Post by Aggie One on Sept 29, 2005 8:40:01 GMT -5
www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050928/SPORTS0604/509280433/1038/SPORTS06
Wasted opportunities leave Tigers at a loss
Anemic run game, turnovers seal fate
By MAURICE PATTON
Staff Writer
ATLANTA – It took less than a minute for Tennessee State to score its first points of the game. As fate would have it, however, those would also be the Tigers' last points of the day.
In losing 12-7 to Florida A&M yesterday in the Atlanta Football Classic before an announced 56,297 at the Georgia Dome, TSU committed five turnovers and wasted a capable performance from redshirt junior quarterback Richard Hartman.
Making just his second collegiate start, Hartman kept his team close, throwing for 238 yards and driving TSU (1-3) from its own
1-yard line to the Florida A&M 3 on the final possession, only to come up short.
"This one hurts; we were in it the whole game," said Hartman, voted the Tigers' most valuable player following the loss despite losing a first-quarter fumble and throwing three fourth-quarter interceptions.
The second pick actually helped set up TSU's shot at a game-winning score. Florida A&M's LeJuan Walker intercepted Hartman's pass at the FAMU 1, took two steps and was hammered by offensive tackle Chris Ham. The ball came loose and TSU's Gerald Morrow recovered it at the 3, giving the Tigers a first-and-goal with 34 seconds left.
From there, they were stuck in neutral. A running play lost a yard and two Hartman throws went incomplete. On fourth down, nose guard Steve St. Felix intercepted Hartman at the goal line. That ended the last-ditch threat and extended the Rattlers' winning streak over TSU to four in a row.
"We ran the ball the first time and we got stuffed," Tennessee State Coach James Webster said. "We (then) used our last timeout, so we didn't have time to run it. We couldn't stop the clock, so we had no choice."
No wonder. TSU's rushing attack had been lackluster the whole game. The Tigers managed just 26 yards on 40 attempts.
"Evidently, we couldn't block them," Webster said. "If you can't block them, you can't run it. Either we didn't block them, or our running backs were hitting the wrong holes."
Hartman, who had thrown for just 235 career yards — 170 of those in the Sept. 17 loss to Tennessee-Martin — before yesterday, put TSU up early for the second week in a row. After an incompletion and a three-yard run by Denard Cox, Hartman and receiver Richard Gayle hooked up for a 62-yard TD pass just 53 seconds into the game for a 7-0 lead.
Defensively, TSU rattled FAMU redshirt freshman quarterback Chris Owens with five first-half sacks and held the Rattlers (2-2) to six rushing yards and 85 total yards in the first half. The only Florida A&M score in the first half came on Wesley Taylor's 23-yard field goal 18 seconds before halftime, cutting TSU's lead to 7-3.
"I feel good about what we did defensively," senior linebacker Wesley Holmes said, after his
10-tackle performance — his second double-digit outing in as many weeks. "We changed our game plan a little, worked in a little more of our 'dime' (six defensive backs) package. We wanted to get some pressure, and for the most part we did that. But they hit some throws on us."
Trailing by four at halftime, the Rattlers opened the second half with a 10-play, 75-yard drive. Owens completed a 23-yard pass to Roosevelt Kiser for the go-ahead score that gave FAMU a 9-7 lead.
Things then got interesting. The snap on the point-after try went awry. Dominique Rodgers scooped up the ball for TSU and set sail, taking the ball inside the FAMU 20 before being tackled.
Had the Tigers scored the two-point return there, it would have tied the game at 9-9.
"I saw all my blocking in front of me, and I didn't see anybody behind me," Rodgers said. "I was going to pitch it. I slowed up, but I didn't see anybody."
"You've got to keep the ball alive on that play, pitch it back, rather than get tackled with the football," Webster said. "If they recover it, it's still a dead ball."
"I thought offensively we had a chance to put them away in the first half," Webster said. "We didn't take advantage of the opportunities we had."
TSU quarterback Richard Hartman returned to the practice field yesterday after missing Monday night's workout because of a knee injury. However, his availability for Saturday's Circle City Classic vs. North Carolina A&T at Indianapolis is still in question.
"He moved around a little better today," TSU Coach James Webster said of the redshirt junior, who injured his left knee during last Saturday's loss to Florida A&M.
The Tigers' original starter, senior Bryson Rosser, has already been lost to a foot injury and subsequent surgery, and he might be out for the season.
With Rosser out and Hartman hurting, Webster is left with redshirt sophomore Andre Davis and redshirt freshman Jerald Cook as the only other quarterback options. David Pringle was signed last February, but plans are to redshirt him.
"I did not see anything (yesterday) that made me feel good about our quarterback situation," Webster said. "I am concerned about our quarterbacks "
Hartman completed 17-of-33 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown against Florida A&M. A week earlier, he threw for 170 yards and a score in his first collegiate start against UT-Martin. However, he's been intercepted four times and lost two fumbles.
Maurice Patton covers TSU athletics for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 259-8018 or mopatton@tennessean.com.
Wasted opportunities leave Tigers at a loss
Anemic run game, turnovers seal fate
By MAURICE PATTON
Staff Writer
ATLANTA – It took less than a minute for Tennessee State to score its first points of the game. As fate would have it, however, those would also be the Tigers' last points of the day.
In losing 12-7 to Florida A&M yesterday in the Atlanta Football Classic before an announced 56,297 at the Georgia Dome, TSU committed five turnovers and wasted a capable performance from redshirt junior quarterback Richard Hartman.
Making just his second collegiate start, Hartman kept his team close, throwing for 238 yards and driving TSU (1-3) from its own
1-yard line to the Florida A&M 3 on the final possession, only to come up short.
"This one hurts; we were in it the whole game," said Hartman, voted the Tigers' most valuable player following the loss despite losing a first-quarter fumble and throwing three fourth-quarter interceptions.
The second pick actually helped set up TSU's shot at a game-winning score. Florida A&M's LeJuan Walker intercepted Hartman's pass at the FAMU 1, took two steps and was hammered by offensive tackle Chris Ham. The ball came loose and TSU's Gerald Morrow recovered it at the 3, giving the Tigers a first-and-goal with 34 seconds left.
From there, they were stuck in neutral. A running play lost a yard and two Hartman throws went incomplete. On fourth down, nose guard Steve St. Felix intercepted Hartman at the goal line. That ended the last-ditch threat and extended the Rattlers' winning streak over TSU to four in a row.
"We ran the ball the first time and we got stuffed," Tennessee State Coach James Webster said. "We (then) used our last timeout, so we didn't have time to run it. We couldn't stop the clock, so we had no choice."
No wonder. TSU's rushing attack had been lackluster the whole game. The Tigers managed just 26 yards on 40 attempts.
"Evidently, we couldn't block them," Webster said. "If you can't block them, you can't run it. Either we didn't block them, or our running backs were hitting the wrong holes."
Hartman, who had thrown for just 235 career yards — 170 of those in the Sept. 17 loss to Tennessee-Martin — before yesterday, put TSU up early for the second week in a row. After an incompletion and a three-yard run by Denard Cox, Hartman and receiver Richard Gayle hooked up for a 62-yard TD pass just 53 seconds into the game for a 7-0 lead.
Defensively, TSU rattled FAMU redshirt freshman quarterback Chris Owens with five first-half sacks and held the Rattlers (2-2) to six rushing yards and 85 total yards in the first half. The only Florida A&M score in the first half came on Wesley Taylor's 23-yard field goal 18 seconds before halftime, cutting TSU's lead to 7-3.
"I feel good about what we did defensively," senior linebacker Wesley Holmes said, after his
10-tackle performance — his second double-digit outing in as many weeks. "We changed our game plan a little, worked in a little more of our 'dime' (six defensive backs) package. We wanted to get some pressure, and for the most part we did that. But they hit some throws on us."
Trailing by four at halftime, the Rattlers opened the second half with a 10-play, 75-yard drive. Owens completed a 23-yard pass to Roosevelt Kiser for the go-ahead score that gave FAMU a 9-7 lead.
Things then got interesting. The snap on the point-after try went awry. Dominique Rodgers scooped up the ball for TSU and set sail, taking the ball inside the FAMU 20 before being tackled.
Had the Tigers scored the two-point return there, it would have tied the game at 9-9.
"I saw all my blocking in front of me, and I didn't see anybody behind me," Rodgers said. "I was going to pitch it. I slowed up, but I didn't see anybody."
"You've got to keep the ball alive on that play, pitch it back, rather than get tackled with the football," Webster said. "If they recover it, it's still a dead ball."
"I thought offensively we had a chance to put them away in the first half," Webster said. "We didn't take advantage of the opportunities we had."
TSU quarterback Richard Hartman returned to the practice field yesterday after missing Monday night's workout because of a knee injury. However, his availability for Saturday's Circle City Classic vs. North Carolina A&T at Indianapolis is still in question.
"He moved around a little better today," TSU Coach James Webster said of the redshirt junior, who injured his left knee during last Saturday's loss to Florida A&M.
The Tigers' original starter, senior Bryson Rosser, has already been lost to a foot injury and subsequent surgery, and he might be out for the season.
With Rosser out and Hartman hurting, Webster is left with redshirt sophomore Andre Davis and redshirt freshman Jerald Cook as the only other quarterback options. David Pringle was signed last February, but plans are to redshirt him.
"I did not see anything (yesterday) that made me feel good about our quarterback situation," Webster said. "I am concerned about our quarterbacks "
Hartman completed 17-of-33 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown against Florida A&M. A week earlier, he threw for 170 yards and a score in his first collegiate start against UT-Martin. However, he's been intercepted four times and lost two fumbles.
Maurice Patton covers TSU athletics for The Tennessean. He can be reached at 259-8018 or mopatton@tennessean.com.
