Tuesday, November 22, 2016

N.C.A&T Aggies' linemen will challenge Spiders, believes NSU coach Latrell Scott

NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- Latrell Scott may be as qualified as anyone to break down Saturday’s Richmond-North Carolina A&T 2 p.m. encounter in the first round of the FCS playoffs at Robins Stadium. He projects a very competitive game.

Scott, UR’s coach in 2010, is Norfolk State’s coach and his Spartans played the Spiders and Aggies this season. NSU lost 34-0 at Richmond on Sept. 10 and 35-0 at N.C. A&T on Oct. 6. Teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, to which N.C. A&T and NSU belong, have lost 18 consecutive FCS tournament games and are 6-23 in the playoffs.

But Scott said he sees the Aggies (9-2) as “one of the few teams in (the MEAC) that’s built” to compete with a CAA playoff opponent. That’s the case because of the size and talent of N.C. A&T’s linemen, according to Scott. Scott believes the Aggies will make running difficult for Richmond (8-3), and may be able to create space for 5-foot-6 Tarik Cohen, who averages 138 rushing yards (third in the FCS) and 7.63 yards per carry (second in the FCS).

“When you get these (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) teams versus CAA teams, the game is usually lost up front,” said Scott, a Lee-Davis High grad. “I think (N.C. A&T’s linemen) are good enough to manage. I think Richmond has got its hands full. (The Aggies) are a lot like Richmond. They ought to be able to match up with Richmond up front.”

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