Post by Aggie One on Oct 12, 2005 22:21:40 GMT -5
A Berry Good Day
by Craig R. Turner
bluedeathvalley.com
Someone better check and make sure whatever was in the water bottles A&T handed out to the offense before last week’s game against Morgan State are in large supply the rest of the season. And will someone also please return the defense that was missing from the Circle City Classic as well. They didn’t get on the bus to Fed Ex field last Saturday morning.
The Aggies, working through a week filled with uncertainty after the firing of Ken Schoolfield last Monday, went into some sort of “zone” under the direction newly named offensive coordinator and line coach Chennis Berry and rolled up its highest point total and total yardage figures (408) in three years as they captured a 40-33 overtime win against the Bears of Morgan State.
Now to be realistic, Morgan State is one of the worst defensive football teams in all of 1-AA football so most gridiron critics would say what is the big deal in scoring 40 points against these guys. Well, if you are barely mustering 15 points per game while depending soley on defense, a strong punting game, and waiting for breaks for easy scores each week, it was like someone had suddenly turned on a light switch.
Points weren’t the thing that made the biggest impact for the Aggies, although scoring more than the opposition is the idea behind playing the game. It was the balance in the play selection and game plan that struck me as a major improvement.
Berry called on Rico Watkins for the second straight week and although his stats weren’t overly impressive, 11-23 for 132 yards, he showed the ability to make big clutch throws when needed to sustain drives, made some good reads and didn’t force the ball, and provided leadership on the field.
The Aggies also ran the ball 45 times for 210 yards, with 205 of them on 40 carries by tailback Brandon Sweeney. The 5-10 185 pound junior powered up and down the field all day long against Morgan showing a wide array of moves, change of pace, speed, and power after being out for three weeks because of a high ankle sprain back in week two.
His four touchdowns capped the best single game performance of an A&T running back since former All-America and now San Francisco 49er Mo Hicks blistered Morgan State for 437 yards in another shootout back in 2001. In that one the Aggies let victory slip through their hands in the waning minutes. There would be no repeat swan dive this year.
The Aggies took the ball first in overtime and after picking up a crucial first down completion on third down by Watkins to Doug Brown to keep the drive alive, literally crammed Sweeney down the throat of Coach Don Ely-Hill’s defense on straight three carries starting from the 11 yard line.
Even wide out Brandon Trusty got into the more free wheeling offensive style with a career day by completing a lateral screen pass flea flicker play for 65 yards to freshman Chaz Dawson on the first play of the game to set the Aggies first TD and he later returned a punt for 88 yards for another score in the first quarter that set the tone for the rest of the day for the A&T offense.
On the other side of the football, the defense chose a good time to take the week off and surrendered big play after big play while sprinkling a few spurts of good play in here and there.
The Aggies seemed to have not much of an answer for the running and scrambling g of quarterback Bryon Selby and gave up huge runs time and time again – 310 yards on the day. To say there is a lot of work to do with the run defense is an understatement.
The saving grace was that the pass defense which stepped up limiting the Bears to 12-34 for just 144 yards. That proved to be key factor in the overtime period, as the Aggies played containment on Selby first and then brought pressure up the middle forcing the Bears to lose a lot of yardage and any real chance to tie or win the game in their four final play attempts in the overtime period.
So now its homecoming, the big parties all over town, the show stopping concerts, the massive pre-game parade in the streets of Greensboro and over 23,000 excited Aggies are expected to descend on Aggie Stadium as the ever impressive Hornets of Delaware State (3-3,2-1) rolls into town after a convincing 17-0 upset win over the wildcats of Bethune Cookman in Dover last weekend.
The Hornets like to run the ball or at least wish they could, judging by their 89.8 yard average. After watching the Bears run rough shod over A&T’s 3-4 defense last week they may find renewed confidence despite their 2.7 yard per carry average.
Delaware State throws the ball a little better at 133 yards per game and have a true deep threat in big junior wide receiver Shaheer McBride, one of the MEAC’s best. They will start red shirt freshman quarterback Vashon Winton who is rapidly improving after a rocky start now hitting on 53.8 percent of his passes.
The big difference in the DSU program has been in the improvement in attitude under second year coach Al Lavan. A year ago the Hornets didn’t know how to win but this year they have already beaten a good BCC team and also dispatched FAMU in Tallahassee in the season opener, not a small feat for any team.
So it will be a tough Del State squad coming into Greensboro Saturday looking to put a big damper on the biggest day for Aggie Pride by stealing one on the road and spoiling the “Greatest Homecoming on Earth.”
The Aggies have now put two consecutive wins in the box and seem to have found some offensive consistency and balance for the first time in a long time.
The Aggies need to stick with their new found fondness of mixing its play calling and continue keeping penalties under 50 yards for a third straight game.
It should be a good time had by all on what is expected to be a great fall day for football, the renewing of friendships with former classmates, generations of Aggies, those new to the traditions and meanings of Aggie Pride and those old and tested with their first chance for a to see some of the major renovations and improvements made on campus during the past year.
Expect a great weekend and a hard and intense battle Saturday afternoon with the Hornets.
I’m a homer this week.
PREDICTION:
N. C. A&T 27
Del State 24
by Craig R. Turner
bluedeathvalley.com
Someone better check and make sure whatever was in the water bottles A&T handed out to the offense before last week’s game against Morgan State are in large supply the rest of the season. And will someone also please return the defense that was missing from the Circle City Classic as well. They didn’t get on the bus to Fed Ex field last Saturday morning.
The Aggies, working through a week filled with uncertainty after the firing of Ken Schoolfield last Monday, went into some sort of “zone” under the direction newly named offensive coordinator and line coach Chennis Berry and rolled up its highest point total and total yardage figures (408) in three years as they captured a 40-33 overtime win against the Bears of Morgan State.
Now to be realistic, Morgan State is one of the worst defensive football teams in all of 1-AA football so most gridiron critics would say what is the big deal in scoring 40 points against these guys. Well, if you are barely mustering 15 points per game while depending soley on defense, a strong punting game, and waiting for breaks for easy scores each week, it was like someone had suddenly turned on a light switch.
Points weren’t the thing that made the biggest impact for the Aggies, although scoring more than the opposition is the idea behind playing the game. It was the balance in the play selection and game plan that struck me as a major improvement.
Berry called on Rico Watkins for the second straight week and although his stats weren’t overly impressive, 11-23 for 132 yards, he showed the ability to make big clutch throws when needed to sustain drives, made some good reads and didn’t force the ball, and provided leadership on the field.
The Aggies also ran the ball 45 times for 210 yards, with 205 of them on 40 carries by tailback Brandon Sweeney. The 5-10 185 pound junior powered up and down the field all day long against Morgan showing a wide array of moves, change of pace, speed, and power after being out for three weeks because of a high ankle sprain back in week two.
His four touchdowns capped the best single game performance of an A&T running back since former All-America and now San Francisco 49er Mo Hicks blistered Morgan State for 437 yards in another shootout back in 2001. In that one the Aggies let victory slip through their hands in the waning minutes. There would be no repeat swan dive this year.
The Aggies took the ball first in overtime and after picking up a crucial first down completion on third down by Watkins to Doug Brown to keep the drive alive, literally crammed Sweeney down the throat of Coach Don Ely-Hill’s defense on straight three carries starting from the 11 yard line.
Even wide out Brandon Trusty got into the more free wheeling offensive style with a career day by completing a lateral screen pass flea flicker play for 65 yards to freshman Chaz Dawson on the first play of the game to set the Aggies first TD and he later returned a punt for 88 yards for another score in the first quarter that set the tone for the rest of the day for the A&T offense.
On the other side of the football, the defense chose a good time to take the week off and surrendered big play after big play while sprinkling a few spurts of good play in here and there.
The Aggies seemed to have not much of an answer for the running and scrambling g of quarterback Bryon Selby and gave up huge runs time and time again – 310 yards on the day. To say there is a lot of work to do with the run defense is an understatement.
The saving grace was that the pass defense which stepped up limiting the Bears to 12-34 for just 144 yards. That proved to be key factor in the overtime period, as the Aggies played containment on Selby first and then brought pressure up the middle forcing the Bears to lose a lot of yardage and any real chance to tie or win the game in their four final play attempts in the overtime period.
So now its homecoming, the big parties all over town, the show stopping concerts, the massive pre-game parade in the streets of Greensboro and over 23,000 excited Aggies are expected to descend on Aggie Stadium as the ever impressive Hornets of Delaware State (3-3,2-1) rolls into town after a convincing 17-0 upset win over the wildcats of Bethune Cookman in Dover last weekend.
The Hornets like to run the ball or at least wish they could, judging by their 89.8 yard average. After watching the Bears run rough shod over A&T’s 3-4 defense last week they may find renewed confidence despite their 2.7 yard per carry average.
Delaware State throws the ball a little better at 133 yards per game and have a true deep threat in big junior wide receiver Shaheer McBride, one of the MEAC’s best. They will start red shirt freshman quarterback Vashon Winton who is rapidly improving after a rocky start now hitting on 53.8 percent of his passes.
The big difference in the DSU program has been in the improvement in attitude under second year coach Al Lavan. A year ago the Hornets didn’t know how to win but this year they have already beaten a good BCC team and also dispatched FAMU in Tallahassee in the season opener, not a small feat for any team.
So it will be a tough Del State squad coming into Greensboro Saturday looking to put a big damper on the biggest day for Aggie Pride by stealing one on the road and spoiling the “Greatest Homecoming on Earth.”
The Aggies have now put two consecutive wins in the box and seem to have found some offensive consistency and balance for the first time in a long time.
The Aggies need to stick with their new found fondness of mixing its play calling and continue keeping penalties under 50 yards for a third straight game.
It should be a good time had by all on what is expected to be a great fall day for football, the renewing of friendships with former classmates, generations of Aggies, those new to the traditions and meanings of Aggie Pride and those old and tested with their first chance for a to see some of the major renovations and improvements made on campus during the past year.
Expect a great weekend and a hard and intense battle Saturday afternoon with the Hornets.
I’m a homer this week.
PREDICTION:
N. C. A&T 27
Del State 24
