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As A&T head coach Shawn Gibbs stood back from the podium on Monday and reflected on his team’s latest heartbreaking defeat – this time a 30-22 rain-soaked loss to archrival North Carolina Central, he remained resolute in his belief that his program was close to getting over the hump and entering the win column.
After a frantic fourth quarter rally last Saturday in which the Aggies clawed back to within one score and moved the ball inside Central’s five-yard line during the closing seconds, Kevin White Jr.’s final pass attempt to Michael Carlock-Williams was intercepted in the back of the end zone.
It gave the Eagles their fifth straight victory in the series and ensured the folks in Durham would have another year of bragging rights.
“I thought the guys showed a lot of heart to the very end, but unfortunately the outcome was not in our favor”, said Gibbs, who saw his team fall to 0-3 on the season and is now just 2-13 overall since returning to Greensboro a year ago. “I think the game was lost really because of two things: turnovers and allowing them to run the football. Our first two weeks we have zero turnovers then on Saturday we turned the ball over four times.”
“We’ve improved as a team and we’re close, but like I always say close on counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. What we’ve got to understand is when you’re super close like we are, the thing that is going to make the difference is attention to detail.”
White finished with a game-high 259 passing yards and three touchdowns, but he also threw two costly interceptions and lost a fumble.
He showed flashes of brilliance with both his arms and feet, but struggled at times with his accuracy
“We threw 44 times. I don’t really have a problem with that, but we have to cut down on the turnovers and be more efficient when we throw the ball,” said Gibbs after White completed just 47 percent of his passes against Central.
Afterwards, Gibbs announced that redshirt freshman quarterback Braxton Thomas, who entered the season as the Aggies’ starting quarterback but was injured on the first drive of the game against Georga State two weeks ago, would miss the rest of the season after an MRI showed a complete tear of his ACL.
The unfortunate injury solidified White’s job as the Aggies’ starter moving forward.
“I did think Kev did a really good job extending plays with his feet, avoiding sacks and that 51-yard touchdown that he threw to {Elijah Kennedy) was a thing of beauty. I think that play shows what we’re capable of doing but right now. We’re just on the search for consistency."
The Aggies will head back on the road this weekend also seeking that elusive first win of the season, when they visit a tough Campbell team down in Buies Creek, NC.
Kickoff is set for 6PM at Barker-Lane Stadium.
The Fighting Camels will enter the contest with a 2-1 record and have looked like one of the most improved teams in the Coastal Athletic Association early this season.
Prior to a lopsided but expected road loss against FBS powerhouse Florida last weekend, Campbell began the year with a 49-27 win at East Tennessee State and an impressive 28-19 victory against No. 24 ranked Western Carolina.
Campbell is led by senior quarterback Kamden Sixkiller who has thrown for 800 yards in the first three games with four touchdowns and two interceptions. His main target has been senior wideout Spencer Jones who has already caught 15 balls for 203 yards and a touchdown in the first three games.
A&T’s defense will also have to prepare for a balanced rushing attack from Campbell and once again must find a way to stop allowing big, momentum-shifting plays.
Last week against Central, the Aggies were bullied at times in the running game, giving up 223 yards on the ground.
Senior running back Plez Lawrence finished with 210 yards and three touchdowns, including a 73-yard burst up the middle right before halftime to give the Eagles a 23-7 lead.
“I knew he was good, but I didn’t think he was Bo Jackson or Hershel Walker so we can’t allow that,” said Gibbs, referring to the two legendary NFL running backs.
On paper, this might look like another unfavorable matchup for the Aggies, but they do have one small thing working in their favor: 5-foot 6 playmaker Elijah Kennedy.
When the two teams met a season ago, Kennedy almost singlehandedly sparked a fourth quarter rally when he scored on a 96-yard punt return before returning a kickoff 85 yards for a score to lead the Aggies to an improbable 28-24 come-from-behind victory.
This season Kennedy has also shown that he can be a dangerous weapon in the passing game. Against NCCU, he led the team with seven catches for 112 and two touchdowns, including the 51-yard score over two defenders right before halftime.
“He’s a warrior,” said Gibbs about Kennedy. “Guys like that get me motivated. You can look into his eyes and see he is out there to compete. I want it so bad for him. I wish I could go out there and play with him. I wish we could get some more people that feed off his energy. When we get 10 more people playing like him, then we are going to be hard to deal with.”
