DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. | The Alabama A&M University football team could not recover in the final minute as Bethune-Cookman scored the go-ahead touchdown with just over a minute to play as the Bulldogs fell, 41-34, in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) opener on Saturday afternoon from Larry Kelly Field at Daytona Stadium.
Big plays played a huge part in Alabama A&M's loss as the Bulldogs surrendered 516 total yards.
Alabama A&M (3-2 overall, 0-1 SWAC) took the opening kickoff and marched 53 yards in 11 plays as
David Faulk closed out the drive with a career-high 45-yard field goal as the Bulldogs grabbed an early 3-0 lead with 9:35 remaining.
But the lead didn't last very long as Bethune-Cookman struck with a bomb on its very first offensive series as Cam'Ron Ransom connected on the deep ball to Javon Ross for a 79-yard touchdown as the Wildcats took a 7-3 advantage with 9:20 left.
After a Bulldogs punt, Bethune-Cookman went right back to work, but Ransom was picked off by
Jalen Wright, turning the ball over to Alabama A&M at its own 38.
Two plays after the turnover,
Isaiah Nwokenkwo broke free for 40-yard run to set up AAMU inside the BCU 20. Alabama A&M cashed the turnover into points as
Kolton Nero scored on a 2-yard, capping a 5-play, 62-yard drive as the Bulldogs grabbed the 10-7 lead with 1:27 remaining.
The Wildcats (2-3, 1-0) nearly turned it over on their next drive, but the interception was wiped away as the ball hit the tuff, allowing the drive to continue and Bethune-Cookman took advantage. Ross took the double pitch in the back field and went 41 yards down the left sideline as BCU took a 14-10 lead with 13:38 left in the half.
Alabama A&M cashed another turnover into points as
Jaylin Peterson picked off Ransom to give the Bulldogs the ball at the AAMU 17. On third-and 11 from its own 28, quarterback
Eric Handley dialed up the long ball, connecting with
Franck Pierre down the right sideline for a 72-yard touchdown, giving the Bulldogs the 17-14 advantage with just under nine minutes to play in the half.
Bethune-Cookman responded with a 14-play, 80-yard drive, taking more than seven minutes off the clock as Khamni Robinson went straight up the middle to the house for the touchdown as the Wildcats grabbed the 20-17 lead with 1:24 remaining.
On the very next offensive play for AAMU, Handley was picked off by Gabe White and the Wildcats turned the interception into points with just eight seconds left in the half as Ransom's pass split a pair of Alabama A&M defenders to compete a 27-yard touchdown pass to Rickie Shaw II as Bethune-Cookman stretched the lead to 27-17.
The Bulldogs wasted no time trimming the deficit early in the third quarter.
After a BCU punt, Alabama A&M went right to work, moving the ball 58 yards in three plays as Handley found Pierre for a 32-yard touchdown strike, closing the gap to 27-24 with 11:45 remaining.
Big plays continued to plague the AAMU defense as Timmy McClain connected for Lorenzo Jenkins for 40 yards, and a personal foul penalty moved the ball to the Bulldog 14. Two plays later, Alihaja Scott Jr. went eight yards up the middle, extending the Bethune-Cookman lead to 34-24 with 10:18 left.
Alabama A&M responded with a time-consuming drive as the Bulldogs went 59-yards in 12 plays, taking nearly seven minutes off the clock, as Handley found
Travaunta Abner for a 1-yard touchdown pass, cutting the deficit to 34-31 with 3:44 remaining.
The Bulldogs drew even with the Wildcats by marching 57 yards in 15 plays, taking 6:44 off the clock, on their next drive as Faulk drilled a 19-yard field goal, tying the game at 34 with 5:58 left.
Bethune-Cookman responded on its next drive as Scott went 26 yards down the sideline to give the Wildcats the 41-34 lead with 1:07 remaining.
Alabama A&M had one more opportunity, moving the ball to the Wildcats 25 with six seconds remaining, but Handley's pass into the end zone was knocked away, giving BCU the win.
CHECKING THE BOX SCORE
- Alabama A&M finished with 480 total yards, with 355 coming through the air
- The Bulldogs recorded 22 first downs
- Eric Handley went 27 of 40 passing for 355 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception
- Isaiah Nwokenkwo rushed seven times for 56 yards
- Franck Pierre caught six passes for 156 yards and two scored
- Travaunta Abner tallied nine receptions for 102 yards and one touchdown
- Kaleb Brown, Robert Iverson Jr. and Wyatt Wright each recorded seven tackles
- Bethune-Cookman finished with 516 total yards, with 259 coming on the ground
- The Wildcats registered 25 first downs
- Cam'Ron Ransom went 17 of 24 passing for 217 yards, with two interceptions and two touchdowns
- Khamani Robinson rushed 15 times for 78 yards and one score
- Javon Ross tallied five receptions for 108 yards and one touchdown
- Antwone Watts posted 13 tackles, with eight solo stops
NEWS & NOTES
- Alabama A&M and Bethune-Cookman met for the 21st time
- The Bulldogs fell to 7-13-1 all-time against the Wildcats
- AAMU is 10-15 in SWAC openers and have not won a conference opener since 2021
- The Bulldogs have now scored points in the opening quarter in 10 straight games, dating back to Nov. 2, 2024
- Kicker David Faulk booted a career-high 45-yard field goal in the first quarter
- David Faulk was 2-for-2 on field goals and a perfect 4-of-4 in extra point attempts
- Eric Handley made his second career start at quarterback
- Handley tossed a career-long 72-yard touchdown pass to Franck Pierre in the second quarter
- The last time AAMU came from behind in the final quarter to win was against Texas Southern in 2022 (won 24-23)
UP NEXT
Alabama A&M returns to action with its second Classic game of the season as the Bulldogs travel to Mobile, Ala. next Saturday (Oct. 4) for the annual Gulf Coast Challenge to take on Jackson State in a key SWAC East contest at Ladd-Peebles Stadium.
For complete coverage of Alabama A&M Athletics – Huntsville's only Division I program - check out the official homepage at www.aamusports.com. Remember to follow us on social media: Instagram (@aamuathletics), Facebook (aamubulldogathletics), Twitter (@_aamuathletics) and TikTok (aamuathletics).
