker Joel Allen (Mobile) and offensive lineman Alphonso Johnson (Montgomery).

Seven inducted to A&M Hall

Seven new members were added to the Alabama A&M Athletic Hall of Fame Friday night at the Ernest L. Knight Reception Center. They were recognized during halftime of Saturday's game.

The list included wide receiver Roy Dean, Ernest French, who played football and baseball for the Bulldogs, running back Reginald Gipson, former head football coach Ray Greene, Ananias Harris, who played football and baseball for the Bulldogs, defensive back Cleveland Jarman Jr. and former basketball standout Frank Sillmon.

French was a four-time All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference performer in football and a three-time pick in baseball.

He finished his career with 22 interceptions, 347 tackles and was twice named the league's Defensive Back of the Year. In baseball, French led the nation in hitting with a .525 batting average in 1980.

Gipson was the SIAC Player of the Year in 1981 when he set the A&M single-season rushing record.

Green compiled a 53-27-5 record during eight seasons and won three SIAC championships and led the Bulldogs to their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs in 1979.

Sillmon helped A&M compile a 55-9 record during two seasons in the late 1980s.

Furthermore

Alabama A&M had 318 yards - 157 rushing and 161 passing - in the first half. ... Quinton Carlock made his A&M debut as a punt returner and had two for 19 yards in the first half. ... Jeremy Licea's consecutive extra point streak was snapped at 17 in a row when Clark Atlanta's Michael Porter broke through to block his point after following Alabama A&M's first touchdown of the third quarter. .... Traylor, who has more sacks in the SWAC than anybody the last three seasons, picked up his first one of the season midway through the third quarter.

-Reggie Benson