By Rob Daniels, Greensboro News-Record
The end is near.
N.C. A&T fans may have been muttering that for a while, having seen their team drop 17 straight games now. But on Saturday, that concept took on another -- slightly more hopeful -- meaning.
While falling to Winston-Salem State 28-7, the Aggies at least suggested the longest active losing streak at the second-highest level of college football might be drawing to a conclusion one of these weeks.
"I'm pleased but not happy," coach Lee Fobbs said. "We could have played better in the first half. We've just to come out of the chutes better."
A year after being thoroughly outclassed by the Rams 41-14, the Aggies were merely beaten this time. For the first time in 23 months, they made an opponent worry about the outcome into the fourth quarter, and they got on the bus thinking about one game-changing moment rather than an avalanche.
It came early in the fourth as A&T faced second and goal from the Ram 9 while trailing 21-7. Quarterback Herb Miller rolled out of trouble, neared the sideline, declined what would have been a short running gain and tossed one across his body for Curtis Walls in the end zone.
"I ran around and saw Walls sitting on the spot," Miller said. "I tried to get to him, which I shouldn't have done."
The pass was thrown behind the Aggies' best receiver, who managed to get a hand on it and juggle it for an agonizing second. The ball seemed to disappear in a confluence of red and white jerseys before winding up in the hands of the Rams' Thaddeus Griffin, who was flat on his back.
Two witnesses said the ball hit the ground first, which suggests the play would have been vigorously reviewed by video if this had been a Division I-A game.
The Aggies had no avenues of appeal, but Walls didn't seek them.
"Anything I touch, I'm supposed to pull it in," he said. "I'm supposed to be the dependable receiver for this team."
A chance to close the gap was gone, and when the Rams followed the play with an 80-yard touchdown drive, the outcome was effectively sealed.
Nobody's going to admit a three-touchdown defeat is satisfactory, but A&T displayed more defensive speed than at any time in 2006.
The Rams found the holes to the tune of 303 rushing yards, but A&T reorganized after a skittish start and pursued the ball reasonably well.
Football statistics are notoriously specious anyway, and Saturday was a study in deception.
"I liked the aggression," sophomore defensive end Andre Thornton said. "We had 11 hats to the ball. If they got a first down, we didn't lollygag down the field. We all ran down the field."
Fobbs does have options in the running game, as Michael Ferguson got 16 carries, junior-college transfer David "Speedy" Robinson had 10 and former Clemson Tiger Demerick Chancellor was called upon three times.
A&T lacks bulk among its wide receivers and may need to get creative in order to run effectively to the sideline.
Fifth-year seniors Jed Bines and Monte Purvis give the Rams a seasoned and swift backfield pair for a team that ran for 180 yards a game a year ago.
Winston-Salem State, still in a transition phase toward full second-tier membership, will play a full MEAC schedule but not be eligible for the league title. There's enough on the Ram sideline to suggest this would be an intriguing team under normal membership circumstances.
A&T gets another crack at stopping the streak when it plays Prairie View A&M, which lost an untouchable 80 straight games from 1989-98, in Los Angeles next week.
And the Aggies keep thinking they'll be OK.
"Every day. Every day," Walls said. "And if I don't think that, then I need to be off this team."
N. C. A&T 0 0 7 0 -- 7
Winston-Salem State 7 7 7 7 --28
WiSa--Purvis 1 run (M.Mitchell kick)
WiSa--Bayne 19 pass from Purvis (M.Mitchell kick)
WiSa--McRae 30 run (M.Mitchell kick)
NCAT--Walls 21 pass from Miller (Houston kick)
WiSa--Thomas 16 pass from Purvis (M.Mitchell kick)
A--22,000.
NCAT WiSa
First downs 11 20
Rushes-yards 38-143 47-286
Passing 73 96
Comp-Att-Int 10-21-3 9-15-0
Return Yards 33 51
Punts-Avg. 7-36.0 7-35.7
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-1
Penalties-Yards 6-56 6-66
Time of Possession 28:54 31:06
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--N.C A&T, Ferguson 16-64, Robinson 10-33, Miller 7-28, Chancellor 3-17, McNair 2-1. Winston-Salem, Bines 16-125, McRae 15-85, Purvis 15-63, Harris 1-13.
PASSING--N. Carolina A&T, Miller 10-21-3-73. Winston-Salem, Purvis 9-15-0-96.
RECEIVING--N. Carolina A&T, Walls 3-31, Robinson 2-(minus 5), C.Dawson 1-21, Caldwell 1-15, Lowrance 1-14, Ferguson 1-4, Chancellor 1-(minus 7). Winston-Salem, Bayne 3-23, Thomas 1-16, Reaves 1-15, Scarborough 1-15, Hubbard 1-12, Kinzer 1-10, Fluellen 1-5.
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