By Donald Hunt
For The Birmingham Times
When Alabama A&M entertains the high scoring Southern Jaguars, it’s going to be important for the Bulldogs to control the pace of the game. Alabama A&M could do that with a strong running attack. In the Bulldogs’ 41-20 loss to Prairie View A&M, running back Jordan Bentley had 12 carries for 126 yards and one touchdown. Bentley had one of the top performances in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) last week.
Alabama A&M quarterback De’Angelo Ballard turned in a strong ground effort picking up 111 yards on 20 attempts and scoring one TD. A ball control offense could be a key for the Bulldogs in slowing down the Jaguars along with solid defense. Junior linebacker Kenneth Davis has been a standout for the Bulldogs (1-1 SWAC, 1-2 overall). Davis leads the team in total tackles with 25.
Speaking of Southern (1-0 SWAC, 1-2 overall), the Jaguars crushed Alabama State, 64-6, in Baton Rouge, La. The Hornets (0-2 SWAC, 0-3 overall) will host Texas Southern (1-1 SWAC, 1-2 overall) on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. After three straight road games, ASU will play its first home game against the Tigers.
SIAC
In the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), it looks like Tuskegee University could do something special this season. The Golden Tigers (2-0 SIAC, 3-0 overall) are ranked No. 12 in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II poll.
Tuskegee picked up a big 20-17 victory over Florida A&M in the 5th Quarter Classic in Mobile, Ala. In that contest, Tuskegee quarterback Kevin Lacey completed 15 of 25 passes for 182 yards including one touchdown and two interceptions. Running back Jayjerien Craig had a great day rushing for 61 yards on nine carries and scoring one touchdown.
Tuskegee will play Lane College (1-0 SIAC, 3-0 overall) in the Golden Tigers’ home opener on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m.
Miles College (1-1) will be returning to action following a bye week. Two weeks ago, the Golden Bears suffered a 29-0 loss to West Georgia. Miles College will travel to Atlanta to face Morehouse College (1-0 SIAC, 2-1 overall) at 1 p.m. Running back Jamarcus Nance has been a solid player for the Golden Bears. Nance has 34 carries for 174 yards. He’s averaging 5.1 yards a carry.
