If you’ve ever stood in the middle of a tailgating lot at Louis Crews Stadium, you know the vibe is just different. The smell of smoked ribs, the sound of the Marching Maroon and White warming up in the distance, and that thick, humid North Alabama air. It’s infectious. But for most casual fans looking at Alabama A&M football from the outside, the story begins and ends with the Magic City Classic.
Honestly? That’s a mistake.
While the showdown in Birmingham is the undisputed crown jewel of the HBCU calendar, focusing only on that one Saturday misses the weird, gritty, and fascinating reality of what’s happening up on "The Hill" in Huntsville. We’re currently in a massive transition period. After a rough 2025 season that saw the Bulldogs finish 4-8 overall and a painful 1-7 in SWAC play, the program is staring down a total identity shift under head coach Sam Shade.
Shade, the 22nd head coach in the program's history, took over in early 2025 with a resume that screams "football guy"—former Alabama standout, NFL veteran, and a solid stint at Miles College. But as the 2025 stats show, rebuilding a perennial SWAC East contender isn't as simple as just showing up with a pedigree.
The Magic City Classic Reality Check
Let's talk about the elephant in the room: Alabama State.
The 84th Annual Magic City Classic in October 2025 was, to put it bluntly, a disaster for the Bulldogs. They lost 56-13. It wasn't just a loss; it was a 49-point first-half explosion by the Hornets that left most of the 69,372 fans at Legion Field stunned. Alabama State’s Andrew Body looked like a video game character, throwing five touchdowns before the bands even hit the field for halftime.
What most people get wrong is thinking this rivalry is just about the game. It’s a cultural summit. Even when the Bulldogs are struggling on the scoreboard, the economic and social gravity of this game is unmatched. But from a football perspective, the 2025 edition exposed a massive gap in defensive depth and explosive playmaking that Shade has to bridge.
The loss marked the fourth straight defeat to the Hornets. For a program that leads the all-time series 43-38-3, the current skid is starting to feel like a crisis.
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The Numbers Behind the Struggle
If you dig into the 2025 cumulative statistics, you see a team that was basically living and dying by the "bend-but-eventually-break" philosophy. The Bulldogs averaged about 23.4 points per game while giving up over 33. The math just doesn't work.
- Rushing Attack: Ryan Morrow led the way with 469 yards on the ground, but the team lacked that true "bell cow" back who could take over a game.
- Quarterback Carousel: We saw flashes from JD Davis II and Eric Handley, but consistency was the ghost they couldn't catch.
- The Red Zone: This was actually a weird bright spot. They were 30-for-35 in red zone scoring opportunities. When they got down there, they usually got points. The problem was just getting there often enough.
Defensively, it was a long year. Giving up nearly 200 yards a game on the ground is a recipe for a 1-7 conference record. When you can’t stop the run in the SWAC, you’re basically asking for a long afternoon every Saturday.
Why Louis Crews Stadium Still Matters
Despite the win-loss column, Louis Crews Stadium remains one of the best kept secrets in Alabama sports. It’s the sixth largest stadium in the state, seating 21,000 people. When it’s full—like the 2021 homecoming that saw over 21,800 people crammed in—it is a legitimate fortress.
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The stadium was named after Louis Crews, who coached from 1960 to 1975. He's the guy who really built the DNA of this program. It’s funny because you’ll hear old-timers in the stands talking about the "Crews years" like they happened yesterday. That history is a heavy mantle for anyone sitting in the head coach's office.
Esports: The New Frontier
Here’s a curveball you probably didn’t expect. While the football team was grinding through a tough 2025, Alabama A&M was actually winning national titles... in the digital dirt.
Senior Jaeveon Jordan recently won the Rally Cry National Championship for EA SPORTS College Football 26. He went 22-2 over the season. It sounds like a side note, but it’s actually a huge part of the university's "Bulldog E-Sports" push. The school is using this to recruit a whole different kind of student-athlete, and the energy around it is starting to bleed into the broader athletic department.
Looking Ahead: The 2026 Outlook
So, what’s the move for Alabama A&M football?
The 2025 season ended with five straight losses. That’s a heavy weight to carry into the offseason. But the early signing period in December 2024 (and the subsequent 2025 pushes) showed that Sam Shade is leaning hard into high school relations. He brought in nine players during the early period alone, focusing heavily on the trenches.
The "Legacy Series" against Tennessee State is another bright spot. These kinds of non-conference matchups against storied programs are exactly what the Bulldogs need to regain their swagger. It’s about more than just SWAC standings; it’s about brand visibility.
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If you’re a fan or a donor, the focus shouldn't just be on the 2026 Magic City Classic. It has to be on the mid-October "trap games" against Mississippi Valley State and Bethune-Cookman. Those are the games where the season is won or lost.
Actionable Steps for the Bulldog Faithful
- Focus on the Trenches: Keep a close eye on the offensive line recruits. Without a stabilized front five, the quarterback talent won't matter.
- Support the E-Sports crossover: The university is hosting recruiting tournaments this spring. These events are becoming major hubs for overall school spirit and can actually help fund traditional athletic facilities.
- Season Ticket Strategy: If you're going to travel, the neutral site games in Mobile (Gulf Coast Challenge) and Birmingham are high-energy, but the home opener at Louis Crews is where the culture is most authentic.
- Watch the Portal: Like every other school in 2026, the Bulldogs live and die by the transfer portal. Look for Shade to target veteran defensive tackles to shore up that run defense that got shredded last year.
The road back to the top of the SWAC East isn't going to be a sprint. It’s a slow, likely painful climb. But with a coach who understands the landscape and a fan base that stays loyal even through 56-13 blowouts, the Bulldogs are far from done. They’re just retooling the engine.