Alabama A&M: Bulldogs go back to basics

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -After a second half meltdown in a season-opening loss to Hampton and a lackluster effort in its Southwestern Athletic Conference opener against Southern on Saturday, Alabama A&M coach Anthony Jones said Sunday it's time for his team to go back to basics.

The Bulldogs played inspired during the first half against Hampton, leading 17-0 at intermission. The team that played that first half hasn't shown up the last six quarters. During that span, A&M has been outscored 42-6 and as a result is 0-2 on the young season.

"We're going to start all over," Jones said. "We're making a lot of mistakes and we've got to find a way to fix them across the board. We've got to bring those mistakes out so they can be corrected. Until we're able to do that, we're not going to be successful."

Offensively, A&M struggled running the ball against Southern and has had trouble converting on third down and in the red zone in its first two games.

Defensively, the Bulldogs struggled containing Hampton's running game in the second half and failed to contain Southern's passing game Saturday. The special teams units have also had their share of problems the first two games.

"We've got to change our approach of being ready to play," Jones said. "I don't care who you are. When you step on the football field and you're not ready to play and your mind is elsewhere, you're going to get it handed to you and that's what happened to us.

"We can't afford to have a lack of focus when we play anyone. That's what we had at the beginning (against Southern) and that's all they needed. We gave them too much room to breathe."

The Jaguars led 14-0 barely seven minutes into the game and were never headed.

"That took them to another level and it took us to a questionable level," Jones said.

A&M (0-2) will try to win its first game of the season Saturday when it hosts Tuskegee (0-1) in the second annual Louis Crews Classic. Kickoff is 6 p.m. at Louis Crews Stadium. Langston downed Tuskegee 33-19 Saturday.

Jones vowed that he, his staff and his players will do whatever it takes the turn this season around.

"We need to find a way to succeed," he said. "Failing is easy because everybody can do it. Succeeding is difficult. Everybody can't do that. We've got to find a way to succeed.

"If we've got to change what we're doing in practice, so be it. If we have to change some attitudes, so be it. If we've got to get guys to see themselves and what they really are ... that's what we've got to do."