HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – "When you hear the call you've got to get it underway" – and that is exactly what Alabama A&M (2-0, 1-0 SWAC) football is doing as they have heard the call of gameday for the first time in 35 days and are underway to Jackson, Mississippi to take on Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sander's Jackson State (3-2, 2-1 SWAC) team on Saturday, April 10.
 
That game pits two contenders in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) East Division against each other in front of a worldwide audience on ESPN when they kick off shortly after 2 p.m. Fan's can watch live and follow the live stats during the game and catch full postgame coverage on www.AAMUSports.com, the official online home of Alabama A&M Athletics, following the final horn.
 
LAST (AND ONLY) TIME OUT
After 468 days on the shelf, the Bulldogs shook off some early rust at South Carolina State on March 6 in a game that was arranged in approximately four days as a replacement for the regularly scheduled game at Mississippi Valley State.
 
Behind a pair of 14-point quarters in the middle of the game, A&M built a 28-0 lead before cruising to a commanding 31-7 victory in their first game since November 23, 2019. That effort was fueled by a monster day from redshirt-senior linebacker Quantravis Kelly (Montgomery, Ala.) who snagged two picks, a sack and a pass breakup while junior defensive end Marcus Cushnie (Broward County, Fla.) delivered a pair of sacks.
 
Senior quarterback Aqeel Glass (St. Louis, Mo.) went 15-of-33 for 272 yards and four touchdowns, connecting with sophomore wide receiver Odieu Hilarie (Belle Glade, Fla.) twice for 83 yards and a pair of scores and fellow second year wideout Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim (Miramar, Fla.) six times for 81 yards.
 
READY, SET, DON'T GO
In a season beset by stops and starts, Alabama A&M has had just one start but three false starts since their season opener at S.C. State.
 
Following that game they saw their next game at Prairie View A&M (3/20) postponed due to COVID-19 protocols in the Panthers program, something that would happen again with a rescheduled game with PVAMU on April 3.
 
In between those games the Bulldogs' lone home game against Grambling (3/27) would be cancelled as that program experienced COVID-19 protocols. With A&M slated to play the next four weekends, and GSU shutdown for 10 days, there were no common dates available to reschedule the game.
 
PUNTERS ARE PEOPLE TOO (AND PRETTY GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO)
For all the high-level performances from that S.C. State game, the most impressive – according to the SWAC – would come in the form of a freshman punter.
 
Troy Lendvay (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) was named the league's Specialist of the Week following a game that saw him boot it five times for an average of 40.6 yards, including two of at least 50-yards. Those would top out with a 59-yarder and the other right at 50-yards, among his 203 yards on the day.
 
Whenever the offense didn't find the endzone, Lendvay made sure the other Bulldogs on the field weren't going to have an easy time getting there either as he helped anchor the field position game in his first collegiate outing.
 
BRAINS AND BRAWN
Alabama A&M has proven its wherewithal on the field with a solid 2019 campaign and strong early returns in Spring 2021 – but the results have been even stronger in the classroom.
 
Amidst a pandemic that has changed how we all live our lives and go about our business, a total of 249 student-athletes, or 71-percent, recorded at least a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) in the Fall of 2020. And that's with some hefty degree programs such as cybersecurity specialist & expert, civil engineering and urban and regional planning on the menu.
 
Of those 249 student-athletes, a whopping total of 61 were football players making them 24.5-percent of that group.
 
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL (IN THE FALL)?
While it appears we've found the first successful spring football league in decades (with a nod to the United States Football League) and are enjoying having football in any form again, the plan is for fans to enjoy even more in its traditional fall setting this fall.
 
With that in mind, fans can now start making plans to be there in person at Louis Crews Stadium for a five-game home slate in Fall 2021. A&M will open with a return game against those other Bulldogs, South Carolina State, on September 4 before hosting Jackson State more than a month later on October 9.
 
The home stretch will see SWAC newcomer Florida A&M come to town a week later on October 6 and Mississippi Valley State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff visit Huntsville on November 6 and 20, respectively.
 
Want to make sure you're there to cheer on the Bulldogs? Get your tickets now at www.AAMUTix.com. And, oh yeah, don't forget to enjoy the rest of the Spring 2021 season to get you ready to go in the fall!
 
ABOUT THE JACKSON STATE TIGERS
The Deion Sanders era of Jackson State football got off to a roaring start as they opened up with wins in their first three games. Those included a 53-0 win over NAIA (soon to be NCAA Division II) Edward Waters (2/21), a narrow 33-28 victory at Grambling (3/6) and a 43-7 decision over Mississippi Valley State in Jackson on March 14.
 
The latter was aired on ESPN2 and marked the beginning of what will be four straight games on one of the main channels of the industry leader in sports broadcasting. The results of those games, however, were far different from the first three of the season, with a 35-28 loss at Alabama State (3/20) and a 34-14 blow out loss vs. Southern (4/3).
 
Coming off that stinging defeat, JSU has made a change at quarterback, bringing redshirt-freshman Quincy Casey in off the bench. He'll go under center with just 21 attempts over the course of three games this season.
 
Scouting The Alabama A&M University Bulldogs
Record: 2-0, 1-0 SWAC
Last Time Out: W, 31-7 South Carolina State on March 6
Streak: Three Wins
 
Quick Links
Football Home Page
Schedule
Roster
Statistics
 
Individual Statistical Offensive Leaders
Passing Yards: Aqeel Glass – 272
Passing Touchdowns: Aqeel Glass – 4
Completions: Aqeel Glass – 15
Completion Percentage: Aqeel Glass – .465
Rushing Yards: Gary Quarles – 92
Rushing Touchdowns: N/A – 0
Carries: Gary Quarles – 21
Receiving Yards: Odieu Hilaire – 83
Receiving Touchdowns: Odieu Hilaire – 2
Receptions: Abdul Fatai-Ibrahim – 6

Individual Statistical Defensive Leaders
Tackles: Armoni Holloway – 10
Tackles (Solo): Armoni Holloway – 8
Tackles (Assisted): Four Players – 2
Tackles For Loss: Armoni Holloway – 2
Sacks: Marcus Cushine – 2.0
Interceptions: Quantravis Kelly – 2
 
Individual Statistical Special Team Leaders
Field Goals Made: Spencer Corey – 1
Punting Yards: Troy Lendvay – 203
Touchbacks: Troy Lendvay – 1
Inside 20-Yard Line: N/A – 0
Punt Returns: N/A – 0
Punt Return Yards: N/A – 0
Kickoff Returns: N/A – 0
Kickoff Return Yards: N/A – 0
 
Team Statistics
Scoring: 31.0
Passing: 272.0
Rushing: 166.0
Total Offense: 438.0
Touchdowns: 4
Kickoff Return Average: N/A
Punt Return Yards Average: N/A
Time of Possession: 29:50
Sacks: 3
Interceptions: 2
Tackles: 57
Tackles For Loss: 6


Scouting The Jackson State University Tigers
Record: 3-2, 2-1 SWAC
Last Time Out: L, 34-14 vs. Southern on April 3
Streak: Three Wins
 
Quick Links
Football Home Page
Schedule
Roster
Statistics
 
Individual Statistical Offensive Leaders
Passing Yards: Jalon Jones – 1,016
Passing Touchdowns: Jalon Jones – 11
Completions: Jalon Jones – 79
Completion Percentage: Jalon Jones – .552
Rushing Yards: Tyson Alexander – 377
Rushing Touchdowns: Jalon Jones – 5
Carries: Jalon Jones – 63
Receiving Yards: Daylen Baldwin – 405
Receiving Touchdowns: Daylen Baldwin – 6
Receptions: Warren Newman – 26


Individual Statistical Defensive Leaders
Tackles: Keonte Hampton – 48
Tackles (Solo): Keonte Hampton – 27
Tackles (Assisted): Keonte Hampton – 21
Tackles For Loss: Aubrey Miller, Jr. – 4.5
Sacks: Miqueal Pillow-Smiley – 2.5
Interceptions: Five Players – 1
 
Individual Statistical Special Team Leaders
Field Goals Made: Glenn Mislak – 3
Punting Yards: Lane McGregor – 744
Touchbacks: Lane McGregor – 3
Inside 20-Yard Line: Lane McGregor – 7
Punt Returns: Warren Newman – 13
Punt Return Yards: Warren Newman – 117
Kickoff Returns: Kymani Clarke, Josh Littles – 4
Kickoff Return Yards: Josh Littles – 105
 
Team Statistics
Scoring: 34.2
Passing: 231.6
Rushing: 173.0
Total Offense: 404.6
Touchdowns: 23
Kickoff Return Average: 14.0
Punting Yards Average: 34.5
Time of Possession: 26:30
Sacks: 14
Interceptions: 5
Tackles: 369
Tackles For Loss: 33