Post by JayBee on Nov 1, 2007 8:15:19 GMT -5
On fumbles, it's scoop and score
By Rob Daniels Staff Writer
Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007 3:00 am
N.C. A&T AT FLORIDA A&M
When: 3 p.m. Saturday
Where: Bragg Memorial Stadium, Tallahassee, Fla.
Records: N.C. A&T 0-9 overall, 0-6 MEAC; Florida A&M 2-6, 1-4
Online: www.ncataggies.com or thefamurattlers.cstv.com
GREENSBORO -- Sometimes, the bass player has to sing a line, the maitre d' has to bus a few tables and the EMT must help deliver a baby. Football's equivalent is the non-offensive touchdown, a term that's kind of an oxymoron and kind of a necessity for struggling teams seeking to change their luck.
These days, the N.C. A&T Aggies aren't necessarily content to snag a fumble and welcome the offense back to the field at the spot of the recovery.
"We stress 'Scoop and Score,' not just falling on it," coach Lee Fobbs said as his team prepared for Saturday's game at Florida A&M.
The directive was carried through in last week's game, a 24-20 loss to Bethune-Cookman, and when the Aggies do break a losing streak that stands at 25 games, they might very well do it by alternative means.
Physically dominant teams can let the offense be the offense. Cal Poly, for example, is first in total offense and sixth in scoring in the NCAA's second-highest division and can't be too agitated that it has a negative turnover margin. The team is 5-3, after all.
Take the case of the Aggies, who are 0-9 and lacking in depth. Four losses in which they had the lead or a chance to take it in the final five minutes will suggest they're having a hard time winning by outlasting people. They'll settle for a fortunate bounce or a deflection. It might be a prerequisite.
Against Bethune-Cookman, Aggie Stadium came to life when defensive end Joseph Taylor happily discovered a rolling football that could be contained and controlled without an all-out dive.
"Our outside guy, Davion (Hemphill), did a great job of filling the gap and creating the fumble," Taylor said. "When I picked it up, I saw nothing but green grass."
Taylor returned the fumble 40 yards for a touchdown.
In the NFL, a player can go to his knees, get up if not touched and run with the ball. In college, when you're down, you're down. But at least the opportunity is greater than it once was; unless caught out of the air, fumbles couldn't be advanced in NCAA play until 1992.
The rule change compelled coaches to alter their priorities in teaching. Before 1992, certainty of possession was all that mattered on fumble recoveries. It's still important, of course.
"You've got to make sure you've got the ball," Taylor said, "because if you don't, you're going to be in trouble when we watch film."
But with the enhanced opportunities, there are different kinds of turnovers: Those that can feasibly be returned and those you're just happy to recover. Now the Aggies might be tempted to view even marginal situations as a chance to score. That was Taylor's thinking last week.
A fullback at Gonzaga High in Washington, D.C., Taylor ran for 2,430 yards and 28 touchdowns in his final two prep seasons. He put the skills to work at a key moment for A&T.
What's so momentous about a defensive touchdown? It was A&T's first since Oct. 1, 2005 -- two weeks before the losing streak began. Last season, the Aggies weren't close enough in any game for one play to make a difference, but their improvement this year indicates the right combination of stealth and speed might make a hero out of a defensive back, for example.
Deshaun Graham, a freshman cornerback from Page, admitted such thoughts are hard to ignore.
"When I go to sleep the night before a game, I dream about catching an interception and bringing it back," he said. "I had a chance (Saturday), but I kind of slipped. I was so excited to get there that I misplaced my footing and I fell to the ground."
Perhaps the chance is coming. Florida A&M (2-6 overall, 0-4 MEAC) threw six interceptions among 51 passes in losses to South Carolina State and Norfolk State last month.
A&T is due, isn't it?
Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rdaniels@news-record.com
By Rob Daniels Staff Writer
Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007 3:00 am
N.C. A&T AT FLORIDA A&M
When: 3 p.m. Saturday
Where: Bragg Memorial Stadium, Tallahassee, Fla.
Records: N.C. A&T 0-9 overall, 0-6 MEAC; Florida A&M 2-6, 1-4
Online: www.ncataggies.com or thefamurattlers.cstv.com
GREENSBORO -- Sometimes, the bass player has to sing a line, the maitre d' has to bus a few tables and the EMT must help deliver a baby. Football's equivalent is the non-offensive touchdown, a term that's kind of an oxymoron and kind of a necessity for struggling teams seeking to change their luck.
These days, the N.C. A&T Aggies aren't necessarily content to snag a fumble and welcome the offense back to the field at the spot of the recovery.
"We stress 'Scoop and Score,' not just falling on it," coach Lee Fobbs said as his team prepared for Saturday's game at Florida A&M.
The directive was carried through in last week's game, a 24-20 loss to Bethune-Cookman, and when the Aggies do break a losing streak that stands at 25 games, they might very well do it by alternative means.
Physically dominant teams can let the offense be the offense. Cal Poly, for example, is first in total offense and sixth in scoring in the NCAA's second-highest division and can't be too agitated that it has a negative turnover margin. The team is 5-3, after all.
Take the case of the Aggies, who are 0-9 and lacking in depth. Four losses in which they had the lead or a chance to take it in the final five minutes will suggest they're having a hard time winning by outlasting people. They'll settle for a fortunate bounce or a deflection. It might be a prerequisite.
Against Bethune-Cookman, Aggie Stadium came to life when defensive end Joseph Taylor happily discovered a rolling football that could be contained and controlled without an all-out dive.
"Our outside guy, Davion (Hemphill), did a great job of filling the gap and creating the fumble," Taylor said. "When I picked it up, I saw nothing but green grass."
Taylor returned the fumble 40 yards for a touchdown.
In the NFL, a player can go to his knees, get up if not touched and run with the ball. In college, when you're down, you're down. But at least the opportunity is greater than it once was; unless caught out of the air, fumbles couldn't be advanced in NCAA play until 1992.
The rule change compelled coaches to alter their priorities in teaching. Before 1992, certainty of possession was all that mattered on fumble recoveries. It's still important, of course.
"You've got to make sure you've got the ball," Taylor said, "because if you don't, you're going to be in trouble when we watch film."
But with the enhanced opportunities, there are different kinds of turnovers: Those that can feasibly be returned and those you're just happy to recover. Now the Aggies might be tempted to view even marginal situations as a chance to score. That was Taylor's thinking last week.
A fullback at Gonzaga High in Washington, D.C., Taylor ran for 2,430 yards and 28 touchdowns in his final two prep seasons. He put the skills to work at a key moment for A&T.
What's so momentous about a defensive touchdown? It was A&T's first since Oct. 1, 2005 -- two weeks before the losing streak began. Last season, the Aggies weren't close enough in any game for one play to make a difference, but their improvement this year indicates the right combination of stealth and speed might make a hero out of a defensive back, for example.
Deshaun Graham, a freshman cornerback from Page, admitted such thoughts are hard to ignore.
"When I go to sleep the night before a game, I dream about catching an interception and bringing it back," he said. "I had a chance (Saturday), but I kind of slipped. I was so excited to get there that I misplaced my footing and I fell to the ground."
Perhaps the chance is coming. Florida A&M (2-6 overall, 0-4 MEAC) threw six interceptions among 51 passes in losses to South Carolina State and Norfolk State last month.
A&T is due, isn't it?
Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rdaniels@news-record.com
