Post by krazykev on Oct 18, 2006 4:40:25 GMT -5
By Rob Daniels
Staff Writer
GREENSBORO -- At first glance, it appears N.C. A&T has made a wise invitation to its homecoming football game. If there is another MEAC team in the Aggies' current state of affairs, it comes not from a state but from the District of Columbia, and it answers to the name of Howard.
The Bison (0-3 MEAC, 1-5) claim only a victory over Division II Fort Valley State and are coming off their own homecoming loss, a double-overtime thriller and killer to Morgan State, which ended when the Bears returned a fumble 99 yards for a touchdown.
So it's easy to presume the Aggies (0-4, 0-6), caught in a school-record 11-game losing streak, view Saturday's game as a special opportunity to win for the first time in 378 days. Then again, when it's counterproductive to look back, it's equally dangerous to glance too far ahead.
"I think it's ridiculous to make comparisons about what has happened prior to the game," A&T coach Lee Fobbs said of the teams' common plight. "The only thing that matters is 1:30 p.m. on Saturday."
Both teams have lost to Winston-Salem State in nonleague play and are similarly situated near the bottom in NCAA Division I-AA statistics that measure total offense, scoring offense and scoring defense. But Fobbs' mandate stems from one of his many consistent pleas: The past is a learning tool, but not an anchor.
"You do look at the stats, but you try to throw them out the window," said A&T wide receiver Michael Caldwell, a Dudley High graduate.
If the Aggies obsessed about what has transpired lately, they would scarcely make it to practice. Virtually every number in the NCAA rankings and other measurements looks like a line item on a very unbalanced federal budget.
The Aggies can't raise taxes, so they are focused on raising spirits as best they can.
"As one of the leaders on the team, I can't allow myself to continually complain about what has happened in the past," said Curtis Walls, A&T's leading receiver. "I have to make sure I'm moving forward so that my teammates see that. It's all about attitude and how I approach this situation."
There were signs of offensive improvement during last Saturday's 37-21 loss at Delaware State. A&T got its first 100-yard game out of a\ rusher when Michael Ferguson, newly restored to health, gained 103 yards. Granted, he needed 31 carries to get there, but the performance was a season high.
The other double-edged sword was the incongruity between the Aggies' point total and their play count. A&T ran 82 plays, a high number in any era and a staggering total under the NCAA's newly imposed clock rules, which have knocked averages down to about 63 a game.
"If you run (82) plays, you'd think you'd win," Fobbs said.
The Aggies did establish season highs in total offense (330 yards) and first downs (28). Now they want it to translate into a victory, and this week might represent their best chance. There are no behemoths left on the schedule, but none of the four subsequent opponents has a losing record, either.
"You can't look at a team and say they're a good team to beat, because on any day, any team could win," Ferguson said. "We've got to look at what they do well and what they do poorly and capitalize on what they do poorly."
Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rdaniels@news-record.com
N.C. A&T HOMECOMING
Who: Howard (0-3 MEAC 1-5 overall) vs. N.C. A&T (0-4, 0-6)
When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Aggie Stadium, Greensboro
Tickets: $35 general admission, $45 reserved; call 334-7749. LOSING STREAK
N.C. A&T takes an 11-game losing streak into Saturday's homecoming game.
Last victory: Oct. 8, 2005 -- 40-33 over Morgan State in overtime at the Prince George's Classic, Landover, Md.
Points scored during losing streak: 147.
Points allowed: 408.
Remaining teams on schedule: Howard, Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M, Elon, South Carolina State.
Staff Writer
GREENSBORO -- At first glance, it appears N.C. A&T has made a wise invitation to its homecoming football game. If there is another MEAC team in the Aggies' current state of affairs, it comes not from a state but from the District of Columbia, and it answers to the name of Howard.
The Bison (0-3 MEAC, 1-5) claim only a victory over Division II Fort Valley State and are coming off their own homecoming loss, a double-overtime thriller and killer to Morgan State, which ended when the Bears returned a fumble 99 yards for a touchdown.
So it's easy to presume the Aggies (0-4, 0-6), caught in a school-record 11-game losing streak, view Saturday's game as a special opportunity to win for the first time in 378 days. Then again, when it's counterproductive to look back, it's equally dangerous to glance too far ahead.
"I think it's ridiculous to make comparisons about what has happened prior to the game," A&T coach Lee Fobbs said of the teams' common plight. "The only thing that matters is 1:30 p.m. on Saturday."
Both teams have lost to Winston-Salem State in nonleague play and are similarly situated near the bottom in NCAA Division I-AA statistics that measure total offense, scoring offense and scoring defense. But Fobbs' mandate stems from one of his many consistent pleas: The past is a learning tool, but not an anchor.
"You do look at the stats, but you try to throw them out the window," said A&T wide receiver Michael Caldwell, a Dudley High graduate.
If the Aggies obsessed about what has transpired lately, they would scarcely make it to practice. Virtually every number in the NCAA rankings and other measurements looks like a line item on a very unbalanced federal budget.
The Aggies can't raise taxes, so they are focused on raising spirits as best they can.
"As one of the leaders on the team, I can't allow myself to continually complain about what has happened in the past," said Curtis Walls, A&T's leading receiver. "I have to make sure I'm moving forward so that my teammates see that. It's all about attitude and how I approach this situation."
There were signs of offensive improvement during last Saturday's 37-21 loss at Delaware State. A&T got its first 100-yard game out of a\ rusher when Michael Ferguson, newly restored to health, gained 103 yards. Granted, he needed 31 carries to get there, but the performance was a season high.
The other double-edged sword was the incongruity between the Aggies' point total and their play count. A&T ran 82 plays, a high number in any era and a staggering total under the NCAA's newly imposed clock rules, which have knocked averages down to about 63 a game.
"If you run (82) plays, you'd think you'd win," Fobbs said.
The Aggies did establish season highs in total offense (330 yards) and first downs (28). Now they want it to translate into a victory, and this week might represent their best chance. There are no behemoths left on the schedule, but none of the four subsequent opponents has a losing record, either.
"You can't look at a team and say they're a good team to beat, because on any day, any team could win," Ferguson said. "We've got to look at what they do well and what they do poorly and capitalize on what they do poorly."
Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rdaniels@news-record.com
N.C. A&T HOMECOMING
Who: Howard (0-3 MEAC 1-5 overall) vs. N.C. A&T (0-4, 0-6)
When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Aggie Stadium, Greensboro
Tickets: $35 general admission, $45 reserved; call 334-7749. LOSING STREAK
N.C. A&T takes an 11-game losing streak into Saturday's homecoming game.
Last victory: Oct. 8, 2005 -- 40-33 over Morgan State in overtime at the Prince George's Classic, Landover, Md.
Points scored during losing streak: 147.
Points allowed: 408.
Remaining teams on schedule: Howard, Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M, Elon, South Carolina State.
