In a thrilling Saturday night matchup at Louis Crews Stadium, Alabama A&M University pulled off a 24-16 victory against Georgetown College, with junior quarterback Aveon Smith stepping up from the bench to lead the Bulldogs to victory. Smith made a significant impact, throwing one touchdown and rushing for another, helping AAMU secure their second win of the season. PHOTO GALLERY
Coach Maynor's Take on the Game
"We've got to execute better," Alabama A&M head coach Connell Maynor expressed after the game. "There were plays we left on the field. If we make the right decisions, we’ll be fine." The Bulldogs struggled with execution at times but found a way to win in a tough contest that remained competitive until the final quarter.
First Half Action: Back-and-Forth Battle
Georgetown College (1-2) started strong, moving the ball well on their opening drive. However, their 40-yard field goal attempt went wide left, and Alabama A&M capitalized on the opportunity. AAMU (2-1) responded with an impressive drive of 67 yards in eight plays, concluding with a 27-yard field goal from Austin McCready, giving the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead.
Georgetown quickly answered back with a 34-yard pass from quarterback Gehrig Slunaker to Jamarcus Robinson, setting up a 31-yard touchdown pass, taking the lead at 7-3. But Alabama A&M was quick to respond with a 75-yard drive capped by a Donovan Eaglin 11-yard touchdown run, giving the Bulldogs a 10-7 advantage early in the second quarter.
Tight Third Quarter: Georgetown Evens the Score
The third quarter saw both teams exchange blows. Georgetown tied the game at 10-10 following a blocked field goal returned to the AAMU 41-yard line, leading to a 39-yard field goal by Drew Rader.
Aveon Smith, who came in to replace starter Xavier Lankford, then took control, engineering a 75-yard drive and finishing it himself with a 31-yard run for a touchdown, pushing AAMU ahead, 17-10.
Smith and the Bulldogs Pull Away
Georgetown responded with a big play of their own, a 56-yard completion from Slunaker to Clayton Davis, setting up a 33-yard Rader field goal, cutting the lead to 17-13. But Aveon Smith wasn’t done. In the fourth quarter, he connected with DeQuadrion Welch on a 19-yard touchdown pass, giving AAMU a commanding 24-13 lead with 12:48 left in the game.
Though Georgetown added a late field goal to narrow the gap to 24-16, Alabama A&M’s defense held strong, sealing the win.
Stat Breakdown and Game Highlights
Alabama A&M racked up 515 total yards of offense, including 263 passing yards.
The Bulldogs secured 25 first downs.
Aveon Smith shined, completing 10 of 15 passes for 110 yards, with one passing and one rushing touchdown.
Donovan Eaglin led the rushing attack with 81 yards and one touchdown on 14 carries.
Defensively, Cortez Andrews dominated with 12 tackles, including 2.5 sacks.
Georgetown managed 322 total yards, with Slunaker throwing for 276 yards and a touchdown.
Looking Ahead
Next up, Alabama A&M hits the road to take on Austin Peay in Clarksville, Tennessee. The Bulldogs will look to build on their momentum, with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
Don’t forget to check out our exclusive photo gallery for all the best action shots from the game.
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