Donovan Eaglin rushed for 123 yards, including 111 in the second half, as the Alabama A&M University football team used a dominant second half to pull past Grambling State, 22-17, in a Southwestern Athletic Conference game on Thursday night at Louis Crews Stadium.
Alabama A&M (5-5 overall, 3-3 SWAC) trailed 17-3 in the second quarter and scored 19 unanswered points to storm from behind to earn the win. Grambling State (5-6, 2-5) suffered another setback, with five one-score losses this season.
GSU quarterback Myles Crawley was picked off on his first pass attempt, but Alabama A&M could not capitalize on the turnover and was forced to punt on its second offensive possession.
The Tigers started at its own 9, and after a 7-yard run by Ke’Travion Hargrove, Crawley connected with Jalen Johnson for 67 yards to the Bulldog 7. However, the AAMU defense forced a stop, and Reed Harradine booted a 23-yard field to cap the 7-play, 77-yard drive as Grambling State took a 3-0 advantage with 8:31 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Bulldogs responded with a 13-play, 47-yard drive, taking more than six minutes off the clock as Victor Barbosa tied the game at 3 with a 45-yard field goal with 2:12 left.
𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗡!#BeADawg24 pic.twitter.com/zDc4Fm3e7q
— Alabama A&M Athletics (@_AAMUAthletics) November 15, 2024
Grambling State took advantage of an AAMU turnover as Cornelious Brown IV was stripped as he was throwing the ball by Jalen Rudolph, and the ball was returned for a score by Andrew Jones for 25 yards as the Tigers grabbed a 10-3 advantage with 12:06 remaining in the half.
After an Alabama A&M punt, the Tigers marched 60 yards in just five plays as JR Waters hauled in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Crawley as GSU extended the advantage to 17-3 with 7:24 left.
The Bulldogs closed the gap to 17-6 right before the break as Alabama A&M drove 74 yards in seven plays, helped by a personal foul targeting and offsides call, as Barbosa booted a 38-yard field goal as time expired.
Grambling State got the ball to begin the second half but quickly turned it over. Dedrick Talbert coughed the ball up, and Dimitris Biamby forced the fumble, setting the Bulldogs up with a great field position at the Tigers 34.
All it took was one play as Brown connected with Keenan Hambrick over the middle for a 34-yard touchdown with 13:46 remaining. Brown converted the 2-point conversion as Alabama A&M trimmed the deficit to 17-14.
The Bulldogs continued to rally, using a 12-play, 47-yard drive as Barbosa booted a 44-yard field goal, tying the game at 17 with 7:04 remaining.
Alabama A&M grabbed its first lead of the night as Grambling State gift-wrapped two points on a safety as a snap on a Tigers punt went over the head of the punter and into the back of the endzone as the Bulldogs took a 19-17 advantage with 46 seconds left.
The Bulldogs, who took more than eight minutes off the clock, took advantage of a roughing the passer personal foul penalty on its next offensive drive. AAMU marched 80 yards in 14 plays, helped by a huge Donovan Eaglin 18-yard carry, as Barbosa kicked a 19-yard field goal as Alabama A&M extended the lead to 22-17 with 7:20 remaining.
Grambling State had an opportunity, but Javon Robinson dropped a wide-open pass on fourth down, turning the ball over to Alabama A&M with 3:22 left.
After a defensive stop by the Tigers, Kaleb Dawson sealed the Alabama A&M victory with an interception with 1:35 remaining.
Courtesy: Alabama A&M Athletics
