By: SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
HOUSTON — The Alabama A&M Bulldogs closed out their 2025 football season on Saturday with a 24–7 loss to Texas Southern in a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) matchup at Shell Energy Stadium. The defeat capped a challenging season for AAMU, which finished 4–8 overall and 1–7 in conference play.
The Bulldogs made an early push, leaning on the ground game during their opening drive. Running back Ryan Morrow broke loose for 32 yards before Isaiah Nwokenkwo powered toward the goal line. But just as AAMU appeared poised to score, the ball popped out at the 1-yard line and was recovered in the endzone by TSU’s Matthew Cooks for a costly touchback.
Texas Southern (6–5, 5–3 SWAC) answered with a long 12-play drive, but a missed field goal kept the game scoreless. Moments later, the Tigers struck first as Lawrence Butler punched in a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:27 left in the opening quarter.
AAMU responded with creativity. Head coach Sam Shade dialed up trickery early in the second quarter when wideout Jordan Chambers-Smith threw a deep strike to Daveon Walker for a 44-yard touchdown, tying the game at 7.
But Texas Southern regained control, scoring twice more in the second quarter. A short AAMU punt set up a 9-yard TD run by Jordon Davis, and just before halftime, Davis connected with Kordell Rodgers for a 9-yard touchdown pass, extending the Tigers’ lead to 21–7.
A third-quarter field goal by TSU’s Christian Avelar pushed the lead to 24–7, where it remained.
Despite the loss, AAMU posted solid individual performances. The Bulldogs finished with 311 total yards, including 190 passing yards. Quarterback Eric Handley went 16-of-30 for 146 yards, while Walker recorded seven catches for 100 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, Wyatt Wright and Jalen Wright each tallied 10 tackles.
Texas Southern totaled 386 yards, powered by 228 rushing yards and Butler’s 101-yard performance.
The Tigers’ win snapped a five-game losing streak to Alabama A&M, marking their first victory in the series since 2016.
