Alabama A&M fresh off a 37-14 shellacking of Mississippi Valley State on Homecoming squared off against Texas Southern on a rare Thursday evening game at Louis Crews Stadium.  The Bulldogs enter the contest ranked #10 in the latest SBN Poll and #6 in the HSRN Poll and Box to Row Coaches Poll.

A&M Quarterback Deauntae Mason has been coming on of late; throwing seven touchdowns in his last two games combined.  Texas Southern came in with the stoutest defense in the SWAC (#1 total defense), (#2 in pass efficiency defense) and sixth in rushing defense.

Texas Southern’s vaunted running attack of Marcus Wright and Martin Gilbert went to work in the first quarter to get the Tigers on the scoreboard.  Wright’s jaunt from 14 yards out gave TSU an early 7-0 lead.  Two minutes later Marcus Gilbert scampered 84 yards to the promised land and the Tigers led 14-0 heading into the second quarter.

After a Chance Wilson field goal and a Texas Southern turnover, Mason found DeMario Ross for 27 yards to set up the touchdown run by fullback Bryan Nelson from three yards out.  It was Nelson’s first career carry and touchdown.  The Bulldogs crept closer at 14-10.

Terrance Pride was on the receiving end of a 43-yard touchdown pass from Mason, aided by a great block from G’Alonzo Milton, and the Bulldogs took the lead 17-14 with 3:11 left in the half.

In the second half, the Bulldog defense came up with a huge takeaway when Joshua Udeh intercepted Tigers Quarterback Riko Smalls in the end zone to thwart a touchdown.  Theron Rice blocked an attempted Tigers field goal to spark the A&M special teams.

Unfortunately for the Bulldogs it would be special teams that would do them in.  Reshaad DeJarnett muffed a Texas Southern punt and the Tigers recovered.  Martin Gilbert scored from 19-yards out to propel them into the lead. 

DeJarnett redeemed himself once the Bulldogs regained the ball, as he was on the receiving end of a 70-yard pitch and catch from Deauntae Mason.  A&M jumped back into the lead, 24-21, with just over four minutes to go in the game.

Rico Porch intercepted Smalls pass and the Bulldogs closed out Texas Southern at home for a huge conference win.

The vaunted TSU defense came in with all the accolades, but it was the Bulldogs defense that came up big when it mattered most.  For the game, defensive end Corey Hart totaled eight tackles and two sacks, while Chris Ervin and Willie Fuller tallied seven tackles apiece.
Offensively, the Bulldogs were inconsistent, but Kaderius Lacy, despite two fumbles, rushed for 104 yards on 24 carries.  Wide receiver Montarius Smith caught three balls for 114 yards. 

The Bulldogs have a bye next week before heading into Birmingham for the 70th Annual Magic City Classic and a tangle with arch rival Alabama State, the supposed best team in the SWAC.

Alabama A&M capitalized on three Tuskegee turnovers and a late Golden Tigers penalty to defeat Tuskegee, 21-6.

The Bulldogs returned home wounded both physically and mentally after losing their first two contests. A&M participated in the 17th Annual Chicago Football Classic, but fell to MEAC member Hampton University, 21-20. The following week the Bulldogs began conference play traveling to Baton Rouge to compete versus Southern University.

A failure to score any touchdowns in the red zone on offense, while continuing to be unable to muster any form of pass rush, found A&M on the wrong end of a 21-6 loss to the Jaguars.