Ncataggies: Does the loss to N.C. Central in the last game of the season a few months ago still bother you?
Broadway: “Just when I think of. There was a lot at stake in that game. But let’s start off with giving those guys credit. They played well. I thought we had a chance to win that game, but we just weren’t good enough that day. So of course it’s painful when you look back. You’ve got a chance of winning a conference championship outright. If you win you’re probably black college national champions, and you’re going to the playoffs. There was a lot lost in that game, but that was last year, and we’re looking forward to this year to see if we can get better.”
Ncataggies: How do you, your staff and the players feel about sharing a championship that you were in position to win outright? Are they disappointed or are they proud to have at least a portion of the title?
Broadway: “It’s a little of both, really. When you’re where we were five years ago, winning one ballgame out of 11, to where we are now with nine wins, that’s a big accomplishment. Sharing a title isn’t what we wanted, but it’s better than 1-10. We definitely wanted to win it outright, but we take a lot of pride in winning nine ballgames after three years of probation (The NCAA sanctions occurred before Broadway was head coach). You have to give credit to our coaching staff, our players and everyone associated with the program. They took great pride in getting this program back on its feet. Were we disappointed in sharing the title? Yes. But we’re also pleased with where we are. When we stated four years ago, no one thought we were in the position to compete for a championship after coming off 27 straight losses. Just getting to the point where we are expected to do well is a great accomplishment by our guys and our coaches.”
Ncataggies: What will it take for you to win the MEAC outright?
Broadway: “With us, it starts with staying healthy. If we stay healthy we should have a pretty good football team. There are some things we want to try to do and need to do to get better. With the type of speed we have, we need to create more mismatches and get the ball in the hands of guys who can make plays. We also need to work on our down and distance situations a little better, so we can execute a lot better. We also have to be better mentally and physically. There are a lot of steps we need to take to improve.”
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