JACKSON, Miss. – Senior quarterback Aqeel Glass delivered a day for the ages and Alabama A&M (3-0, 2-0 SWAC) put up probably the most factors towards a Division I opponent in 12 years as they raced previous Jackson State (3-3, 2-2 SWAC) 52-43 in an NCAA Division I soccer recreation on Saturday, April 10.
Glass went 27-of-40 with no interceptions and set career-highs with four hundred and forty yards passing and 6 touchdowns whereas including a seventh on the bottom to guide the Bulldogs offensive assault whereas senior vast receiver Zabrian Moore was the recipient of 4 of these receptions for 114 yards and a landing.
Sophomore vast receiver Odieu Hilarie caught six balls for 100 yards and a rating and fellow second-year wideout Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim (Miramar, Fla.) snagged 5 for 94 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Junior wideout Brian Jenkins, Jr. added six catches for 66 yards.
Junior operating again Gary Quarles added 47 yards receiving on three grabs to go together with his team-high 86-yards speeding and redshirt-junior tight finish Anthony Howard snagged the ultimate landing of the day.
As a complete, the offense completed one thing solely performed 9 instances for the reason that program moved to Division I in 1998 and that’s rating no less than 50 factors. The DI Period program document is 63 in a 63-20 victory over Division II Central State on September 28, 2019 however the Bulldogs’ 52 factors on the day are probably the most towards a Division I opponent since hanging 58 (58-23) on Mississippi Valley State on November 21, 2008.
Getting the ball again to gasoline that prolific offense on an excellent many events was an A&M protection that delivered 4 sacks and eight tackles for loss. Headlining that group had been junior defensive finish Marcus Cushnie and senior linebacker Armoni Holloway with one among every and 4 tackles apiece.
Junior defensive sort out Eli Jackson and senior defensive finish Richard McKenzie every added a sack and senior defensive lineman Selmar Russell had a pair of TFLs. Senior security Tralik Cofield led the staff with six tackles.
Regardless of the 35-day layoff, there was no rust because the Bulldogs took the ball 74 yards on their first possession of the sport to go up 7-0 with simply 3:10 passed by. Glass delivered back-to-back connections with Jenkins, Jr., and Hilarie with strikes of 15- and 23-yards earlier than hitting Ibrahim on a nine-yard rating.
The Tigers would reply late within the quarter as they pounded out 31 yards on the bottom as a part of an eight-play, 66-yard drive that may see Warren Newman scamper into the endzone from six yards out on the 2:33 mark.
That 7-7 impasse would keep in play till JSU caught lightning in a bottle with their first drive of the second quarter. That may come within the type of Santee Marshall, a participant simply elevated from the scout staff, that broke unfastened on the sideline for a 54-yard landing run to place the Tigers up 14-7 with 13:37 exhibiting on the clock.
Additionally learn: Alabama A&M compelled to postpone recreation towards Prairie View, once more, on account of COVID-19 protocols
It wouldn’t keep that approach lengthy as A&M would match that lengthy play functionality on their subsequent drive. Glass accomplished a pair of mid-range passes earlier than lofting a contact go over a defender out to the flat to Quarles. The speedy again would then break away, reducing it again inside for a 43-yard landing to knot it up at 14-14 on the 12:14 mark.
The shootout would proceed as AAMU compelled a 3-and-out after which answered the bell once more as Odieu caught a ball for 17 yards and the Bulldogs benefitted from a private foul to get all the way down to the Tigers five-yard line. From there, on what seemed to be a busted play, Glass improvised as he tucked and ran it in himself for a 21-14 lead slightly below seven minutes into the second quarter.
Jackson State got here proper again, nonetheless, going eight performs and 53 yards on a drive that was capped by a 17-yard landing seize by Newman that tied it at 21-21 with 4:32 left within the half. That may nonetheless not come near what Glass and the Bulldogs had on faucet, nonetheless.
On their very subsequent possession, Glass hit Ibrahim for 19 yards earlier than turning it unfastened for a 61-yard, in-stride connection to Moore for a go-ahead landing, all in simply 38 seconds. That 28-21 lead would then maintain up over the ultimate 3:45 because the groups headed to the locker room with that margin on the scoreboard.
It could be a margin that may proceed to develop over the opening minutes as A&M shut down the Tigers on their opening drive after which resumed their assault on the scoreboard. A 35-yard strike to Ibrahim, adopted by one other private foul on the protection, rapidly moved the Bulldogs all the way down to JSU’s 11-yard line. From there Glass rifled one into Hilaire to stretch to a 35-21 lead by the 12:04 mark.
Quincey Casey and JSU answered proper again with a five-play, 61-yard drive that capped off with a 24-yard landing go to Daylen Baldwin simply 2:15 later. Redshirt-junior kicker Spencer Corey would tack on a 34-yard area aim at 3:41 to increase to a 10-point margin, 38-28, and it could keep there till early within the fourth quarter.
Glass would as soon as once more do injury, this time main a seven-play, 75-yard drive that he capped off with a 25-yard strike to Ibrahim to push it to 45-28 at 14:29. Halfway via the body, the Tigers would discover the endzone once more as Casey related with Newman from seven yards out however Glass and the A&M offense weren’t performed but.
A 27-yard strike to Hilaire and a 17-yard reference to Jenkins, Jr. helped transfer the ball deep into JSU territory earlier than Glass drilled one to Howard for a four-yard TD with 2:49 to play.
Aided by a pair of non-public foul penalties, the Tigers then went 67 yards in 5 performs, culminating with a seven-yard landing to Newman. Following a two-point conversion, that drive reduce the deficit to 52-43 with 1:29 to play. They’d get no nearer, nonetheless, because the Bulldogs then salted away the ultimate seconds for the nine-point victory.
Casey led Jackson State as he went 30-of-47 with 323 yards and 4 touchdowns in his first begin of the 12 months whereas Marshall rushed 19 instances for 126 yards and a landing. Newman caught 9 balls for 68 yards and three touchdowns and added one other on the bottom and Baldwin snagged six for 135 yards and a rating. Christian Allen and Corey Reed, Jr. every added six catches for 80 and 43 yards, respectively.
Defensively, Keonte Hampton had 9 tackles, one for loss, and Markel Gladney and Justin Ragin cut up a sack with the latter having 2.5 TFLs. Kevin Berthey had eight tackles and Aubrey Miller, Jr. and Khalil Arrington every had seven.
After having returned in midseason type following a 35-day layoff, Alabama A&M faces one among their hardest challenges as they tackle rival Alabama State within the Magic Metropolis Traditional subsequent week. Set for Saturday, April 17 at Birmingham’s venerable Legion Subject, kickoff for that recreation is about for six:30 p.m. and might be aired dwell on ESPNU.
Courtesy: Alabama A&M Athletics
Supply hyperlink
Powered by WPeMatico
