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Proud ***** of JSU
Halfway through, Aggies have exceeded all expectations
10-16-03
By Bill Hass, Staff Writer
News & Record
GREENSBORO ?? The job description for the first half of N.C. A&T??s football season was daunting.
Take a young team that was 4-8 last year and play the first six games away from home.
So George Small, an A&T graduate who understands the tradition of Aggies football, took the job, rolled up his sleeves and went to work in his blue-collar way.
The result? The Aggies have exceeded even the most optimistic expectations by winning five of those six games. This week they appeared at No. 25 in the NCAA Division I-AA poll. Their only loss is to unbeaten No. 17 Southern.
Small said the idea was to take the six games as separate entities, without getting caught up in speculation about records. At the end of that stretch, the staff would look up and see where things were.
??We knew this was a developing and restructuring football team,?? he said. ??We wanted to have some success, and so far we??ve done just that.??
Key to ratings
BCS-caliber performance: ****
Good enough for a bowl: ***
Not ready for postseason: **
Not ready for regular season: *
Offense ** 1/2
The Aggies haven??t exactly been a juggernaut on offense, but they??ve gotten the job done despite shuffling personnel.
Marshall Glenn was supplanted by Randal Rankins at quarterback, and both will likely see playing time the rest of the season. Rico Watkins also could get into the mix as A&T looks for consistency.
Frank Patterson started as the top running back, then Micheaux Hollingsworth got a chance and now Carl Scriven is getting a look. All three will likely continue to play, but someone needs to step up and claim the starting job.
The Aggies haven??t thrown a lot, but have some playmaking receivers in Jamal Jones and Doug Brown and would do well to get them the ball.
Before the season, the offensive line was expected to be a strong point and it has delivered, despite some injuries.
Defense ****
A&T opened the season by shutting out N.C. Central, holding the Eagles to 198 total yards and forcing six turnovers. It was a smashing debut for the 3-4 defensive front that was expected to be a 4-3 set when preseason practice began.
The Aggies haven??t duplicated that opening-game success, but the defense hasn??t suffered much of a drop-off, either. A&T ranks seventh in I-AA in total defense (253.83 yards per game) and leads the nation with 15 interceptions.
The linebackers have been particularly impressive, clogging holes up front, pursuing the run to the outside and taking away passes underneath.
??We didn??t have any stars,?? Small said. ??All the national champions, they didn??t have one single star but had a lot of guys drafted. They just played blue-collar football. And that??s what we??re doing right now.??
Special teams ***
Yonnick Matthews spent a lot of time this summer strengthening his kicking leg, and the results have been excellent. He has hit 10 of 12 field-goal attempts, including school records of five in a game and a 52-yarder.
Matthews also punts and kicks off. He??s averaging 36.3 yards on punts, and many of his kickoffs are finding the end zone. The only concern would be how tired his leg will be in the second half of the season.
One problem to be worked out is long snaps, which have cost A&T yardage.
Coaching ***
There are some things Small would do differently in his first six games as A&T??s head coach if he could, such as taking a few knees in the final minutes at Morgan State instead of trying to run the ball.
But, generally, he??s pushed the right buttons, and the Aggies have responded.
One of the smartest things Small did after taking the job was surround himself with experienced assistants.
Darryl McNeill, who came from South Carolina State to be A&T??s offensive coordinator, has mixed up the play-calling well, though the Aggies?? pound-the-ball mentality in the red zone hasn??t produced the desired results.
Defensive coordinator Alonzo Lee, who followed Small from Hampton, has made full use of the team??s speed and athleticism at linebacker. The move to the 3-4 in the preseason probably was the most critical decision the staff has made.
Overall ***
Defense has carried the Aggies, which is fine with Small. A former defensive end and linebacker, he will always build his teams around defense.
One thing he wants the defense to improve is efficiency in the third quarter. It has had letdowns against Southern, Norfolk State and Morgan State after halftime.
The offense has been spotty, but there are some talented skill people on hand. With six games of McNeill??s ??take what the defense gives you?? approach, a more consistent effort is expected in the second half. A clear No. 1 quarterback and running back would solidify things.
Second half
The Aggies, who have surpassed last year??s victory total, can start to think Division I-AA playoffs with four of their six remaining games at home and no one, including Bethune-Cookman, running away from the MEAC pack.
??We??re looking at that ?? that??s possible,?? Small said of A&T??s chance to make the postseason.
Before heading to Daytona Beach, Fla., to play Bethune, A&T makes its home debut Saturday against Florida A&M ?? a tough matchup but one that won??t affect the conference standings now that the Rattlers are considered I-A ?? and plays host to Howard next week in a game the Aggies likely will be favored to win.
The Aggies shouldn??t have more than one MEAC loss heading into the final two weeks of the regular season. If their offense catches up to their defense by then, they??ll be capable of beating Hampton (at home) and South Carolina State (in Charlotte) to bring home their first league title since 1999.
That was considered a slim possibility when the season began.
Staff Writer Jeff Carlton contributed to this report.
10-16-03
By Bill Hass, Staff Writer
News & Record
GREENSBORO ?? The job description for the first half of N.C. A&T??s football season was daunting.
Take a young team that was 4-8 last year and play the first six games away from home.
So George Small, an A&T graduate who understands the tradition of Aggies football, took the job, rolled up his sleeves and went to work in his blue-collar way.
The result? The Aggies have exceeded even the most optimistic expectations by winning five of those six games. This week they appeared at No. 25 in the NCAA Division I-AA poll. Their only loss is to unbeaten No. 17 Southern.
Small said the idea was to take the six games as separate entities, without getting caught up in speculation about records. At the end of that stretch, the staff would look up and see where things were.
??We knew this was a developing and restructuring football team,?? he said. ??We wanted to have some success, and so far we??ve done just that.??
Key to ratings
BCS-caliber performance: ****
Good enough for a bowl: ***
Not ready for postseason: **
Not ready for regular season: *
Offense ** 1/2
The Aggies haven??t exactly been a juggernaut on offense, but they??ve gotten the job done despite shuffling personnel.
Marshall Glenn was supplanted by Randal Rankins at quarterback, and both will likely see playing time the rest of the season. Rico Watkins also could get into the mix as A&T looks for consistency.
Frank Patterson started as the top running back, then Micheaux Hollingsworth got a chance and now Carl Scriven is getting a look. All three will likely continue to play, but someone needs to step up and claim the starting job.
The Aggies haven??t thrown a lot, but have some playmaking receivers in Jamal Jones and Doug Brown and would do well to get them the ball.
Before the season, the offensive line was expected to be a strong point and it has delivered, despite some injuries.
Defense ****
A&T opened the season by shutting out N.C. Central, holding the Eagles to 198 total yards and forcing six turnovers. It was a smashing debut for the 3-4 defensive front that was expected to be a 4-3 set when preseason practice began.
The Aggies haven??t duplicated that opening-game success, but the defense hasn??t suffered much of a drop-off, either. A&T ranks seventh in I-AA in total defense (253.83 yards per game) and leads the nation with 15 interceptions.
The linebackers have been particularly impressive, clogging holes up front, pursuing the run to the outside and taking away passes underneath.
??We didn??t have any stars,?? Small said. ??All the national champions, they didn??t have one single star but had a lot of guys drafted. They just played blue-collar football. And that??s what we??re doing right now.??
Special teams ***
Yonnick Matthews spent a lot of time this summer strengthening his kicking leg, and the results have been excellent. He has hit 10 of 12 field-goal attempts, including school records of five in a game and a 52-yarder.
Matthews also punts and kicks off. He??s averaging 36.3 yards on punts, and many of his kickoffs are finding the end zone. The only concern would be how tired his leg will be in the second half of the season.
One problem to be worked out is long snaps, which have cost A&T yardage.
Coaching ***
There are some things Small would do differently in his first six games as A&T??s head coach if he could, such as taking a few knees in the final minutes at Morgan State instead of trying to run the ball.
But, generally, he??s pushed the right buttons, and the Aggies have responded.
One of the smartest things Small did after taking the job was surround himself with experienced assistants.
Darryl McNeill, who came from South Carolina State to be A&T??s offensive coordinator, has mixed up the play-calling well, though the Aggies?? pound-the-ball mentality in the red zone hasn??t produced the desired results.
Defensive coordinator Alonzo Lee, who followed Small from Hampton, has made full use of the team??s speed and athleticism at linebacker. The move to the 3-4 in the preseason probably was the most critical decision the staff has made.
Overall ***
Defense has carried the Aggies, which is fine with Small. A former defensive end and linebacker, he will always build his teams around defense.
One thing he wants the defense to improve is efficiency in the third quarter. It has had letdowns against Southern, Norfolk State and Morgan State after halftime.
The offense has been spotty, but there are some talented skill people on hand. With six games of McNeill??s ??take what the defense gives you?? approach, a more consistent effort is expected in the second half. A clear No. 1 quarterback and running back would solidify things.
Second half
The Aggies, who have surpassed last year??s victory total, can start to think Division I-AA playoffs with four of their six remaining games at home and no one, including Bethune-Cookman, running away from the MEAC pack.
??We??re looking at that ?? that??s possible,?? Small said of A&T??s chance to make the postseason.
Before heading to Daytona Beach, Fla., to play Bethune, A&T makes its home debut Saturday against Florida A&M ?? a tough matchup but one that won??t affect the conference standings now that the Rattlers are considered I-A ?? and plays host to Howard next week in a game the Aggies likely will be favored to win.
The Aggies shouldn??t have more than one MEAC loss heading into the final two weeks of the regular season. If their offense catches up to their defense by then, they??ll be capable of beating Hampton (at home) and South Carolina State (in Charlotte) to bring home their first league title since 1999.
That was considered a slim possibility when the season began.
Staff Writer Jeff Carlton contributed to this report.
