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Football Preview: Alabama A&M
Courtesy SWAC.org
Mon, August 14, 2017
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Alabama A&M head football coach James Spady said during the 2017 SWAC Media Day that he loves everything about his football team.
Alabama A&M appeared to be heading into a positive direction as it produced a one-game improvement from a season ago (4-7 overall, 4-5 SWAC) with a second-place finish in the SWAC Eastern Division in 2016.
Now, the Bulldogs return their entire starting offensive line along with a top running back in the conference and signs from their spring games that they may be able to take the next step forward this upcoming season.
“I wanted to see great effort and we got that on both sides of the ball,” coach Spady said.
“Our defense did dominate us offensively, but there were some things that the offense did that I was fired up about. We converted more third downs than we had. We grew as an offensive unit in getting the ball to our different weapons and so it was a successful spring.”
Freshman of the Year running back Jordan Bentley looks to build upon his impressive first season where the All-SWAC First Team Preseason selection rushed for 851 yards on 159 carries (5.4 rushing yards per carry) with nine touchdowns. The six-foot, 200-pound back from Guntersville, Ala. was strong enough to finish with the fourth most rushing yards per contest in the conference with 77.4 yards per contest. Among returning players for the 2017 campaign, Bentley holds the second most rushing yards (only behind 2016 SWAC Championship Game Offensive MVP Martez Carter of Grambling State).
As far as the Bulldogs’ offense as a whole, it showed a slight uptick in production, producing 23.8 points per game (good for sixth in the conference). Alabama A&M ranked ninth in passing offense (188.6 yards per game), fifth in rushing (178.8 ypg), and was sixth in total offense (367.5 ypg).
The Bulldogs will have to look to a new signal caller this season with the departure of De’Angelo Ballard. Quarterbacks on the roster who could step into that starting role include redshirt junior Damion May, freshman Aqeel Glass and redshirt freshman Dylan Smith.
A key for the Alabama A&M defense in 2017 will be to get more pressure on opposing quarterbacks as no individual Bulldog player ranked inside the top 20 in sacks and the team totaled a league-low nine sacks.
Leading the Bulldogs defense will be senior linebacker Kenneth Davis, who ranked second in the conference in tackles with 98 and had 10.5 tackles for a loss.
In 2016, Alabama A&M ranked eighth in scoring defense (allowed 38.7 points per game), ninth in total defense (460.7 yards allowed per game), 10th in rushing defense (238.8 yards allowed per game) and fourth in passing defense (221.9 yards allowed per game).
The Bulldogs had five players named to the All-SWAC Preseason Team including four First Team selections. It’s the most in Spady’s tenure. Bentley (RB), Davis (LB), Tere Calloway (DB), Nick Carden (K) were named as First Teamers while OL Austin Simmons made the Second Team.
Head coach: James Spady (Record at A&M 11-23 (fourth year); Overall 11-23 (fourth year).
2016 record and finish: 4-7 overall, 4-5 SWAC (second in the SWAC East Division)
Returning statistical leaders
Passing: Damion May (1-of-3, 12 yards, 0 TDs, 1 Int)
Rushing: Bentley (159 carries, 851 yards, 9 TDs)
Receiving: Ledarion Heath (22 receptions, 247 yards, 0 TDs)
Tackles: Davis (98)
Sacks: Yurik Bethune, Davis (two apiece)
Interceptions: Calloway (two)
Potential game breaker: R-So Marceles Clash. The 6-1, 170-pound wide receiver from Altadena, Calif. showed promise this spring and has Bulldogs coaching staff excited for what he may be able to do to alleviate the loss of departing WR Tevin McKenzie, who ranked ninth in the SWAC in receptions (50 catches), fifth in receptions per game (4.5) and totaled 529 receiving yards.
2017 schedule
Sat, Sept. 2 @ UAB 2:30 p.m.
Sat, Sept. 9 @ Vanderbilt 3 p.m.
Sat, Sept. 16 @ South Alabama 6 p.m.
Sat, Sept. 23 Texas Southern 6 p.m. (Louis Crews Classic)
Sat, Sept. 30 Arkansas Pine-Bluff 2 p.m. (Homecoming)
Sat, Oct. 7 @ Southern 6 p.m.
Sat, Oct. 14 Miss. Valley State 2 p.m.
Sat, Oct. 28 Alabama State TBA (Magic City Classic in Birmingham, Ala.)
Sat, Nov. 4 @ Alcorn State 1 p.m.
Sat, Nov. 11 Jackson State 1 p.m.
Sat, Nov. 18 Kentucky State 1 p.m.
Alabama A&M appeared to be heading into a positive direction as it produced a one-game improvement from a season ago (4-7 overall, 4-5 SWAC) with a second-place finish in the SWAC Eastern Division in 2016.
Now, the Bulldogs return their entire starting offensive line along with a top running back in the conference and signs from their spring games that they may be able to take the next step forward this upcoming season.
“I wanted to see great effort and we got that on both sides of the ball,” coach Spady said.
“Our defense did dominate us offensively, but there were some things that the offense did that I was fired up about. We converted more third downs than we had. We grew as an offensive unit in getting the ball to our different weapons and so it was a successful spring.”
Freshman of the Year running back Jordan Bentley looks to build upon his impressive first season where the All-SWAC First Team Preseason selection rushed for 851 yards on 159 carries (5.4 rushing yards per carry) with nine touchdowns. The six-foot, 200-pound back from Guntersville, Ala. was strong enough to finish with the fourth most rushing yards per contest in the conference with 77.4 yards per contest. Among returning players for the 2017 campaign, Bentley holds the second most rushing yards (only behind 2016 SWAC Championship Game Offensive MVP Martez Carter of Grambling State).
As far as the Bulldogs’ offense as a whole, it showed a slight uptick in production, producing 23.8 points per game (good for sixth in the conference). Alabama A&M ranked ninth in passing offense (188.6 yards per game), fifth in rushing (178.8 ypg), and was sixth in total offense (367.5 ypg).
The Bulldogs will have to look to a new signal caller this season with the departure of De’Angelo Ballard. Quarterbacks on the roster who could step into that starting role include redshirt junior Damion May, freshman Aqeel Glass and redshirt freshman Dylan Smith.
A key for the Alabama A&M defense in 2017 will be to get more pressure on opposing quarterbacks as no individual Bulldog player ranked inside the top 20 in sacks and the team totaled a league-low nine sacks.
Leading the Bulldogs defense will be senior linebacker Kenneth Davis, who ranked second in the conference in tackles with 98 and had 10.5 tackles for a loss.
In 2016, Alabama A&M ranked eighth in scoring defense (allowed 38.7 points per game), ninth in total defense (460.7 yards allowed per game), 10th in rushing defense (238.8 yards allowed per game) and fourth in passing defense (221.9 yards allowed per game).
The Bulldogs had five players named to the All-SWAC Preseason Team including four First Team selections. It’s the most in Spady’s tenure. Bentley (RB), Davis (LB), Tere Calloway (DB), Nick Carden (K) were named as First Teamers while OL Austin Simmons made the Second Team.
Head coach: James Spady (Record at A&M 11-23 (fourth year); Overall 11-23 (fourth year).
2016 record and finish: 4-7 overall, 4-5 SWAC (second in the SWAC East Division)
Returning statistical leaders
Passing: Damion May (1-of-3, 12 yards, 0 TDs, 1 Int)
Rushing: Bentley (159 carries, 851 yards, 9 TDs)
Receiving: Ledarion Heath (22 receptions, 247 yards, 0 TDs)
Tackles: Davis (98)
Sacks: Yurik Bethune, Davis (two apiece)
Interceptions: Calloway (two)
Potential game breaker: R-So Marceles Clash. The 6-1, 170-pound wide receiver from Altadena, Calif. showed promise this spring and has Bulldogs coaching staff excited for what he may be able to do to alleviate the loss of departing WR Tevin McKenzie, who ranked ninth in the SWAC in receptions (50 catches), fifth in receptions per game (4.5) and totaled 529 receiving yards.
2017 schedule
Sat, Sept. 2 @ UAB 2:30 p.m.
Sat, Sept. 9 @ Vanderbilt 3 p.m.
Sat, Sept. 16 @ South Alabama 6 p.m.
Sat, Sept. 23 Texas Southern 6 p.m. (Louis Crews Classic)
Sat, Sept. 30 Arkansas Pine-Bluff 2 p.m. (Homecoming)
Sat, Oct. 7 @ Southern 6 p.m.
Sat, Oct. 14 Miss. Valley State 2 p.m.
Sat, Oct. 28 Alabama State TBA (Magic City Classic in Birmingham, Ala.)
Sat, Nov. 4 @ Alcorn State 1 p.m.
Sat, Nov. 11 Jackson State 1 p.m.
Sat, Nov. 18 Kentucky State 1 p.m.
SWAC Football team preview schedule
Monday, August 14: Alabama A&M
Tuesday, August 15: Texas Southern
Wednesday, August 16: Alabama State
Thursday, August 17: Southern
Friday, August 18: Alcorn State
Monday, August 21: Prairie View A&M
Tuesday, August 22: Jackson State
Wednesday, August 23: Grambling State
Thursday, August 24: Mississippi Valley State
Friday, August 25: Arkansas-Pine Bluff
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