If you follow SWAC football, Thursday nights like these are what good times are made of.
The Alabama A&M Bulldogs brings Aqeel Glass and their high-powered offensive attack to Daytona Beach, Florida for a nationally televised showdown with the Bethune Cookman Wildcats.
BCU will be the 2nd of the MEAC newcomers to cut their teeth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) league play and there are still a ton of unknowns when it comes to what SWAC opposition can expect from the Wildcats. Bethune Head Coach Tony Sims had the unenviable task of two games against FBS opponents in the UTEP Miners and a growing regional football power in the University of Central Florida Golden Knights.
The Wildcats had an admirable showing in the first of those FBS match-ups against UTEP, with BCU giving their FBS opponent all they could handle on both sides of the ball before fading late in the 4th quarter. AAMU’s been getting all the headlines with arguably one of the best quarterbacks in FCS in Aqueel Glass, but Bethune QB Shannon Patrick showed flashes of what potentially could be a potent BCU passing attack for the rest of the SWAC to deal with, completing 15 of 22 pass attempts for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns against the UTEP defense. Bethune’s defense looks to have a LOT of speed to work with, which could go a long way to the Wildcats becoming a real force on the defensive end of the ball.
Their first test is a doozy though. Coach Connell Maynor’s offensive aerial attack doesn’t look like it’s missed a beat from the spring. They needed it to escape nationally-ranked and fellow HBCU South Carolina State, 42-41. Glass passed for 426 yards and 4 touchdowns in the win. However, the Bulldogs defense had real issues with run containment and covering receivers in space in that game. The defensive side of the ball will need to improve going forward if AAMU looks to repeat the feat they accomplished in the spring with a SWAC title.
Keys to the Game
BETHUNE COOKMAN – It’s pretty straightforward…Disrupt and stop Aqeel Glass. BCU’s defensive front will need to generate pressure and get home rushing the quarterback, as well as try to disguise coverage to slow that offense down. The run game is also a threat, but it flourishes when Glass and the AAMU passing game are in sync and firing on all cylinders. Offensively, the opportunity is there for the BCU offense to really exploit the running game and ultimately keep the ball out of Aqueel Glass’s hands-on offense.
ALABAMA A&M – The Bulldog defense has to MAKE STOPS. The Bethune Cookman offense flashed a ton of potential during their game with FBS opponent UTEP, moving the football from 20-yard line to 20-yard line with relative ease. If there isn’t marked improvement from the Bulldog defense, AAMU’s gonna see more shootouts than not, some of which they’re bound to come out on the wrong end of. Offensively, keep Aqeel Glass safe to do his thing. It’s that simple. If Glass has time, he’s shown the propensity to pick apart secondaries as a matter of course. Glass remaining upright and protected will also benefit the run game, where the Bulldogs have another potential game-breaker in running back Gary Quarles.
It’s gonna be interesting to see where on the SWAC quality spectrum the Bethune Cookman Wildcats fall this season. Tonight’s game against the Springtime SWAC Champs will answer a lot of questions about not only Bethune Cookman’s fortunes but Alabama A&M’s as well.
Shoutout to the folks over at HBCU Gameday for their video montage on tonight’s match-up!
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