SWAC Football: 2021 title game preview, prediction, live stream

If styles make fights, this SWAC football game should be fun. Both the Alabama A&M Bulldogs and the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions want to spread the field offensively with four or five wide receivers and throw it around the lot, getting their speed in space.

Alabama A&M’s offense features start quarterback Aqeel Glass and one of the deepest receiving corps in all of college football. Glass can make every throw in the playbook and can take the short-throw or push the football down the field.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff quarterback Skyler Perry is no slouch either. Perry might not be the elite talent Glass is, but the junior from Mississippi makes the correct read and distributes the football to his playmakers. Defensive coordinators for both teams have not slept much this week.

Here is more information on the SWAC football championship:

Date: Saturday, May 1
Time: 3:00 EST
Venue: Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium
Location: Jackson, Miss.
TV: ESPN2
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Odds: Alabama A&M -3

Keys to victory

There is no home-field advantage in this game; because of game cancelations due to COVID-19, this is a neutral site game. However, defensively both teams are a bit shaky on the back end. The Bulldogs’ secondary is young and inexperienced; the Lions are susceptible to the big play.

However, both teams have found a way to pressure the quarterback at times this season. Keep an eye on linebacker Issac Peppers for the Golden Lions. The junior linebacker has five sacks, and the Alabama A&M offensive line has been up and down this spring.

The road to victory for the Bulldogs is all about how well Aqeel Glass plays. The last two weeks have been a showcase for the senior from St. Louis. Glass has performed well with the spotlight solely on him.

Commend UAPB on the season they’ve had thus far, but the SWAC title game is about Glass. He is the only legit early to the mid-round draft prospect on the field, and if Glass has another big game like the Jackson State or Alabama State games, the Lions are in trouble.

Glass elevates the play of his team. When he struggled early against Alabama State, the team struggled. When Glass found his rhythm, the team found its rhythm.

Prediction

This championship game is going to be entertaining. UAPB should have some success getting pressure on Glass but will sacrifice giving up some big plays. Expect Bulldogs’ receiver Zabrian Moore to pop at least three or four big plays in this game.

The Bulldogs get a couple of crucial stops, and the game ultimately is closer than the score indicates. The Golden Lions had a great spring but take their first loss this weekend. Oh, and take the over.

Score: Alabama A&M 42, UAPB 28