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Football Renews Rivalry With Alabama A&M In Gulf Coast Challenge

Football Renews Rivalry With Alabama A&M In Gulf Coast Challenge

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Tuskegee Game Notes
 
MOBILE, Ala. – The Tuskegee University football program has gone seven years since matching up with the Bulldogs on the gridiron, but that changes on Saturday as the former conference rivals clash inside Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

What You Need to Know 
 
  • Time and Date: Saturday, September 25 (4 pm)
  • Records: Tuskegee (1-2, 0-0 SIAC) | Alabama A&M (2-0, 1-0 SWAC)
  • Location: Mobile, Alabama – Ladd-Peebles Stadium
  • Series History: Alabama A&M Leads 27-20-3
  • Last Meeting: September 6, 2014 | Alabama A&M 30, Tuskegee 17 | Abbott Memorial Alumni Stadium (Tuskegee, Alabama)
  • Winning Streak: Alabama A&M (W1) | Tuskegee's Last Win: September 7, 2013 (23-7)
 
Tuskegee Overview
 
Offense
 
  • Tuskegee's offense has been able to chew up a lot of clock and convert on its third down chances as its among the top-35 nationally for time of possession (31:41 per game) and fifth in the league regarding third-down conversion percentage (0.359).
  • Ivonte Patterson's monster game against Edward Waters has propelled him to the top of the SIAC leaderboards, leading the conference with three rushing touchdowns (top-30 in NCAA) while leading the Golden Tigers in both yards (191) and yards per carry (4.5).
  • Coming off his first career win as the starting quarterback, Bryson Williams is now top-five in the league with a 57.7% completion percentage and a 12.87 yards per completion average.
  • Keynon Webb is looking to build off his SIAC Newcomer of the Week performance when he led the team with 53 receiving yards and three catches including a 36-yard reception which turned out to be the game's longest play from scrimmage versus EWU.
  • Despite Webb's breakthrough outing, Steven Hodges still has a leg up in the competition for top wide receiver, posting a team-best 126 yards on eight receptions and the team's lone receiving touchdown.
  • Hodges has a chance to make history this weekend as he sits only 50 yards away from 1,000 receiving yards for his Tuskegee career (950).
  • Taurean Taylor also is one huge performance away from a milestone as well, currently residing at 837 rushing yards during his TU tenure, just 163 yards short of 1,000 for his career.

Defense
 
  • Tuskegee's defense has done a bunch of the heavy lifting early in the campaign, allowing an average of 174.7 passing yards, 112.40 passer rating and 309.7 total yards to rank among the top-45 best defenses in that category around the country.
  • Woodly Appolon has been the quarterback of the defense, averaging 8.3 takedowns (25 overall) and 6.3 solos per contest to place fourth in the SIAC plus top-25 in the NCAA, respectively. He has also forced one of the team's three turnovers with a forced fumble.
  • His twin, Wesly, has been equally impressive, bringing down 22 ballcarriers with a tackle for loss and two pass breakups to his line.
  • Carl Matthews has had an equal amount of tackles as Wesly Appolon but can boast a sack to his repertoire in addition to a tackle for loss.
  • Among the defensive backs, Rorrick Steward and Antonio Kennon Jr. have been the pigskin swatters for the secondary, knocking away seven would-be receptions with Steward logging a quarterback hurry as well.
  • Marquez Delafield has bragging rights in the sense that he is the only defender with an interception so far.
 

Special Teams
 
  • Devarens Valcin has proven himself to be one of the most dangerous kick returners in the country, placing 12th in the NCAA with 201 combined return yards and 32nd in punt return average (8.5).
 
Miscellaneous
 
  • As a unit, TU has been one of the most disciplined squads in all of Division II, averaging just 40 penalty yards per game, recording just 15 penalties for a total of 120 yards through three contests, all top-35 marks nationally and second-best in the SIAC.

Scouting The Alabama A&M Bulldogs
 
Ranked as the #1 HBCU team in the nation by numerous polls, receiving votes in the FCS Top-25 and riding an eight-game winning streak, few teams are hotter than the Bulldogs heading into Mobile after they've taken care of both South Carolina State (42-41) and Bethune-Cookman (30-27) in high scoring affairs.

The Golden Tigers' defense will have its hands full with two legitimate NFL prospects on the offensive side of the ball as quarterback Aqeel Glass and wide receiver Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim have given opponents fits for years.

Glass, regarded as one of the best HBCU prospects on the board in many circles, has been lethal with 660 yards and seven scores (six passing, one rushing) while not turning the ball over once. He has gone 50-for-84 (59.5%) and sports a 149.10 quarterback rating.

Ibrahim has been Glass' favorite target, fronting the Maroon and White with 12 catches, 120 yards and two touchdowns.

The defense has no shortage of playmakers either, headlined by early SWAC Defensive Player of the Year candidate, Trenell Troutman.

Troutman has done a little bit of everything for the men from Huntsville, snagging three picks, totaling 13 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss to top the Bulldogs in the first and third categories.

Spencer Corey has been picked as the best placekicker in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in the preseason and has lived up to the billing so far, cashing in on 3-of-4 attempts with a long of 43.

Follow the Golden Tigers and Tigerettes on Facebook (@MyTUAthletics), Twitter (@MyTUAthletics) and Instagram (@MyTUAthletics).

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#GulfCoastChallenge
 
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