UAPB Beverly turns hitch route into game-winning catch

Dezmond Beverly didn’t have a single reception before Saturday night.

And with less than five minutes remaining, Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s freshman receiver had just one catch for 12 yards, which set up UAPB’s touchdown on the opening drive. His second catch proved to be even bigger.

Beverly ran along the Alabama A&M sideline, broke a tackle and sprinted 40 yards to the end zone with 4:09 left to wrap up the Golden Lions’ 21-14 come-from-behind victory over the Bulldogs.

“Had to make a play,” said Beverly, who was forced out of a redshirt year because of injuries to other receivers earlier in the season. “That’s what was going through my head. ... I broke the tackle ...

Golden Lions Outlast Alabama A&M Bulldogs 21-14

PINE BLUFF, Ark.- The University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions football team was able to grind out a critical 21-14 win over the Alabama A&M Bulldogs on Saturday night at Golden Lions Stadium.

Offensively Arkansas-Pine Bluff tallied 357 yards (103 R, 254 P) while AAMU amassed 338 total yards (235 R, 103 P). T.J. Shelton’s 19 yard reception put UAPB on the board first giving the Golden Lions a 7-0 edge early in the first quarter.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff went on to score a touchdown in the third quarter on a 8 yard Stephen Jones run tying the game at 14 all. A 40 yard Desmond Beverly touchdown reception with 4:09 left to play sealed the victory in UAPB’s favor.

Quarterback Joshua Boudreaux went 18-33 for 254 yards and two touchdowns. Raymond Webber continued to set the mold for Division I FCS receivers as he tallied 8 catches for 110 yards.

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Attendance: 11805

Title-minded Tigers, Bulldogs collide

A Michigan boy more used to snow flurries than sunburns, Casey Therriault had a lot to learn when he arrived in the Deep South just a few months ago. So, cut the Jackson State quarterback some slack if he didn't know the magnitude of the Alabama A&M-Jackson State game until a few days ago.

The important thing? He knows now. "Whoever wins goes to the SWAC championship," Therriault said Tuesday while walking off the practice field.

Tigers to face banged-up Dogs

Anthony Jones won't act like it's not an issue. It is. "When you get a chance to rest and get an extra week to prepare, it's an advantage," the Alabama A&M coach said.

The Bulldogs (2-3, 1-2 SWAC) travel to Jackson this weekend for a 4 p.m. meeting Saturday with Jackson State (3-1, 1-1). And they do so with - to use a cliche - the deck stacked against them.

Traditional powers A&M, JSU tangle

In the nutty, keep-you-on-your-toes Southwestern Athletic Conference, where this week’s contender is next week’s also-ran, no one yet knows how the Eastern Division race will play out.

Alabama State had the early lead, then dropped two straight games.

Jackson State's challenge is to stay on pace with Alcorn State

Jackson State’s hopes of reaching the SWAC championship game are on the line this weekend. The Tigers (3-1, 1-1) host Alabama A&M on Saturday in what’s considered an elimination game. The winner remains on pace with Alcorn State to win the East Division title and the loser faces an uphill climb.

Jackson State, coming off an open date, unexpectedly has one of Division I-AA’s top quarterbacks in Casey Therriault. The junior college transfer has produced three 300-yard passing games this season.

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Jomarcus Savage has happy homecoming with Grambling victory over A&M

HUNTSVILLE, AL. -- When Jomarcus Savage decided to transfer from Auburn, he briefly considered Alabama A&M. "My parents were in my ear," he admitted. Naturally so, since his father Joe Savage played for A&M and since Jomarcus played at Johnson High. Alas, Alabama A&M was "too close to home," Jomarcus said.

Grambling State was apparently the right fit. On Saturday afternoon, as A&M held homecoming, so did Savage. For the first time since he was a 9-year-old linebacker in Pop Warner football, he was back at Louis Crews Stadium, this time for Grambling's 25-22 win over A&M.

Football team and the excitement around it proves to be heartbeat of Alabama A&M

HUNTSVILLE, AL. -- The prettiest girl. The most spectacular day. The greatest food. Every day should be homecoming. They just need to turn out differently than this one.

In a luxury box above Louis Crews Stadium, Alabama A&M president Dr. Andrew Hugine Jr. was following the frantic final seconds. "If we can just get close enough to kick a field goal," he was saying as the Bulldogs gained a late first down, then stopped the clock.

Peering over rows of his guests in theater seats, Hugine watched Deaunte Mason throw his 31st pass of the game. If ... If ...

Batiste's return sparks GSU comeback

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Alabama A&M, with a chance to prove it is one of the elite teams in the Southwestern Athletic Conference on Saturday, failed to deliver. The Bulldogs, who have struggled against Grambling since joining the conference, had the Tigers on the ropes, but could not land the punch to knock them out.

Frank Warren ran roughshod through A&M's vaunted defense, and the Tigers also got an 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown that proved to be the difference as Grambling hung on for a 25-22 victory before an announced crowd of 12,328 on homecoming at Louis Crews Stadium.

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Offense comes alive as A&M dominates Southern

HUNTSVILLE, AL - In lopsided losses to Tennessee State and Texas Southern, Alabama A&M's offense looked virtually inept. The Bulldogs were limited to 276 yards in a 27-14 loss to Tennessee State and were held to 197 yards in a 32-9 loss at Texas Southern a week ago. Thank goodness for Southern.

A&M's offense came to life against the Jaguars, finishing with 455 total yards as the Bulldogs whipped Southern 34-14 Saturday night in an important Southwestern Athletic Conference game in front of an announced crowd of 6,218 at Louis Crews Stadium.

After strong start, Jaguars falter

NORMAL, Ala. — On the glorious first play from scrimmage, the Gary Hollimon experiment worked. Virtually everything else did not.

On a rain-soaked field at Louis Crews Stadium on Saturday night, the Southern football team started strong for the first time this season, getting a 62-yard touchdown run from Hollimon, their tailback-turned-quarterback, in the Jaguars’ Southwestern Athletic Conference opener against Alabama A&M.

From that moment, the Bulldogs blitzed, ran, passed and thoroughly beat Southern 34-14 in a game that had to make fans wonder if they’re in for a long first season under new coach Stump Mitchell.

Alabama A&M grades

Offense: A: The Bulldogs, who looked a lot some of Alabama A&M's units in recent years, finished with a season-high 455 yards in total offense, 234 rushing and 221 passing.

Defense: A-minus: Defensive coordinator Brawnski Towns wasn't pleased with Southern quarterback Gary Hollimon's 62-yard touchdown run to start the game, but the Bulldogs dominated the Jaguars the rest of the way.

A&M's Jones, Texas Southern's Cole exchange words

HOUSTON, TX - Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones and Texas Southern coach Johnnie Cole exchanged words after the game was over and had to be separated. Jones said Cole said something to him and everything became chaotic.

"He said I was disrespecting him and his program," Jones said. "When I asked him for an explanation, one of his guys starting pushing me. I didn't throw a punch. I didn't try to throw a punch. I asked Johnnie what he was talking about and I told him he was being disrespectful.

"He ran off and the guy pushed me and (A&M sports information director) Brandon (Willis). Johnnie came back and I told him we could talk and people started grabbing me."

Alabama A&M, Butler High collaborate on The Hill Project - Class ...

HUNTSVILLE, AL - Madison County District Judge Lynn Sherrod knows what happens too often to high-school dropouts. They show up in her courtroom.

"There's a direct correlation between school performance and delinquent behavior," said Sherrod, who tries juvenile court cases. In the prison population, "an overwhelming percentage did not graduate from high school," she said.

With that in mind, Sherrod spearheaded a recent trip to Alabama A&M University for freshmen at Butler High School. About half the class of 180 spent the day attending workshops on decision making and preparing for college as well as touring the campus.

Offensive outburst fuels TSU past Alabama A&M

Texas Southern stumbled like a punch-drunk boxer for three quarters against Alabama A&M on Saturday, landing only occasional jabs. The Tigers, however, had plenty left in the tank to deliver the knockout blow in the final period.

With an aggressive defense leading the way, TSU forced two turnovers and broke open a close game with 20 points in the fourth quarter to sprint past the Bulldogs 32-9 before 6,347 at Delmar Stadium.

Tuskegee, Alabama A&M to play in Mobile in 2011 and 2013

Tuskegee University has secured a contract with Alabama A&M to play at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in 2012 and 2014, and athletic director Alvin Jackson said he also wants to play in Mobile in 2011 and 2013. The Golden Tigers are eager to establish a presence in the Mobile area beginning with their game against Texas Southern a week from today at 1 p.m. at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

"We're excited about bringing our program to the Mobile area," said Jackson. "We have the signed contracts with Alabama A&M and are currently in the process of finding an opponent for the 2011 and 2013 seasons. We fully intend to play here those seasons."

Florida A&M, Southern, Grambling and Jackson State are some of the programs named as possible opponents.

Next week's game was initially scheduled to be played in Los Angeles but was moved due to promotional problems. And Jackson made it clear that this game will in no way be similar to the now-defunct Gulf Coast Classic.

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Note to Fans:

Just the 'beepbeep' thoughts on this matter...
The majority of RattlerNation has no interest in watching the Rattlers play Division II football teams. This is not an upgrade for FAMU's program. Clearly athletic director Alvin Jackson is trying to pump up interest in his ball game by name dropping the superior brand of Florida A&M University.

Don't hold your breath expecting FAMU to pass up a $600,000 money game with an FBC school, to play Tuskegee in Mobile. No disrespect to Tuskegee University or the City of Mobile, but FAMU is seeking an FCS National Championship, not an easy "W" that does not help the Rattlers FCS playoff opportunity.

Is this a sign that Tuskegee is considering moving up to Division I? I haven't heard anything on this subject officially... The Rattlers won the first NCAA D1-AA National Championship in 1978 after defeating the University of Massachusetts.

Jackson should consider "renting the Marching 100 for a command appearance" at an attractive price, plus expenses and he will get the butts in the seats that he desire in Mobile.

A&M prepares for SWAC opener

HUNTSVILLE, Al. - The preseason is over for Alabama A&M. A run for a berth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference championship game starts at Texas Southern Saturday. Kickoff is noon.
It is the first of nine straight grueling conference games for the Bulldogs after league officials elected to go back to the nine-game schedule after playing only seven each of the last two years.

"We're going to take it one step at a time," A&M coach Anthony Jones said Sunday afternoon, a day after the Bulldogs whipped Central State 45-0 in the inaugural Louis Crews Classic to even their record at 1-1. "We're going to get ourselves ready for this long bus ride and get down there and deal with the heat and the adversity of playing on the road."

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Inaugural Louis Crews Classic to Honor All-Time Coach

A heightened sense of excitement is in the air for Alabama A&M’s home opener Saturday against Central State (Ohio) in the inaugural Louis Crews Classic. The game honors one of the Bulldogs’ legendary coaches, whose 93-53-3 record in 16 seasons makes him No. 1 in school history in victories and second in winning percentage (.624) behind only current A&M coach Anthony Jones (.642). A week of activities surrounds the game, which coincides with the 100th anniversary of Alabama A&M football.

“This is a way to honor a great man and set the tone for the season,’’ Alabama A&M Director of Athletics Betty Austin said.

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Tennessee State wins in Coach Rod Reed's debut

The Rod Reed coaching era started with a bang for Tennessee State and never let up. After redshirt freshman Ray Weatherspoon exploded untouched on the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown the Tigers roared to 27-14 route over Alabama A&M in the John Merritt Classic at LP Field before a crowd of 22,607.

It made for a jubilant debut for Reed, the former defensive coordinator who took over the head coaching job after James Webster resigned after TSU posted a 4-7 record last season. Reed was doused with a bucket of Gatorade by his players in the final seconds of the game.

After redshirt freshman Ray Weatherspoon exploded untouched on the opening kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown the Tigers roared to 27-14 route over Alabama A&M in the John Merritt Classic at LP Field before a crowd of 22,607. It made for a jubilant debut for Reed, the former defensive coordinator who...




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The record shows Jones has been great for A&M Bulldogs

HUNTSVILLE, AL - Alabama A&M's football program was at a crossroads nine years ago. The athletics director at the time, the late Jim Martin, convinced that A&M had outgrown NCAA Division II and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, led the Bulldogs to NCAA Division I-AA in football and Division I-A in all other sports and into the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

He hired Ron Cooper, a local product who virtually grew up on campus, played at Jacksonville State and later coached at Notre Dame and Louisville, to put A&M's football program on the map. Cooper did a good job, but could have done better had it not been for all of his off-the-field projects. When he left after going 22-23 from 1998-2001 and leading A&M to a berth in the 2000 SWAC championship game, Martin needed someone that could improve what Cooper had built.

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Starting points

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Replacing Banks no easy task for Bulldogs‎

A&M's Okosun to miss first 2 games of the season ‎

Thomas is happy to be at A&M

HUNTSVILLE, AL - Demetrius Thomas could have gone to a number of different schools after he elected to leave Marshall. Southern Mississippi, South Alabama, Alabama State and Texas Southern pursued him. In the end, Thomas chose A&M and he couldn't be happier.

"A&M went to the SWAC championship game last year and I wanted to be a part of a winning program," said Thomas, a fleet-footed wide receiver from Theodore. It didn't hurt that the Bulldogs were in desperate need of some impact players after losing Thomas Harris, the school's all-time leading receiver.

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Alabama A&M's Goldsby finds home at tight end‎

HUNTSVILLE, AL - Bobby Goldsby looked near and far three years ago for a place to play college football. An undersized tight end, he was a decent high school player in Leominster, Mass., but didn't draw a lot of attention.

Goldsby knew about Grambling and Alabama A&M and sent his highlight tape to each school. Fortunately, A&M coach Anthony Jones called and offered him an opportunity to walk on.

"I watched him on film and I thought he had some ability, but he wasn't ready to play college football...

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A&M offense, defense in high gear in mock scrimmage

HUNTSVILLE, AL - While it has yet to play a game this season, Alabama A&M's offense looks like it will be pretty potent despite losing all-time leading rusher Ulysses Banks and all-time leading receiver Thomas Harris.

In a mock scrimmage against Tennessee State's defense, quarterback Deaunte Mason threw for 175 yards and two touchdowns and led the first-team unit to four scores in six possessions and the first defense came up with three sacks and forced four turnovers Saturday night at Louis Crews Stadium.

"Offensively, we made some mistakes, but...

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A&M offensive line will be good again‎

HUNTSVILLE, Al. - The goal hasn't changed for Alabama A&M's offensive line. Ever since offensive line coach Cedric Pearl came to town nine years ago, the Bulldogs have vowed not only to be the best unit in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, but the best unit in the South.

"We've got to perform at a high level because the offense can't function if we're not efficient," Pearl said. "We always want to shoot high. That's a standard we set and we try to work to reach that goal."

With so many key losses on offense...

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A&M's experienced secondary ready for big year

A&M's experienced secondary ready for big year

HUNTSVILLE, AL. - Experienced. Talented. Versatile. It sounds like an advertisement for a big name company. Instead, the words describe Alabama A&M's secondary. The Bulldogs, under long-time defensive coordinator and secondary coach Brawnski Towns, believe they can be one of the best units in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. They certainly have the experience to be.

Starting cornerbacks Korey Morrison and Chris Faush are fifth-year seniors. So are strong safety Ray Segura and will linebacker Marcus Thomas. Throw in junior free safety Rico Porch, who had 44 tackles and three interceptions last season, junior cornerback Clarence Morris and sophomore will linebacker Vernon Marshall, who had 49 tackles last season as a true freshman, and A&M has all of the ingredients to be solid in the secondary.

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Kearse still believes in A&M's defense

Defensive tackle Frank Kearse doesn't appear to be too concerned that Alabama A&M's first defense has struggled mightily against the first offense in two preseason scrimmages. Last Wednesday, quarterback Deaunte Mason got the best of Kearse and company. On Saturday, running backs Tony Green and Kaderius Lacey carved up the Bulldogs' defense.

"They caught us in some bad situations and made some big plays," Kearse said. Despite that, Kearse says the Bulldogs have more than enough time to get ready for the season opener against Tennessee State on Sept. 4. "I want us to play with more intensity and know our assignments," he said. "Getting in the playbook will help us out a lot."

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A&M still favored after losing offensive stars‎

Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones is flattered that his team is considered the front-runner in the Southwestern Athletic Conference East Division. It's a pretty nice sign of respect since the Bulldogs must replace players like tailback Ulysses Banks, wide receiver Thomas Harris and defensive end Jeremy Maddox. "We lost a lot of weapons from last year, a lot of weapons," Jones said. "For people to think we'll be back in the hunt, that's pretty amazing.

You lose the No. 1 running back in school history, the No. 1 receiver in school history, the No. 1 placekicker (Jeremy Licea) in school history — all those weapons are gone. That's most of our points and yards gone. "People still think we have a chance. That's pretty special."

Of course, there are plenty of experienced players returning, including 14 starters. The Bulldogs won the East in 2009 but the season ended with a 30-24 loss to Prairie View A&M in the SWAC championship game. The same two teams were picked to win their divisions again. Alabama A&M has quarterback Deaunte Mason back with some seasoning, but the defense has the most experience and leadership coming back. That group is led by preseason All-SWAC picks linebacker Afu Okosun (79 tackles) and defensive lineman Frank Kearse (12 tackles for loss). Cornerback Korey Morrison returns after intercepting five passes. The Bulldogs do lose Maddox, who had 12 sacks.

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AAMU's Mason looks sharp in scrimmage

HUNTSVILLE, AL - Alabama A&M quarterback Deaunte Mason would love to have running back Ulysses Banks and wide receiver Thomas Harris back, but he says the Bulldogs' offense will be just fine this season. It sure looked that way early on during Wednesday's 80-plus play scrimmage as Mason led the first offense to a pair of touchdowns against the first defense.

After the early success with Mason, the Bulldogs' defense settled down and didn't allow any points over the last nine possessions. "It was a good day, but we've still got room to improve," said Mason, one of the big reasons A&M was picked to defend its Southwestern Athletic Conference Eastern Division title. "I think we showed at times we can still have a good offense this season."

Mason engineered a 12-play, 70-yard drive and capped it with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Quintin Carlock, who beat All-SWAC preseason cornerback Korey Morrison on the play. Mason was 5-of-6 on the drive for 35 yards and also had a nine-yard run for a first down on a third-and-4 play.

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A&M Nelson hopes move to fullback results in more playing time‎

Bryan Nelson's chances of getting on the field this season appeared to be pretty slim. Sure, he probably could have played some on special teams, but Nelson, buried down the depth chart at inside linebacker, wanted a bigger role. So, when Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones asked Nelson to consider moving to fullback at the beginning of summer workouts, he jumped at the chance.

"I did it for the team and myself," said Nelson, who is battling Chris Hall, another converted linebacker, and true freshman Joseph Porter for playing time. "We've got great backs in Tony (Green) and (Kaderius) Lacey and they can run the ball well with a lead blocker and I felt like I could help them be productive." The Bulldogs haven't had a quality fullback since Trevis O'Neal finished his eligibility after the 2006 season. Roger Smith started at fullback last season, but elected not to return for his fifth year.

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A&M's Wilson wants chance to handle more kicking duties

HUNTSVILLE, AL - Chance Wilson was content with being the starting punter at Alabama A&M last season. The redshirt freshman averaged 36.5 yards per punt and was among the leaders in the Southwestern Athletic Conference with 25 kicks inside the 20-yard line to help the Bulldogs reach the league championship game.

Now, Wilson, a former Buckhorn High School start, wants to do more. And, he just might get an opportunity. Wilson served as the Bucks' kicker and punter for three years before coming to A&M. With Jeremy Licea, the leading scorer in school history, having graduated and Ray Blanks academically ineligible, Wilson may get a chance to do both jobs this season.

"I told (A&M) Coach (Anthony) Jones during the spring that I wanted a chance to kick and punt," Wilson said Wednesday. "He told me I was going to get that chance. Ray didn't participate in spring practice and they were looking for a kicker, but right now I'm the guy." Jones is still looking a kicker as the Bulldogs continue preseason practice, but Wilson is confident he can do both jobs effectively.

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