Winless Aggies find ways to make big plays

By Rob Daniels, Greensboro News and Record

DELAWARE STATE AT N.C. A&T
When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Aggie Stadium, Greensboro
Records: Delaware State 4-1 overall, 3-0 MEAC: N.C. A&T 0-6, 0-3
Tickets: General admission tickets on Fan Appreciation Day are $5 online at http://www.ncataggies.com or call 334-7749
Online: http://www.dsuhornets.com or http://www.ncataggies.com

GREENSBORO -- Kenneth Ray had a plan, and come Hades, high water or high degree of improbability, N.C. A&T's offensive coordinator was sticking to it. Having the ball on your own 4-yard line simply means there are 96 yards worth of opportunity out there, he reasoned.

The resulting touchdown pass to Michael Caldwell wasn't simply the longest play from scrimmage in the Aggies' 84 seasons of football. The attempt last Saturday at Morgan State also indicated a new willingness and ability to play big and bold. The Aggies (0-6) still have the longest losing streak in college football's second-highest division, a 22-game run of futility nearing its second anniversary. But as they prepare for Saturday's home game with Delaware State, they're at least capable of making it interesting.

"People aren't afraid to make a play now," said Caldwell, a Dudley High graduate. "You can look in a player's eyes, and you know he wants to be the person to make the play and not wait on somebody else. It's not selfish. You've got to have that little bit of 'I' in you to make a play for your team."

The Aggies, whose only run of longer than 30 yards in 2006 came with six minutes left in the season, have broken off five of 35 or more in 2007. Michael Ferguson, healthy after a series of injuries, is responsible for all of them.

"My offensive line and fullbacks are a dream," said Ferguson, the nation's ninth-leading rusher at 124.5 yards per game. "They're setting up big holes for me."

And the success, which included a 66-yard bolt at Morgan State, has helped create a mind-set. Ray, in his first season as offensive coordinator, approached Caldwell late in the third quarter and said the Aggies would go deep on their next possession. There would be no amendment. Recovering a fumble was, in fact, even more reason to let it fly because defenses are often distracted by the disappointment and surprised by the immediate need to return to the field.

From the 4, quarterback Shelton Morgan faked a handoff to Ferguson.

"They think they've got us backed up," coach Lee Fobbs said. "Great call. Momentum change. Why not?"

Well, a year ago, the line was so inexperienced that the fear of a sack and a safety, not the hope of a record-setting completion, was probably foremost on the Aggies' minds. The line now has three veterans, and though that's not a terrific number, it represents better continuity than the team has had in a while.

So Morgan had the time necessary to wait and hope Caldwell could get a step on a secondary that included Northeast Guilford graduate Dakota Bracey. The Bears entered the game ranked third nationally in total defense, a fact of no consequence in the moment.

"You never think that's possible, a 96-yard touchdown," Caldwell said. "You always dream about it, but so many things have to go right. I told (Fobbs) that was the best ball I've had thrown to me my whole life. I didn't have to break stride. When I saw it in the air, I knew it was my chance to make a play. I saw the ball in the air and went to get it. Nobody would catch me."

Scoring still isn't easy for the Aggies, but the offense is more reliable than the 2006 version, which was blanked three times and held to seven points on two other occasions. That team required long drives to have any chance; the current team can break one from time to time, and that's one viable difference. Ferguson's only lament is getting caught on his longest runs.

"Guess I have to work on my speed a little more," he joked.


North Carolina A&T State University Blue and Gold Marching Machine Band