SWAC Football: 3 reasons Alabama A&M will win 2021 conference title

This Saturday in Jackson, Mississippi, the Alabama A&M Bulldogs clash with the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions for the SWAC football “spring” championship. Both teams come into this game undefeated.

Saturday’s game is a clash between two teams that have similar offensive philosophies. Both the Bulldogs and Lions want to spread the field and throw the football in space to their playmakers. Lions quarterback Skyler Perry has thrown for over 1,000 yards and 12 touchdowns in four games this season.

Bulldogs quarterback Aqeel Glass has thrown for 1,084 yards and 13 touchdowns in three games this spring. Although Arkansas-Pine Bluff has had a meteoric rise in the SWAC West, Saturday’s contest is about the Bulldogs and Aqeel Glass.

Glass is the star looking to finish off an undefeated spring season.

Here are three reasons the Bulldogs win the game Saturday.

3. The Bulldogs have found some defense

The knock on Alabama State last season and this spring was the defense. This spring, head coach Connell Maynor leaned on a young defense, especially in the secondary. Though Alabama A&M gave up 43 points to Jackson State, the defense came up with big plays down the stretch to put that game away.

Also, the Bulldogs pass rush had four sacks against the Tigers. The Bulldogs’ defense was terrific against Alabama State. The Hornets did lose starting quarterback Ryan Nettles early in the game, but A&M did a good job containing Ezra Gray to pull away from the Hornets in the second half.

Golden Lions head coach Cedric Thomas has to get the ball out of Skylar Greene’s hands soon, or the Bulldogs’ newfound pass rush could get home. Maynor and the Bulldogs’ defensive staff will watch plenty of tape from the Mississippi Valley State game.

The Delta Devils held Pine Bluff to 17 points and sacked Greene twice.