Duane Nash is the creator of The Yard HBCU and co-host of the @SLZEsports podcast. Follow Duane on Twitter@TheYardHBCU.[divider]
This is not how it was supposed to happen.
This is not how it was supposed to happen.
Had it happened against Jacksonville State and/or East Carolina, fans and experts alike would have understood, but not this past weekend. There is no way I could have been convinced Morgan State, the team that North Carolina A&T defeated last season 49-17, would have been the ones to end the Aggies 15 game win streak…but they did.
[divider]RANKINGS: Week 4[divider]
The buzz of starting the season 3-0, owning the nation’s (Division I-FCS) longest win streak, and being ranked No. 4 nationally may have had the Aggies looking past a team that has had only two winning seasons in the last 15, but this past Saturday's 16-13 lost to the Bears should be a wake-up call for coach Sam Washington and the Aggies for several reasons.
Morgan State out 'A&T'd’ A&T. Coach Washington’s philosophy was force fed back to the Aggies by coach Ernest T. Jones and the Bears. Morgan State won the time of possession battle, out-gained the Aggies, earned more first downs and forced the Aggies to 1-for-12 on third down conversions.
The Bears, who gave up an average of 35.7 ppg over their last three games held A&T to 13. The last time the Aggies was held to under 20 points was in their 2016 FCS playoff loss to Richmond (39-10).
The loss of former offensive coordinator Chip Hester was evident this past Saturday and not just because of the third down conversions and the point totals. The Aggies were held to 88 yards passing, 33 of which were from Lamar Raynard. The last time Raynard passed for less than 100 yards was October 6, 2016, a 35-0 win over Norfolk State.
Yes, this was a disappointing loss. It ended N.C. A&T’s streak of 39 straight games without blowing a fourth-quarter lead. “When was the last time A&T blew a fourth-quarter lead?” you may ask. November 9, 2013, against…Morgan State. But as most Aggie fans already know, this game does not count against A&T’s conference record.
When Hampton left the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to join the Big South, it left some MEAC teams with seven conference games. To compensate for the loss, the conference decided to designate some games as non-conference contests to ensure each team plays seven conference games. This was that game for A&T and Morgan State
So, the Aggies can still finish undefeated in the MEAC and they are very much in contention for another Celebration Bowl bid but now there is blood in the water. Insert coach Buddy Pough.
So, the Aggies can still finish undefeated in the MEAC and they are very much in contention for another Celebration Bowl bid but now there is blood in the water. Insert coach Buddy Pough.
This Thursday, on national television, the Aggies will face South Carolina State, a team that North Carolina A&T has struggled with in the past. Even though the Aggies have won three straight over the Bulldogs, Coach Pough is 12-4 all-time against North Carolina A&T. Even better — for South Carolina State fans, that is — Pough is a perfect 5-0 against first year Aggie head coaches.
And if Morgan State was able to hold A&T to 13 points, things won’t get easier for the Aggies seeing as though the Bulldogs were one of the best defenses in the country last year, giving up under 19 points per game last season. Yes, Darius Leonard is now in the NFL but the Bulldogs defense is still talented, with three players on that side of the ball earning all-conference honors.
