SWAC Football: 3 takeaways from Alabama A&M’s title win

The Alabama A&M Bulldogs defeated the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions in a thriller 40-33 to win the SWAC football championship. Here are three takeaways. 

If the SWAC was saving its best for last, mission accomplished. This championship game Saturday was arguably the game of the year in the SWAC.

In a battle of unbeaten teams, the Alabama A&M Bulldogs won a thriller 40-33 against the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson, Mississippi.

A confluence of COVID-19 issues forced the SWAC football championship game to a neutral site. Jackson is approximately a three-hour drive from Pine Bluff and a five-hour drive from Huntsville. Yet, both teams lit up the scoreboard all spring, and this afternoon was no different.

The Bulldogs and Lions combined for 692 total yards and 73 points. The game had its rough moments, but neither team disappointed in this hotly contested game. A&M got the fireworks going with quarterback Aqeel Glass hit receiver Zabrian Moore on a 54-yard pass on the game’s first drive.

UAPB did a great job of forcing three incompletions to limit the Bulldogs to a field goal. Not to be outshined, Lions’ quarterback Skyler Perry led his offense down the field for a touchdown after wide receiver Josh Wilkes returned the kickoff to the 35-yard line.

The difference in the game was the third quarter. First, the Bulldogs’ defense rose and shut out the Lions while the offense scored two touchdowns. Then, in the fourth quarter, UAPB scored late after A&M went 3-and-out.

Perry had Harry Ballard III open but overthrew the pass after driving his squad inside A&M’s 25-yard line. Bulldogs defender Trenton McGee intercepted Perry the next play giving Alabama A&M their first SWAC football championship in 15 years.

Here are three more takeaways from this afternoon’s game.