For the first time in Anthony Jones era at Alabama A&M, the coaches and players in the Bulldog football program heading into the 2009 campaign find themselves in unfamiliar territory – coming off a losing season.
Since Jones became the head coach on “The Hill” in 2002, the Bulldogs have enjoyed an unprecedented run of winning football games.
That streak of six straight winning seasons came to an end in 2008 when the Bulldogs posted a 5-7 overall record.
Still, the Bulldogs were 4-3 in the league and came within one game of making a fourth trip to the SWAC Championship Game under Jones.
Despite another rugged schedule in 2009, the Bulldogs return 38 letterwinners and 17 starters and are poised to work their way back among the elite teams in
Black College football.
The Team: Alabama A&M returns nine starters on offense and eight on defense for the 2009 season, along with 16 returning letterwinners on offense and 21 on defense.
The Bulldogs also get back the services of All-America kicker Jeremy Licea and six other players that have earned All-SWAC accolades during their careers.
Offense: Jones said the 2009 offense will focus on ending drives with touchdowns rather than field goals.
Here is a position-by-position look at the Bulldog offensive unit.
Quarterback – Kevin Atkins returns after an up-and-down season as the full-time starter a year ago.
Atkins injured his ankle in the
Tuskegee game and worked his way back to end the season with a five touchdown, 357-yard performance against
Mississippi Valley State to end the season.
Jones says he is looking for more consistency from the quarterback position in 2009.
Atkins threw 1948 yards on 140-263 completions/attempts last season.
He threw 12 touchdowns and just six interceptions, plus scoring three rushing touchdowns on the season.
Kyle Lacy, who redshirted a year ago, is listed as the backup heading into the season.
Tailback – After a season of nagging injuries in 2008, All-America Ulysses Banks is back healthy and ready for 2009 to be a big season.
Banks carried the ball 158 times for 549 yards and scored nine touchdowns in 2008, but never was able to get fully healthy during the campaign.
He also caught 16 passes for 134 yards.
Anthony Green makes a solid one-two punch at tailback as Green carried 96 times for 483 yards and two scores in 2008.
He also caught 16 passes for 175 yards.
Fullback – Roger Smith returns after a year where he transitioned into the position in 2008.
He carried the ball just twice last season for 11 yards, but played a pivotal role in the offensive scheme as a blocker.
Dashiell Buntjer is a junior college transfer from Scottsdale CC (
Ariz.) that could see some time as well.
Wide Receiver – All-America Thomas Harris highlights a talented corps of returning receivers for the Bulldogs.
Harris caught 72 passes for 1208 yards and seven touchdowns last season.
Rashad Johnson had a breakout season in 2008 with 43 catches for 491 yards and four scores.
Nate Baxter caught 32 balls for 411 yards and five touchdowns in 2008.
Quintin Carlock and Torey Smith are also expected to add much needed depth at the position.
Tight End – Todd Leichtfuss was a preseason All-SWAC selection a year ago, but caught just two passes for 18 yards last season.
Jared Bing moves to the position heading into the 2009 season, along with
North Carolina transfer Kenneth Harris to help make the position more of an offensive threat.
Offensive Line – All five starters return including first-team All-SWAC selection Xavier Manuel at center.
Emmett Smith (left tackle), Russell Jackson (left guard), Charles Meade (right guard), and Anquez Jackson (right tackle) all started in 2008 for a Bulldog offense that finished third in the SWAC in total offense.
Jerrel Doom is an addition from Gulf Coast CC, along with Jamaal Johnson-Webb, Richard Jean-Louis and
a host of young players to add depth to the offensive line.
Defense: Jones said the 2008 defense gave up too many big plays, and the focus for the 2009 season is to be more consistent on every play. Here is a position-by-position look at the Bulldog defensive unit.
Free Safety – The biggest question mark on the defensive side of the ball is whether or not the NCAA is going to grant All-America Al Donaldson a medical redshirt after missing nearly all of the 2008 season.
Donaldson was a first-team All-America NCAA Division I-FCS selection in 2007 after he tied for the national lead with nine interceptions.
Rico Porch was solid throughout spring drills and had 27 tackles with two interceptions a year ago.
Linebacker – Afu Okosun takes the reigns at middle linebacker after an injury-plagued 2008 season.
Still, Okosun finished with 38 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss, and six quarterback hurries a year ago.
Willie Fuller should start at the strong-side linebacker position after closing the season last year with 15 total tackles and 1.5 tackles-for-loss.
Markeith Cliatt and Lewis Graham add depth throughout the position, and Jones was pleased with all of the linebackers’ progress throughout the spring.
Marcus Thomas should start at the weak-side linebacker spot with transfer Abraham Felton also seeing time.
Thomas had 29 tackles and an interception a year ago.
Felton is a transfer from Vermilion CC (
Minn.).
Defensive line - The defensive line is anchored by All-SWAC selection Jeremy Maddox.
Maddox recorded 34 tackles a year ago at defensive end.
He also had 14.0 tackles-for-loss, 10.0 sacks, and a team-high 13 quarterback hurries.
Brian Christian is slated to start at the other end position after five total tackles in 2008.
The tackles are headed by Frank Kearse and Renaldo Askew.
Kearse finished 2008 with 30 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, 1.0 sacks, and two interceptions.
Askew finished 2008 with 16 tackles, 4.0 tackles-for-loss, and 3.0 sacks.
Cornerback – Maurice Thomas is the leading tackler returning from the 2008 season.
Thomas finished with 41 total tackles, an interception, and a team-high six passes defended.
Korey Morrison finished last year with 26 tackles, three passes defended, and a fumble recovery.
Chris Faush (13 tackles) and Clarence Morris (14 tackles) will also see time at corner.
Strong Safety – Justin Borden (15 tackles), Julius Pruitt (26 tackles), and Raymond Segura will all battle for time at strong safety.
Special Teams: The Bulldogs will have to replace all-conference punter and holder Rashad Cylar, but do have Licea, who led the nation in field goal percentage, making 14-16 for .875 on the season, including a career-long 43 yard effort.
Leichtfuss remains one of the top long snappers in the country.
The Bulldogs will most likely rely on a pair of signees in Raymond Blanks and Chance Wilson at punter and kickoffs.
As for returns, both Thomas Harris and Banks should handle the duties with Green as a backup.
The Schedule: Alabama A&M opens its season back against
Tennessee State at the John Merritt Classic in
Nashville on Sept. 5.
The Bulldogs have won the Merritt each of the last three times they have played in the Classic (2005, 2006, 2007), and are the only team other than Tennessee State to win it in its history.
The Tigers defeated A&M last year in
Huntsville to take a 20-7 advantage in the overall series.
The Bulldogs’ home opener is Sept. 12 against perennial Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) power
Hampton.
The Bulldogs and Pirates have never met in football.
Alabama A&M is 12-41-3 all-time against teams from the MEAC (Bethune-Cookman
4-10-1; Florida A&M
2-14-0; Howard 0-1-0;
Morgan State 1-0-0;
South Carolina State 5-16-2).
Alabama A&M remains at home in week three to face in-state rival
Jacksonville State on Sept. 19.
The Bulldogs and Gamecocks renewed their in-state series in 2008 with JSU taking a 45-18 victory in
Jacksonville.
JSU leads the overall series
21-2-2.
The final of a three-game home stretch ends with Homecoming and the SWAC opener on Sept. 26 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
These two teams met in the SWAC Championship Game in 2006 with A&M winning 22-13.
A year ago, the Bulldogs left
Pine Bluff with a 23-17 victory and an all-time 11-4 record versus the Golden Lions.
The Bulldogs open October on the 3rd with a repeat trip to the Circle City Classic in
Indianapolis to again play
Tuskegee.
The Golden Tigers won last year’s
Circle City match-up 34-24.
The Bulldogs still lead the overall series 23-19-4 and are 1-2 all-time in the Circle City Classic.
The first SWAC road game is on Oct. 10 as the Bulldogs visit Grambling, a place where A&M has never recorded a victory.
The Tigers ruined A&M’s Homecoming a year ago 27-9 and went on to a SWAC Championship.
Grambling leads the overall series 14-4.
Alabama A&M remains on the road on Oct. 17 at
Alcorn State.
The Bulldogs defeated the Braves for the fifth straight season in 2008, 20-13.
Alabama A&M leads the overall series 14-4.
After a bye week on Oct. 24, the Bulldogs celebrate Halloween on Oct. 31 with the annual battle with arch-rival
Alabama State in the 67th Magic City Classic at Legion Field in
Birmingham.
Alabama A&M won a thriller last year 17-16, and have take four straight and nine of the last 11 against the Hornets.
Alabama State leads the overall series 36-34-3, however the first six games (all won by
Bama State from 1924-1932) were not part of the Magic City Classic series.
The Bulldogs lead the Classic series 34-30-3.
The Bulldogs remain on the road heading into November with a conference game at Prairie View A&M on the 7th.
The Panthers have defeated the Bulldogs three straight times including last year’s 24-10 win in
Huntsville.
Alabama A&M leads the overall series 7-3.
Finally, the Bulldogs return to Louis Crews Stadium on Nov. 14 to face SWAC Eastern Division rival
Jackson State.
Either the Tigers or the Bulldogs have represented the SWAC East in the SWAC Championship Game in each of the past four seasons.
JSU won last year’s game 37-21 and lead the overall series 12-7.
The regular season finale is at home on Nov. 21 against
Mississippi Valley State.
The Bulldogs have 12 of the last 13 meetings between the two schools, including a 58-23 decision in Itta Bena in 2008.
Alabama A&M leads the overall series 15-7.
The SWAC Championship Game is scheduled for Dec. 12 at
Birmingham’s Legion Field.