Courtesy ncataggies.com
A&T STATISTICAL LEADERS: QB Jalen Fowler (14-for-29, 1 INT, 2TDs, 268 yards); WR Ron Hunt (5 rec., 146 yards, 2 TDs); WR Korey Banks (5 rec., 66 yards); LB Joseph Stuckey (13 tackles, 3 solo, 2 TFLs); FS Najee Reams (8 tackles, 6 solo, 1 TFL); LB Tyquan King (7 tackles, 2 solo, ½ TFL, 1 INT).
FURMAN STATISTICAL LEADERS: QB Hamp Sisson (25-for-40, 1 INT, 3 TDs, 362 yards); TE Ryan Miller (4 rec., 124 yards, 1 TD); RB David Wynn (18 rush att., 75 yards, 5 rec., 55 yards, 1 TD); DB Travis Blackshear (5 tackles, 3 solo, 1 sack, 1 TFL, 1 INT).
WHY FURMAN GOT THE “W”: Quarterback Hamp Sisson had a rough spring with 12 touchdown passes and nine interceptions. However, he looked over the springtime blues on Saturday as he set a new school record in passing yards.
WHY A&T DIDN’T GET THE “W”: Both teams had two turnovers apiece. Furman scored off both of A&T’s turnovers. A&T scored zero points on Furman turnovers.
CRUCIAL: A&T trailed 26-18 in the fourth quarter. They had a chance to cut the lead to five with a field goal with seven minutes remaining. A successful field goal would mean the Aggies did not need a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to tie. They would only need a touchdown to win. Instead, the Aggies got a bobbled snap and no points in a crucial time of the game.
THE STORY: GREENVILLE, S.C. – North Carolina A&T did not have its entire starting defensive line. On the third play of the game, the Aggies lost their starting cornerback in DJ Crossen. Throughout the game, they lost even more defensive linemen. A&T even played without top receiver Zach Leslie.
On top of all the absences, the Aggies also had two players ejected for targeting during the game.
Yet, the Aggies almost pulled out a miracle come-from-behind win before falling short to Furman, 29-18, at Paladin Stadium Saturday afternoon.
“There are not many bright sides to a loss, but if there is a bright side, it is that our guys played hard,” said A&T coach Sam Washington. “It was difficult. It was tough. But what I am most proud of is we didn’t quit. We found a way for somebody to get lined up, so we could play.”
The Aggies (0-1) did have their two veteran running backs in the lineup, including All-American Jah-Maine Martin (5-foot-10, 220, R-SR, Conway, S.C.). But the Aggies only totaled 71 yards on the ground. It was also a struggle at times for first-time starter Jalen Fowler (6-4, 235, R-JR, Spartanburg, S.C.) in a game that served as a homecoming for the Palmetto State native. Fowler completed only four of his 13 first-half pass attempts for 58 yards.
In the first half, Furman didn’t pull away from the Aggies on the scoreboard, but they certainly looked in control. The Paladins (1-0) put together an 11-play, 79-yard drive in the first quarter that ended with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Devin Wynn from Hamp Sisson to give the Paladins a 7-3 lead.
The drive was highlighted by a targeting call on linebacker Alex Fumbah (6-1, 235, SR, Sneville, Ga.) that led to the Paladins having the ball 1st-and-10 on the Aggies 16-yard line instead of 4th-and-2 on the 31. It also led to Fumbah’s ejection from the game.
They also constructed a 17-play, 67-yard drive that resulted in a Timmy Bleekrode 41-yard field goal in the second quarter as the Paladins went into the locker room at halftime, leading the Aggies 10-3.
“We were just awful on third downs on both sides of the ball,” said Washington. “We converted just 3 of 13, and they converted 6 of 16 on offense. We must find ways to get off the field.”
Half No. 2 did not look too promising either. It started with a Fowler interception on A&T’s first second-half possession. That led to a 41-yard touchdown pass from Sisson to Joshua Harris. Linebacker Jacob Roberts (6-0, 235, SO, Charlotte, N.C.) got called for targeting Sisson on the play leading to his ejection.
Four plays into their next drive; however, A&T did have an answer. Fowler went over the top of the defense to receiver Ron Hunt (6-3, 190, R-SR, Greensboro, N.C.) for a 37-yard completion to the Furman 4. But two plays later, as Fowler rolled to his right and started to sprint toward the end zone, he clashed with Branden Gilby and fumbled the football.
Gilby recovered at the Furman 3 to pause another A&T drive before Sisson found tight end Ryan Miller, on a quick slant for an 83-yard touchdown catch and run to give the Paladins a 23-3 advantage midway through the third.
“We started to trust the passing game,” said Washington. “We tried to run the ball early and set some dominance running the ball. We were not able to do that, so we decided to go over the top a few times and connected.”
Fowler did start to warm up. On the Aggies ensuing drive, he completed all four of his pass attempts, including a 16-yard dart to Hunt, who used his long frame to stretch the ball over the goal line after initially being stopped by a Furman defender at the 2.
After a Paladin field goal, A&T did go over the top again to Hunt for a 74-yard touchdown to cut Furman’s lead to 26-18. The Aggies then forced a Furman turnover on an interception to take possession 1st-and-10 at the Paladin 14.
But a pass interference call on first down stymied the Aggies drive before Andrew Brown (5-10, 165, Lexington, N.C.) missed on a 38-yard field goal with 10:34 to play in the game. A Dominic Roberto fumble two minutes later gave the Aggies 1st-and-10 at the Paladin 39. The Aggies eventually attempted another field goal only to have the snap bobbled and recovered at the Furman 30.
Furman put A&T away from there.
“There were several opportunities for us to put points on the board, and we failed to do so,” said Washington. “We had too many miscues on field goals. I thought the last field goal would have brought the deficit down to five points. If we execute on that field, it changes the complexity of the game. Those things concern me.”
QUOTABLE: “I have to watch the tape before saying, but I thought he did some things well. I thought he could have gotten rid of the ball earlier. We did a terrible job getting the plays in on time. We were always under the gun. That part of it irritated me to no end, particularly in the first half. I thought eventually we got better, but that put a lot of pressure on him too. He’s struggling to get a snap off with five seconds on the clock. That’s a lot to put on a kid.”
N.C. A&T Head Coach Sam Washington on the play of first-time QB starter Jalen Fowler
GAME NOTES
The Aggies 71-yards rushing are the fewest the Aggies have had on the ground since compiling only 38 yards against Alcorn State on Dec. 15, 2018.
Ryan Miller’s 87-yard touchdown reception against A&T is the longest play from scrimmage against the Aggies in the Sam Washington era. It is the longest play against A&T since 2004.
Aggies receiver Ron Hunt had a career-high in receptions (5) and yards (146). He also had his first career multiple-touchdown game.
A&T has not lost a season opener since a 29-13 loss to Coastal Carolina in 2012.
Joseph Stuckey now has two career double-figure tackle games after compiling 15 at Duke in 2019.
The Aggies are now just 23-39-2 against Division I schools in South Carolina.
