AGGIES UPGRADE SECONDARY

[krazykev]

GREENSBORO, August 8, 2007 – North Carolina A&T football coach Lee Fobbs saw the secodary as an area where the Aggies needed help immediately. Therefore, Clemson transfer Brandon Croley, Ihsan Shaheed and Michael Pace were on N.C. A&T’s campus by the spring semester of 2007.

All three will compete for starting cornerback positions although Croley can play safety and corner. The Aggies will at times play five defensive backs, which opens up more playing time for each man. Donald Dorsey, a sophomore who earned significant playing time as a true freshman last season, will open August training camp as one of the Aggies starting cornerbacks.

“This is the best group we’ve had since I’ve been here,’’ said position coach Travis Oliver. “We have speed, size and all the tools necessary to shut down passing offenses in the conference. I’m excited about the possibilities. As long as we stay healthy, we should have a pretty good year defending the pass.”

Freshman and Page High School Graduate DeShaun Graham will likely be an understudy to Shaheed while earning spot duties at the cornerback position. Sophomore Simeon Platt gives the Aggies secondary even more of what it didn’t have last season – depth.

At the safety positions, Nick Clement and Marques Ruffin are the leading candidates to start the season. Clement played significant minutes at safety last season as a true freshman.

Oliver believes he will become better in coverage, but he is a great hitter right now. He’ll play the strong safety position along with Brandon Jackson, who is moving from linebacker. Ruffin missed six games last season because of an illness.

During his career he has played both safety positions, but Oliver said keeping him at the free safety position this season will help him be more consistent.

Redshirt freshman Quentin Caple will be his understudy. The athletic Caple brings athleticism and a big-hit capability to the Aggies secondary. Josef Peek, who was pressed into action as a true freshman last year, should also see action. Oliver will find a position for hard-hitting Brandon Colbert. Colbert is so athletic he can play both safety positions, be a leader on special teams and play some linebacker.

www.ncataggies.com/Football/2007%20articles/aggiesvsecondary.htm

[Aggie One]

The secondary is loaded. Hopefully, the new 3-5 will generate enough pressure on the passer to cause some interceptions and take aways.

[DECKS]

This indeed does appear to be a very good crop of db's and Fobbs is to be commended; however ,it won't mean chit if we can't stop the run. I remembr last year how WSSU ran the ball down our throats and then froze the db's with play action. I suspect we had a capable bunch last year but it's impossible to tell because opposing qb's had all day to throw the ball or just take off out of the pocket for a big gainer. The defense must do better than 9 sacks this year which will happen if they can stop the run.

[Gator]

I think pass defense is different from run defense. So, from a pass defense standpoint, it looks good. My concern was the fact that dbs were missing to many tackles. I hope that area has been patched up.

[Bornthrilla]

Graham is the truth.

[aggielaw]

I watched the Homecoming game against HU. They lacked cover skilz and probably couldn't cover my old asrsh!

The first play from scrimmage HU completed a bomb. The second play would have been completed, but for a mistake by HU. The third play was another pass that was completed for a touchdown.

Being able to cover is a biiiiigggg improvement. Just knock the ball down!! Tackling may be a bit much to ask during this phase of the rebuilding program.

[krazykev]

From just watching a couple of practices the defense as a whole has improved. That will only make the offense better .....I Hope

[aggielaw]

How about the defensive and offensive lines? Any news on transfers a long the line area?

[DECKS]

aggielaw said:

I watched the Homecoming game against HU. They lacked cover skilz and probably couldn't cover my old asrsh!

The first play from scrimmage HU completed a bomb. The second play would have been completed, but for a mistake by HU. The third play was another pass that was completed for a touchdown.

Being able to cover is a biiiiigggg improvement. Just knock the ball down!! Tackling may be a bit much to ask during this phase of the rebuilding program.

When the run defense gives up an average of 6.2 yards per carry the pass defense is automatically going to suck! More times than not our db's will get caught peeking in the backfield in an attempt to help stop the run. I've seen it happen all to often over the last three seasons.
Stopping the run has to be priority number one on defense!

[aggielaw]

I understand the priority, however any sign of greatness is good news at this point.

[DOOMS]

From what I hear we have speed everywhere. I'm always a little leery about preseason judgments of greatness because they've almost always been wrong, year after year. Not to mention anybody's gonna look good practicing against the worst team in division I.

But in the last winning season we had, which was also our last championship season, we had no offensive and no defensive lines. Just like now. We had speed and skill at linebacker and the secondary, dumb play calls, no qb worth mentioning, journeymen receivers and mediocre running backs. We had the speed to get to the ball-carrier and lots of luck. We also were playing against some of the dumbest coaching schemes I ever saw. In order to beat us all you had to do was run right up the middle of the field play after play, and NOT ONE meac team did it. Even when SC State drilled us I hear (I wasn't at that game) they just hit the corner over and over with their rbs. A week later Wofford beat us without completing a pass and not even running much option. Just right up the gut. Better coaching.

This year we have no offensive and defensive lines (I guess), speed and possibly skill at db and lb, what appears to be top notch running backs and a settled qb position with a true threat to move the ball at qb.

Provided coaches are still stupid, we can win a few.

I foresee that Blount is too stubborn to be stupid. He will run up the gut ad nauseum. We might have trouble with that one. PV will do the same. I ain't expecting victory in either of those. Hampton and SC Steat can out-athlete us. Morgan's coaches still have a chip on their shoulder. Lavan at Del State is too smart to be stupid. Hayes won't let Central lose to us.

FAMU, Howard, Cookman (we'd better have a chip on our shoulder after that isht last year) and Norfolk are my best guesses at breaking the curse.