Alabama A&M secures SWAC football championship with 40-33 win over UAPB

JACKSON, Miss. – In a history-making season for thus many causes, No. 22 Alabama A&M  capped it off with one of many largest wins in program historical past because the Bulldogs claimed the spring 2023 SWAC Soccer Championship with an exhilarating 40-33 victory over No. 25 Arkansas-Pine Bluff (4-1, 4-0 SWAC) on Saturday.

It’s the seventh time within the championship sport for A&M because the Bulldogs (5-0, 3-0 SWAC) made the journey beforehand following the 2000, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2011 seasons and is simply the second SWAC title in program historical past. In a “déjà vu once more” second, the primary got here on December 16, 2006, when the Bulldogs additionally defeated UAPB, successful 22-13 additionally in come-from-behind style.

Senior quarterback Aqeel Glass led the A&M assault as he went 24-of-45 for 271 yards and three touchdowns towards only one interception.

Senior large receiver Zabrian Moore was on the receiving finish of 5 of these completions for 111 yards and a pair of scores whereas sophomore wideout Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim had six grabs for 61 yards. Benefiting from his one catch, redshirt-junior tight finish Anthony Howard snagged the opposite landing on the day from seven yards out.

Alabama A&M junior working again Gary Quarles contributed 87 yards on 23 carries. Two of these totes noticed him find yourself within the endzone

As spectacular because the offense was, the protection made the case that they had been even higher. Three totally different people recorded double-digit tackles, a gaggle led by senior linebacker Armoni Holloway with 13, seven of which had been solo.

He was joined by junior defensive lineman Marcus Cushnie with 12 tackles, seven solo, three for loss and a pair of sacks. Redshirt-senior linebacker Quantravis Kelly joined in with 10 tackles with eight of these as solos and one for loss and his team-high third interception of the season.

In a match-up of undefeated, nationally ranked groups taking part in for a convention title, it was well worth the worth of admission because it was a back-and-forth affair proper right down to the closing seconds.

The Bulldogs took their opening drive right down to the UAPB 12-yard line earlier than seeing it stall and Corey approaching to knock via his 29-yarder for an early 3-0 lead at only a minute and a half in. The Golden Lions would then come away with sturdy discipline place with a 35-yard return from Josh Wilkes that put it on the A&M 46-yard line.

From there Skyler Perry would join on a 15-yarder to DeJuan Miller and a 17-yarder to Wilkes as a part of a seven-play, 46-yard drive that culminated with a four-yard dashing landing from Mattias Clark to place Arkansas-Pine Bluff up 7-3 on the 10:24 mark.

Again-and-forth within the title battle can be the order of the day as Glass led the Bulldogs on an eight-play, 75-yard drive that noticed him hit Moore for a 30-yard landing strike to flip the script and retake the lead, this time 10-7 with not even half of the opening body passed by.

The league’s high return man would then weigh in as Tyrin Ralph took the following kickoff again 81-yards to place UAPB again on high, 14-10, on the 7:26 mark. In a flip from what the primary half of the opening quarter held, every of the subsequent two drives for each groups wouldn’t lead to a rating however it might be the Golden Lions who would fall sufferer to sudden change as a Perry move ended up within the arms of Kelly on the primary play of the second quarter.

Additionally learn: Aqeel Glass named SWAC Participant of the Yr, Doc Gamble Coach of the Yr

Alabama A&M would see that drive stall at their very own 33-yard line following an unsportsmanlike penalty however would flip proper round and profit from a roughing the kicker penalty – on a fourth-and-33 no much less – that saved the drive alive on the A&M 48-yard line. From there it might be Quarles that might pay it off with 31 yards dashing on the drive, together with a three-yard landing scamper. A blocked further level by Keyvien Johnson then saved it at a 16-14 Bulldog benefit with 11:07 left within the half.

After taking a six-yard sack on the opening play of their subsequent drive, Perry orchestrated a 9 play, 71-yard effort that featured a 31-yard completion to Harry Ballard III and capped off with a five-yard landing connection from Taylor Holston to Miller for a 20-16 lead on the 7:04 mark.

However it might be solely six factors and a four-point swing total as A&M blocked the additional level and Inexperienced proceeded to scoop it up and go 98 yards the opposite manner for a defensive two-point conversion, immediately slicing the lead in half at 20-18.

In a possible momentum swing, on the third play of the Bulldogs’ subsequent sequence Glass was strip sacked by Chris Newton and Kolby Watts did his personal scoop-and-score, this for a landing from 33-yards out that put UAPB up 26-18 with 5:17 displaying on the clock following a failed two-point conversion. That might then be the margin the groups would take to the half.

Alabama A&M then allowed simply 4 performs to the Golden Lions on their drive to open the second half earlier than going 12 performs and 79 yards themselves with Glass capping it off with the seven-yard strike to Howard. With the additional level, that reduce the deficit to 26-25 with eight minutes left within the third.

The protection got here up large as soon as once more as they held Arkansas-Pine Bluff to 6 performs and 18 yards on their subsequent drive and the offense capitalized as soon as once more, this time going 80-yards in eight performs. Glass would hit redshirt-junior tight finish Kendric Johnson (New Market, Ala.) on a 35-yard completion as a key play in a drive that might see Quarles hit the endzone from three yards out once more, giving A&M again the lead 32-26 with 1:24 on the clock.

It could take till the center of the fourth for the scoreboard to alter once more however when it did it might be within the Bulldogs favor. With their drive beginning with just below 10 minutes left, Quarles bought issues going with an 18-yard scamper and Glass would ship a key 15-yard rush on third-and-10 from UAPB’s 28-yard line to maintain the drive alive. On the very subsequent play he dropped a ball into the ready arms of Moore from 13 yards out to stretch to a commanding 40-26 lead following a two-point conversion.

Confronted with little time and a small probability of success, the Golden Lions wouldn’t surrender, nevertheless, as they punted on their ensuing drive and saved A&M from including to their lead on their subsequent possession. Getting the ball again with 5:11 on the clock, Perry engineered an 11-play, 72-yard drive that noticed Wilkes snag an 11-yard landing to chop it to 40-33 with 2:30 to play.

UAPB would handle to get the ball again with 37 seconds left, beginning that drive in Alabama A&M territory on the 34-yard line. A 12-yard rush by Perry would get it right down to the 22-yard line however three straight incompletions left the Golden Lions looking at fourth-and-endzone. The down and distance wouldn’t matter as Perry rifled one to the endzone – solely to see it land within the ready arms of McGhee with six seconds left.

Following one final heave to expire the clock, the Bulldogs may say one thing just one different staff within the historical past of this system may – that they had been Champions of the Southwestern Athletic Convention.

Perry transformed on 23-of-36 makes an attempt for 231 yards and one landing whereas throwing three picks to guide UAPB whereas Taylor Holston got here in for one play, connecting on a five-yard landing strike.

On the bottom, Perry rushed 16 instances for 71 yards with an extended of 12 and Clark picked up simply 5 yards however discovered the endzone within the course of. Issues regarded higher via the air as Miller caught six balls for 69 yards and a landing and Wilkes had six grabs for 48 yards and a rating. Ballard added 5 catches for 60 yards.

Defensively, Isaac Peppers recorded a pair of sacks, six tackles and a pair of.5 tackles for loss whereas Watts had a 33-yard fumble restoration for a landing and 7 tackles. Newton and Athen Smith every had a full sack whereas Zion Farmer and Timon Akins shared one. The latter added eight tackles on the day and Jalon Thigpen got here away with an interception.

Courtesy: SWAC