In a decisive 49-7 victory over Kentucky State at the 14th Annual Louis Crews Classic, Alabama A&M’s Cornelious Brown IV put on a clinic, throwing for 278 yards and four touchdowns. The win also brought a major career milestone for head coach Connell Maynor, marking his 100th career victory.
Maynor, who’s spent years building programs and mentoring players, humbly deflected the praise. “One hundred wins just means I’ve been coaching a long time,” said Maynor. “But this isn’t about me. It’s about the players and the staff. They made this possible.”
Early Command
The Bulldogs (1-1) asserted dominance from the first drive. After a quick defensive stop, Alabama A&M's offense orchestrated a smooth, 59-yard drive, mixing in both the run and pass. Quarterback Xavier Lankford capped it off with a 1-yard sneak into the end zone, putting A&M up 7-0 in the opening minutes.
Not long after, a short Kentucky State punt set up A&M in prime field position at the Thorobreds’ 43-yard line. Brown wasted no time, launching a 38-yard bomb to a wide-open Duke Miller, extending the lead to 14-0 with just over six minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Building Momentum
As the second quarter opened, the Bulldogs capitalized on a Kentucky State turnover, marching downfield in six plays before Brown connected with Jacolby Hewitt for an 8-yard touchdown, making it 21-0. The Bulldogs weren’t finished. With just two minutes left in the half, Aveon Smith found Barry White in the end zone for a 20-yard score, capping an impressive 72-yard drive to bring the score to 28-0 before halftime.
The start of the second half didn’t offer much relief for Kentucky State. Brown and his receivers continued to torch the Thorobreds’ secondary, connecting with Ryan Morrow on an 18-yard touchdown, pushing the lead to 35-0 within three minutes of the third quarter.
Brown’s fourth touchdown of the night came midway through the third quarter as he hit Duke Miller again, this time for a 16-yard strike. After a 9-play, 89-yard drive, the Bulldogs were up 42-0, effectively putting the game out of reach.
Closing It Out
A&M wrapped things up in the fourth quarter with a 4-yard touchdown run from Kolten Nero, adding another exclamation mark to the 49-point onslaught. Kentucky State finally responded with just over seven minutes left, when quarterback Jaun Gainious found Jaden Hale for an 8-yard score, avoiding a shutout.
Statistical Highlights
Total Dominance: Alabama A&M’s offense was unstoppable, amassing 659 total yards, with 393 yards through the air.
First Down Frenzy: The Bulldogs tallied 30 first downs, compared to Kentucky State’s 15.
Defensive Lockdown: A&M’s defense held Kentucky State to just 38 rushing yards and forced multiple turnovers.
Cornelious Brown IV: Brown completed 19 of 26 passes, racking up 278 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception.
Duke Miller: A huge night for Miller, who caught eight of nine targets for 132 yards and two touchdowns.
Defensive MVP: Linebacker Cortez Andrews led the defense with 11 tackles, including 2.5 for loss, and earned the Louis Crews Classic Defensive MVP honors.
Key Notes:
This was Alabama A&M’s first win of the season, improving their home opener record to 25-23-1.
The Bulldogs evened the all-time series with Kentucky State at 3-3.
Alabama A&M quarterbacks completed passes to 14 different receivers.
Five different quarterbacks played for the Bulldogs, giving plenty of players a chance to see the field.
Next Up
Alabama A&M continues their homestand next week with a matchup against Georgetown. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Louis Crews Stadium, and the game will be streamed live on the SWAC Digital Network.
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