Post by Aggie One on Aug 9, 2007 8:14:56 GMT -5
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
by Craig R. Turner
bluedeathvalley.com
Well after taking the summer months off like many of you, its time for me to dust off those stadium seats, check out the grill, and start the trash talking with all of my co-workers from rival HBCU schools around the office coffee pot. It’s the most wonderful time of the year and I’m not talking about Christmas.
Football season is right on top of us and in a few short weeks the Aggies of North Carolina A&T will kick things off with the renewal of one of more history filled rivalries with its old I-40 nemesis, Winston Salem State, on Labor Day weekend at Bowman Gray Stadium.
The code word for this year will be improvement. A&T is pointing to this season not to necessarily win a championship but to regain its respectability within the MEAC and to be competitive from the opening kickoff to the final gun.
The Aggies are coming off a disappointing 0-11 run in 2006, the first winless season in school history. Coach Lee Fobbs and his staff took a lot of off season heat from some weary fans that remain impatient with the rebuilding effort. Fobbs was forced to field a team that included 50 freshmen and red shirts a year ago.
As the losses mounted, most fans quickly forgot the facts that A&T football had been decimated before the season even began with numerous academic casualties, transfer defections, and operated with ten less scholarships than any other MEAC program.
It was clear to any reasonable onlooker, even though there were some players whose individual play stood out, there simply wasn’t near enough of those athletes to go around not to mention having the benefit of real college playing experience. The end result was a team lacking confidence and a lessening desire as the season dragged out.
The off season became the stage for a lot of changes which may be the signaling of the beginning of a journey back to the one time prominence of the last decade. There were some coaching additions that have changed the look of a defense which was one of the worst in the country a year ago, a good mix of Division-1 and junior college transfers to fill some immediate needs and help raise the talent level in key spots, and the preseason naming of a full-time starting quarterback, the first time in five years.
Perhaps just as important is the fact that the Fobbs has begun his fall workouts with a new group of more focused student-athletes, a more positive team attitude with a warrior mentality, and much higher expectations for both themselves and the program.
Sure, it is easy for the average Joe to get suckered in by the enthusiasm generated by a new season lurking just around the corner and all of the excitement that accompanies the opening of every fall camp. Optimism always is at a peak for teams in early August and those overenflated dreams are usually brought to earth for most of them by late September. A&T fans are no different.
What might be different this time around is that is a fair to probable chance that the Aggies will actually be substantially improved from last year, although overall wins might be at a premium. A&T has stocked up on the skill positions with some D-1 level talent so even through the playing field isn’t level yet it is beginning to straightened a bit.
So let’s begin at getting a clearer view of this edition of the 2007 N.C. A&T Aggies.
************
Defensive Outlook
There can be no question about this next statement I am about to make. Defense will determine if A&T will stop an 18 straight losing skid dating back to 2005 and finally reverse its fortunes in 2007. No matter the match-up, if a team can play solid defense they always have a chance to win.
With that being said, Fobbs has to be happy with the return of a very deep and experienced linebacker corps that sports three of the top four tacklers from 2006. The return of Tim Shropshire (6-1,235) from academic woes and the arrival of Ole Miss transfer Robert Russell (6-0,240) will give the Aggies a big boost because of their physicality, size, and speed in the middle, something that was visibly lacking in 2006.
The blossoming of Andre Thornton as a defensive force as a true freshman certainly gives fans hope that the A&T defense can reclaim its once feared moniker of “Blue Death.” The 6-3, 230 sophomore from Charlotte had a fine year at outside linebacker leading the team in tackles (64) a year ago.
Flanking him are seasoned returnees Jamison Hedgepeth (6-3,225, Soph.) who was second in tackles with 63 tackles, and Damion Hemphill (6-1,220, Jr.) who was fourth with 55 stops. Also returning from an injury shortened season this fall is Brandon Long (6-1,224, Jr.) who has transitioned from defensive back to linebacker. This may be one of the best groups of young linebackers in the MEAC and certainly the best at A&T since the 2003 championship run.
The addition of five new down linemen should be able to help turn the defense around, especially against the run, under the tutelage of new defensive line coach Damion Frenchers, a fairly successful defensive coordinator in his own right at past stops at both NCCU and Delaware State.
Defensive Coordinator Demetrius Adams rolled out a very unusual 3-5-3 defensive alignment along with the base 3-4 and 4-3 sets which seems to have caught the fancy of the players involved and is geared more toward the strength of the available personnel rather than a system approach.
The defensive line remains a question mark although some new blood has been brought in with three new ends and two tackles for depth. How well they play early will give fans a quick indication of whether the Aggies will be a factor in every game or disappear after a quarter of play. A&T is still undersized by MEAC standards but quickness is a virtue they do have in their favor to help counter that discrepancy.
All eyes will be on the interior with senior LeShawn McLean (6-3,270) in the leadership role. Juniors Trye Glasper (6-2, 270) and Adam Beal (6-1, 290), Kregg Carter (6-1, 305, So.) and red shirt freshman Kelvin Jackson (6-4,300) who moved over from the offense in the spring, are all returning at the tackle positions. Two new players enter into the mix as well but how effective they can be is only a guess at this point. Red shirt sophomores Linnell Evans (6-3,285) and Morgan Vincent (6-2,260) will fill out the remaining inside spots.
They will inevitably tell the tale as to how successful the defense can be. Last year A&T gave up a staggering average of 262 yards per game on the ground. For the Aggies to have any chance, the young defensive tackles must hold their own against the run.
Two junior college transfers, Phil Sumlin (6-2,250), and Jason Broadnax (6-3,255), will be hard to keep out of the starting lineup. Antonio Johnson, Billy Hansford, and Joe Taylor, all at 6-3 and 235 pounds, have extensive playing experience and should mesh well with the newcomers in the pass rush end rotation.
The biggest improvement can be seen in the area that got the most recruiting attention last winter - the secondary. The Aggies do return five lettermen of note at defensive back but Fobbs felt the need to bring in more maturity and more speed to this novice group.
Back at the strong safety spot is Nick Clement (6-0,190, So.) who started ten games in 2006 and accounted for 47 tackles. Brandon Colbert (6-2, 205, Jr.) is a versatile performer who can play either safety or linebacker. Marquis Ruffin (6-2,195, Jr.) became the leading candidate at free safety after Brian Ringgold was lost to a career ending neck injury in the spring game. Big things are expected from red shirt freshman Brandon Jackson (5-11,205) at strong safety.
The leading returning cornerback with considerable game experience is Donald Dorsey (6-2,180) who started the last six games of 2006 and tallied 32 tackles. Red shirt Quentin Caple (6-1,190, R-Fr.) and Simeon Platt (5-11,180, R-So.) are the other cornerback candidates that showed well in the spring among the returnees. One true freshman has already turned the heads of coaches and worked his way up the depth chart in Deshaun Graham (6-0,175) from Greensboro Page. Blessed with an abundance of speed and tackling ability, Graham should see significant time in his first season.
But it is the acquisition of three top flight transfers that has secondary coach Travis Oliver excited. Brandon Croley (6-1, 205, 4.55) comes from Clemson after red shirting as a freshman in 2005 and playing last year on special teams for the Tigers. He is extremely athletic and can play either the corner or safety positions. Mike Pace (5-11, 175) comes to A&T from Hinds CC and has legitimate 4.4 speed to play cornerback. Ishan Shaheed (5-10,180) is the fastest of the newcomers with a 4.43 time in the forty and had 18 pass breakups at the College of the Sequoias. He is from Oakland, Ca. rounds out this talented trio.
The Good – There is considerable size, speed, and depth both at linebacker and in the secondary along with a good mixture of veterans and promising younger players that gives the Aggies a definite advantage over where this unit stood a year ago. With Thornton, Shropshire and now Russell roaming the middle, A&T’s run defense improves 50 percent without a down being played. With an experienced secondary and increased speed on the outside, the Aggies hope to play more man coverage and should defend the pass well – if they can generate a real pressure up the middle.
The Bad – The defensive line was so soft in 2006 that there isn’t much room for anything but improvement. The ends should take care of themselves with bigger and stronger people outside but the interior of the defense is still very green and is a sore spot. A&T lacks real size on the inside so the Aggies won’t be able to go toe to toe in the pit against too many opponents and not too often at that.
Big physical teams will be hard for A&T to handle defensively so superior speed will have to substitute for pure strength. That is a big gap that the linebacker corps will have to fill early in the year if the there is to be any headway made with an inviting home schedule working in their favor in September.
The Skinny – The Aggies will be better in 2007 and should be able to avoid the massive opening onslaughts that decided most of their games before halftime, a fate they suffered through every weekend in 2006. A&T should also improve their points allowed per game and not give up the consistent big third down conversions over and over again.
A new scheme and a larger talent pool will help A&T make some noise in its early games. Staying healthy is always a key ingredient to success so Fobbs and his defense must avoid slugfest confrontations with teams with superior personnel up front whenever possible and while holding their own against run offenses on the opposition’s side of the fifty yard line.
No way the Aggies are ready just yet to pound on equal footing up front so it is imperative they use confusion, smarts, speed, and tenacity to be effective until the defensive line finds itself.
To be continued next week - Part II
by Craig R. Turner
bluedeathvalley.com
Well after taking the summer months off like many of you, its time for me to dust off those stadium seats, check out the grill, and start the trash talking with all of my co-workers from rival HBCU schools around the office coffee pot. It’s the most wonderful time of the year and I’m not talking about Christmas.
Football season is right on top of us and in a few short weeks the Aggies of North Carolina A&T will kick things off with the renewal of one of more history filled rivalries with its old I-40 nemesis, Winston Salem State, on Labor Day weekend at Bowman Gray Stadium.
The code word for this year will be improvement. A&T is pointing to this season not to necessarily win a championship but to regain its respectability within the MEAC and to be competitive from the opening kickoff to the final gun.
The Aggies are coming off a disappointing 0-11 run in 2006, the first winless season in school history. Coach Lee Fobbs and his staff took a lot of off season heat from some weary fans that remain impatient with the rebuilding effort. Fobbs was forced to field a team that included 50 freshmen and red shirts a year ago.
As the losses mounted, most fans quickly forgot the facts that A&T football had been decimated before the season even began with numerous academic casualties, transfer defections, and operated with ten less scholarships than any other MEAC program.
It was clear to any reasonable onlooker, even though there were some players whose individual play stood out, there simply wasn’t near enough of those athletes to go around not to mention having the benefit of real college playing experience. The end result was a team lacking confidence and a lessening desire as the season dragged out.
The off season became the stage for a lot of changes which may be the signaling of the beginning of a journey back to the one time prominence of the last decade. There were some coaching additions that have changed the look of a defense which was one of the worst in the country a year ago, a good mix of Division-1 and junior college transfers to fill some immediate needs and help raise the talent level in key spots, and the preseason naming of a full-time starting quarterback, the first time in five years.
Perhaps just as important is the fact that the Fobbs has begun his fall workouts with a new group of more focused student-athletes, a more positive team attitude with a warrior mentality, and much higher expectations for both themselves and the program.
Sure, it is easy for the average Joe to get suckered in by the enthusiasm generated by a new season lurking just around the corner and all of the excitement that accompanies the opening of every fall camp. Optimism always is at a peak for teams in early August and those overenflated dreams are usually brought to earth for most of them by late September. A&T fans are no different.
What might be different this time around is that is a fair to probable chance that the Aggies will actually be substantially improved from last year, although overall wins might be at a premium. A&T has stocked up on the skill positions with some D-1 level talent so even through the playing field isn’t level yet it is beginning to straightened a bit.
So let’s begin at getting a clearer view of this edition of the 2007 N.C. A&T Aggies.
************
Defensive Outlook
There can be no question about this next statement I am about to make. Defense will determine if A&T will stop an 18 straight losing skid dating back to 2005 and finally reverse its fortunes in 2007. No matter the match-up, if a team can play solid defense they always have a chance to win.
With that being said, Fobbs has to be happy with the return of a very deep and experienced linebacker corps that sports three of the top four tacklers from 2006. The return of Tim Shropshire (6-1,235) from academic woes and the arrival of Ole Miss transfer Robert Russell (6-0,240) will give the Aggies a big boost because of their physicality, size, and speed in the middle, something that was visibly lacking in 2006.
The blossoming of Andre Thornton as a defensive force as a true freshman certainly gives fans hope that the A&T defense can reclaim its once feared moniker of “Blue Death.” The 6-3, 230 sophomore from Charlotte had a fine year at outside linebacker leading the team in tackles (64) a year ago.
Flanking him are seasoned returnees Jamison Hedgepeth (6-3,225, Soph.) who was second in tackles with 63 tackles, and Damion Hemphill (6-1,220, Jr.) who was fourth with 55 stops. Also returning from an injury shortened season this fall is Brandon Long (6-1,224, Jr.) who has transitioned from defensive back to linebacker. This may be one of the best groups of young linebackers in the MEAC and certainly the best at A&T since the 2003 championship run.
The addition of five new down linemen should be able to help turn the defense around, especially against the run, under the tutelage of new defensive line coach Damion Frenchers, a fairly successful defensive coordinator in his own right at past stops at both NCCU and Delaware State.
Defensive Coordinator Demetrius Adams rolled out a very unusual 3-5-3 defensive alignment along with the base 3-4 and 4-3 sets which seems to have caught the fancy of the players involved and is geared more toward the strength of the available personnel rather than a system approach.
The defensive line remains a question mark although some new blood has been brought in with three new ends and two tackles for depth. How well they play early will give fans a quick indication of whether the Aggies will be a factor in every game or disappear after a quarter of play. A&T is still undersized by MEAC standards but quickness is a virtue they do have in their favor to help counter that discrepancy.
All eyes will be on the interior with senior LeShawn McLean (6-3,270) in the leadership role. Juniors Trye Glasper (6-2, 270) and Adam Beal (6-1, 290), Kregg Carter (6-1, 305, So.) and red shirt freshman Kelvin Jackson (6-4,300) who moved over from the offense in the spring, are all returning at the tackle positions. Two new players enter into the mix as well but how effective they can be is only a guess at this point. Red shirt sophomores Linnell Evans (6-3,285) and Morgan Vincent (6-2,260) will fill out the remaining inside spots.
They will inevitably tell the tale as to how successful the defense can be. Last year A&T gave up a staggering average of 262 yards per game on the ground. For the Aggies to have any chance, the young defensive tackles must hold their own against the run.
Two junior college transfers, Phil Sumlin (6-2,250), and Jason Broadnax (6-3,255), will be hard to keep out of the starting lineup. Antonio Johnson, Billy Hansford, and Joe Taylor, all at 6-3 and 235 pounds, have extensive playing experience and should mesh well with the newcomers in the pass rush end rotation.
The biggest improvement can be seen in the area that got the most recruiting attention last winter - the secondary. The Aggies do return five lettermen of note at defensive back but Fobbs felt the need to bring in more maturity and more speed to this novice group.
Back at the strong safety spot is Nick Clement (6-0,190, So.) who started ten games in 2006 and accounted for 47 tackles. Brandon Colbert (6-2, 205, Jr.) is a versatile performer who can play either safety or linebacker. Marquis Ruffin (6-2,195, Jr.) became the leading candidate at free safety after Brian Ringgold was lost to a career ending neck injury in the spring game. Big things are expected from red shirt freshman Brandon Jackson (5-11,205) at strong safety.
The leading returning cornerback with considerable game experience is Donald Dorsey (6-2,180) who started the last six games of 2006 and tallied 32 tackles. Red shirt Quentin Caple (6-1,190, R-Fr.) and Simeon Platt (5-11,180, R-So.) are the other cornerback candidates that showed well in the spring among the returnees. One true freshman has already turned the heads of coaches and worked his way up the depth chart in Deshaun Graham (6-0,175) from Greensboro Page. Blessed with an abundance of speed and tackling ability, Graham should see significant time in his first season.
But it is the acquisition of three top flight transfers that has secondary coach Travis Oliver excited. Brandon Croley (6-1, 205, 4.55) comes from Clemson after red shirting as a freshman in 2005 and playing last year on special teams for the Tigers. He is extremely athletic and can play either the corner or safety positions. Mike Pace (5-11, 175) comes to A&T from Hinds CC and has legitimate 4.4 speed to play cornerback. Ishan Shaheed (5-10,180) is the fastest of the newcomers with a 4.43 time in the forty and had 18 pass breakups at the College of the Sequoias. He is from Oakland, Ca. rounds out this talented trio.
The Good – There is considerable size, speed, and depth both at linebacker and in the secondary along with a good mixture of veterans and promising younger players that gives the Aggies a definite advantage over where this unit stood a year ago. With Thornton, Shropshire and now Russell roaming the middle, A&T’s run defense improves 50 percent without a down being played. With an experienced secondary and increased speed on the outside, the Aggies hope to play more man coverage and should defend the pass well – if they can generate a real pressure up the middle.
The Bad – The defensive line was so soft in 2006 that there isn’t much room for anything but improvement. The ends should take care of themselves with bigger and stronger people outside but the interior of the defense is still very green and is a sore spot. A&T lacks real size on the inside so the Aggies won’t be able to go toe to toe in the pit against too many opponents and not too often at that.
Big physical teams will be hard for A&T to handle defensively so superior speed will have to substitute for pure strength. That is a big gap that the linebacker corps will have to fill early in the year if the there is to be any headway made with an inviting home schedule working in their favor in September.
The Skinny – The Aggies will be better in 2007 and should be able to avoid the massive opening onslaughts that decided most of their games before halftime, a fate they suffered through every weekend in 2006. A&T should also improve their points allowed per game and not give up the consistent big third down conversions over and over again.
A new scheme and a larger talent pool will help A&T make some noise in its early games. Staying healthy is always a key ingredient to success so Fobbs and his defense must avoid slugfest confrontations with teams with superior personnel up front whenever possible and while holding their own against run offenses on the opposition’s side of the fifty yard line.
No way the Aggies are ready just yet to pound on equal footing up front so it is imperative they use confusion, smarts, speed, and tenacity to be effective until the defensive line finds itself.
To be continued next week - Part II
