The Alabama A&M Bulldogs let a defying season matchup slip through its cracks Saturday. Despite leading by as much as 18 points in the third quarter the Bulldogs handed Florida A&M a 35-31 victory at Louis Crews Stadium. A tough pill to swallow as the Bulldogs were on the hunt to bounce back from a 46 point loss to SWAC heavyweight, Jackson State the previous week.
Florida A&M drew first blood when quarterback Resean McKay connected with Bishop Bonnet for a 19-yard touchdown run and eventual 7-0 lead in the first three minutes of the game. Alabama A&M answered back when Aqeel Glass found Odieu Hilaire on the receiving end of a 45-yard pitch that set the Bulldogs up on FAMU's four-yard line. They'll eventually convert a few drives later when Abdul Fati Ibrahim brought in the four-yard score to knot things up.
The Bulldogs defense put up its best performance through the first two and a half quarters. Holding FAMU to just a field goal following its first touchdown. They'd make a huge stop in the 2nd quarter, Armoni Halloway forced a fumble on a 4th and 1 and Kenechukwu Eziomue scooped it for a 79-yard touchdown that would send the Bulldogs to the locker room with a 14-10 lead.
The momentum carried on through the first few moments of the third. Backup quarterback Xavier Lankford rushed for a two-yard touchdown followed by a Gary Quarles 21 yard touchdown run, Bulldogs sat on a comfortable 28-10 lead. But that would be all they wrote, Florida A&M came back with 13 unanswered points before the Bulldogs tacked on a field goal to make it 31-23 with 5:54 left to play.
However, the Rattlers went supercharged, Jah'Marae Sheread went in for a 33-yard touchdown with 4:05 to go. FAMU failed at the 2-point try making it 31-29 in the final minutes. They'd eventually drill the nail in the coffin when Bonnet broke out for an 80-yard score to win it 35-31 at Louis Crews Stadium.
Alabama A&M falls to 3-3 on the season, 1-3 in conference play. The Bulldogs will have a bye next week before hitting the road to Birmingham for the 2021 Magic City Classic vs. Alabama State.