ALABAMA A&M [4-5, 2-4 SWAC] AT BETHUNE-COOKMAN [2-7, 1-5 SWAC]
Date / Time	Saturday, November 11, 2023 | 12:00 p.m. | Gameday
Location / Stadium	Daytona Beach, Florida | Daytona Stadium
Tickets	Purchase Tickets Here
TV / Streaming	HBCU GO
Radio	90.9 FM [WJAB]
Live Stats	aamusports.com or click here
Alabama A&M	Game Notes
Florida A&M	Game Notes
All-Time Series	Bethune-Cookman leads, 11-6-1
First Meeting	Alabama A&M 0, Bethune-Cookman 0 [1924]
Last Meeting	Alabama A&M 35, Bethune-Cookman 27 [2022]
Largest Margin of AAMU Victory	Alabama A&M 47, Bethune-Cookman 22 [1972]
Social Media	Twitter-X // Facebook // Instagram

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. | The Alabama A&M University football team is seeking its fifth straight win over Bethune-Cookman when the Bulldogs visit the Wildcats on Saturday in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) game. Kickoff for the SWAC East matchup is set for 12 p.m. (CT) from Daytona Stadium in Daytona Beach, Fla. 
 
Alabama A&M (4-5 overall, 2-4 SWAC) comes into the game off a 42-28 loss to then-No. 13 Florida A&M at home during Senior Day last Saturday. The Bulldogs fell behind 17-0 within the first four minutes of the game but battled back with 21 unanswered points to grab a 21-17 advantage midway through the second quarter. However, the Rattlers scored the next 21 points in pull away from the Bulldogs.
 
Bethune-Cookman (2-7, 1-5) will be seeking its second consecutive win after the Wildcats defeated Mississippi Valley State, 20-7, on Nov. 2. The Wildcats led 17-0 at the half before cruising to the conference win. The Wildcats first touchdown on offense came in the first quarter as Mar'Kai Shaw found wide receiver Tink Boyd wide open down the sideline on a trick pass play. Shaw's 41-yard pass was the second-longest pass by a Wildcat this year and gave BCU the 7-0 lead.
 
The game will be streamed live on HBCU Go. Fans can listen to the broadcast on WJAB 90.9 FM as Ted Dixie will have the call. 
 
Alabama A&M head coach Connell Maynor said the offense still is tops in the conference but saw a bit of a decline over the past few weeks in special teams.
 
"Defensively we're not playing bad.," Maynor said. "Special teams we are playing bad right now, costing us probably two ballgames. Offensively we are still playing well, still scoring points. We've got the No. 1 offense in the league, but we keep shooting ourselves in the foot by getting behind. 
 
"You can't dig a hole by being down 17-0 against the best team in the conference and expect to win the football game. Even though we went 21 unanswered to take the lead, you just can't keep putting ourselves in those holes. We did it against Jackson. We've got to play better on special teams and we've got to take care of the football on offense."
 
LAST MEETING 
Alabama A&M led 7-0 after one quarter, but was tied at 14 at the break. The Bulldogs outscored the Wildcats, 21-13, in the second half to pick up a 35-27 victory.
 
A Donovan Eaglin 7-yard touchdown run accounted for all of the scoring in the opening quarter as the Bulldogs took a 7-0 lead into the second period.
 
Eaglin's second touchdown opened the scoring in the second quarter as Alabama A&M extended the advantage to 14-0 just six seconds in the period.
 
Bethune-Cookman closed the half with 14 unanswered points as Jalon Jones scored on a 2-yard run and Queshaun Byrd added an 8-yard touchdown run, sending the two teams into the break tied at 14.
 
Isiah Cox caught a 9-yard pass from Xavier Lankford with 10:26 remaining in the third quarter, giving AAMU the 21-14 lead.
 
Back came the Wildcats as Jalon Jones found Marcus Riley for 14 yards for the score, but the 2-point conversion failed as AAMU held a 21-20 advantage.
 
Alabama A&M closed out the quarter strong as Cameron Young caught an 8-yard touchdown pass from Lankford, pushing the Bulldog advantage to 28-20 with 33 seconds left in the quarter.
 
Eaglin's third touchdown of the day – a 3-yard pass from Lankford – gave the Bulldogs a commanding 35-20 lead with a little more than eight minutes to play.
 
The Wildcats added the final score with 12 seconds left, closing the gap to 35-27 as Alabama A&M picked up the conference win.
 
SERIES HISTORY  

• Alabama A&M and Bethune-Cookman will be meeting for the 18^th time
• Bethune-Cookman owns the all-time series, 11-6-1
• The Bulldogs have won the past four games
• The Wildcats own the longest winning streak in the series – five games twice
• Alabama A&M and Bethune-Cookman first met in 1924, a 0-0 tie
• The Bulldogs won the 2022 contest, 35-27, in Louis Crews Stadium

THREE KEYS TO THE GAME 

• Alabama A&M must protect the quarterback 
• AAMU needs to win the turnover battle 
• The Bulldogs must avoid committing a ton of penalties 

ALABAMA A&M NATIONAL STATISTICS 

• The Bulldogs rank second nationally in fourth-down conversion percentage defense
• AAMU is fourth in the FCS in punt returns
• Alabama A&M is 12^th in the country team tackles for loss
• The Bulldogs are 11^th in the FCS in blocked kicks and blocked punts
• Terrell Gardner ranks third nationally in punt returns and third in punt return touchdowns
• Jamarion Ellis is ninth in the country in fumbles recovered

BETHUNE-COOKMN NATIONAL STATISTICS

• The Wildcats rank fourth nationally in team tackles for loss
• BCU is fifth in the FCS in blocked kicks
• Bethune-Cookman ranks sixth in the country in fewest penalty yards per game and seventh in fewest penalty yards
• The Wildcats are eighth nationally in fewest penalties per game and ninth in fewest penalties 
• BCU ranks 11^th in the FCS in third-down conversion percentage defense

LOOKING AHEAD TO WHAT'S NEXT 

• The Bulldogs wrap up the season at home against Mississippi Valley State next Thursday (Nov. 16)
• Alabama A&M is 24-10 all-time against the Delta Devils
• The Bulldogs won 10 straight in the series from 1987-2005
• Mississippi Valley State halted a five-game losing streak against AAMU with a 30-20 victory on Nov. 3, 2022 in Itta Bena, Miss. 

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