A&T to host annual spring football gameGREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T will do a quick dress rehearsal in the annual Blue & Gold Spring Football Game at Truist Stadium Saturday at 1 p.m. A&T fans will get their first sneak peek at a version of the 2024 football team as head coach Vincent Brown enters his second season with the program.
Of course, as August approaches, there are a few curiosities from a spectator standpoint. The offense is the item at the top of the list. The Aggies had the 115th-ranked offense in Division I-FCS in 2023. They brought in offensive coordinator David Marsh from Texas Southern to help improve those numbers.
Any conversation about offense starts with the triggerman. The Aggies dipped into the transfer portal to give the quarterback room some new occupants. Noah Sanders transferred from the University of Delaware, and Justin Fomby came to A&T from Houston Christian. Incumbent QB Kevin White started six games in 2023. For fans, Saturday’s spring game will not so much be about who the fall starter will be as much as how each man plays in a game-like situation.
Another curiosity is upfront on the offensive and defensive lines. A&T’s offensive line will miss Tairiq Stewart and Lawrence Lagrone. The Aggies return veteran offensive linemen in left tackle Jason Ivey, center Cesar Minarro and guard Korion Sharpe. A&T also added several offensive linemen to get bigger upfront.
The defensive line returns some talented players as the Aggies look to improve on getting bigger as the program grows. FCS Freshman All-American Joshua Iseah split time between outside linebacker and defensive end. Veteran Henry Daniel also returns along with eight other defensive linemen who earned playing time last season. However, the A&T football program plans to look forward and not backward.
Beyond the football field, the Aggies are curious to see just how large they can grow the spring game. Fans will receive giveaways to mark the occasion. There will also be tailgating and other ancillary events. A&T Athletics will broadcast the game live on Facebook Live and tobaccoroadsportsradio.com, with Donal Ware on the play-by-play and Al Swann as the analyst.
The game format should also be fun. It will be offense versus defense. There will be four 15-minute quarters with a running clock except for injuries, media timeouts, and the final two minutes of the second and fourth quarters. Each team will receive three timeouts.
A&T’s defense will score two points if it forces a turnover, gets a sack, and or a third-down sack. It will receive three points for three-and-outs. Offensive points are generated by touchdowns (six points), extra points (one point), field goals (three points) and two-point conversions.
It will be the No. 1 offense against the No. 2 defense before the No. 2 offense faces the No. 1 defense. The ball will be spotted on the offense’s 25-yard line in the first quarter. The second quarter will start with the ball on the offensive 35. After a six-minute halftime, the offense will get the ball at its own 45. Within all of that, A&T fans will get a chance to focus on A&T’s future.