EAST GREENSBORO – The 2022 North Carolina A&T football schedule is out as the Aggies enter their final season of Big South Conference play before entering the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) in 2023. Fifth-year head coach Sam Washington has his thoughts on the 2022 A&T opponents.
WEEK 1
Opponent: North Carolina Central
Date: September 3, 2022
Location: Charlotte, N.C. (Bank of America Stadium)
Game Time: TBD
Series: A&T leads, 53-34-5
Last meeting: A&T 37, NCCU 14 (September 25, 2021)
Skinny: One of the fiercest HBCU (historically black college and or university) rivalries in the country has life for at least another 10 years. The game in 2022 and 2027 moves to Charlotte, with this season's game labeled as the Duke's Mayo Classic. The last time the two schools met at a neutral site occurred on Oct. 4, 2008, at Charlotte's American Legion Memorial Stadium. The Aggies have won the last four over the Eagles by a combined 160-24. Washington recruited NCCU head coach Trei Oliver to NCCU when Oliver was a standout high school player. Oliver also worked with Washington at A&T under former head coach Rod Broadway.
Coach Washington: "I love the venue. It is the ideal place for a game of this magnitude. It is a big game for our community every year, and we're looking forward to the challenge of playing our rivals on such a big stage."
WEEK 2
Opponent: North Dakota State
Date: September 10, 2022
Location: Fargo, ND (Gate City Bank Field at the Fargo Dome)
Game Time: TBD
Series: First meeting
Last meeting: N/A
Skinny: The two schools initially scheduled the game for 2020, and preliminary indications were to build the game as the battle of the national champions because, at the time, the Aggies had a firm grip over the HBCU national title and NDSU's national title triumphs at the Division I-FCS level are well documented. The only national title The Bison has failed to win since 2011 came in 2020. The game will serve as a good gauge for the Aggies as they prepare to enter a challenging football conference in the CAA.
Coach Washington: "I think to be the best, you have to beat the best, and we are certainly playing the best in North Dakota State. We are looking forward to seeing where we measure up when playing the best."
WEEK 3
Opponent: Duke
Date: September 17, 2022
Location: Durham, N.C. (Wallace Wade Stadium)
Game Time: TBD
Series: Duke leads, 2-0
Last meeting: Duke 45, A&T 17 (September 10, 2021)
Skinny: A few critical plays have turned competitive games against Duke into Blue Devil blowouts over the past two meetings. In 2019, a first-half fumble led to the Blue Devils scoring 21 points in 2 ½ minutes, turning a 10-7 Aggies lead into a 28-10 Aggies halftime deficit. In 2021, the Duke recovered an onside kick in the second quarter that led to a touchdown. Later in the quarter, with no timeouts and three seconds remaining in the first half, Duke scored from two yards out to take a 21-14 halftime lead. They outscored the Aggies 24-3 in the second half.
Coach Washington: "After going up there the last couple of times, the one thing we know we cannot do is beat ourselves. When you're playing a team of Duke's caliber that plays in the ACC, you can't make mistakes. We have made mistakes up there that we normally would not make."
WEEK 4
Opponent: South Carolina State
Date: September 24, 2022
Location: East Greensboro, N.C. (Truist Stadium)
Game Time: 7 p.m.
Series: SCSU leads, 31-23-2
Last meeting: A&T 27, SCSU 17 (November 13, 2021)
Skinny A&T will face its second MEAC opponent when the SCSU Bulldogs come to Truist Stadium for the Aggies home opener. The Aggies have won their last six matchups against the Bulldogs, A&T's longest winning streak in the series. But unlike many of the previous years when A&T came in as the defending HBCU and Celebration Bowl champions, that distinction belongs to the Bulldogs this season after they defeated Jackson State at the 2021 Celebration Bowl.
Coach Washington: "It is very important to our community, our program, university, and fans to keep these traditional HBCU games on our schedule. It is a part of our heritage, and this one will be something because we are going up against a legendary coach in (SCSU head coach) Buddy Pough, and don't forget now, they are the defending HBCU champions. So we'll have our hands full."
WEEK 5
Opponent: Bryant
Date: October 1, 2022
Location: East Greensboro, N.C. (Truist Stadium)
Game Time: 7 p.m.
Series: First meeting
Last meeting: N/A
Skinny: It will be a matchup between a new entry to Big South football in Bryant and a team about to depart in A&T. Before the Aggies transition, they will have to deal with a Bryant team coming off a 7-4 record, their best mark under fourth-year head coach Chris Merritt. The Bulldogs scored 110 points in their final two ball games of 2021. The Bulldogs rushed for 125.1 yards per game a year ago.
Coach Washington: "We don't know much about them from a scheming standpoint, but we do know they're a good football team that likes to run the football. Not only that, they have great success at running the ball. It will be quite a challenge because we're not that familiar with them. But the good thing is, they have to come here and meet us at the corner of Sullivan and Lindsay."
WEEK 6: Bye Week
Date: October 8, 2022
WEEK 7
Opponent: Edward Waters
Date: October 15, 2022
Location: East Greensboro, N.C. (Truist Stadium)
Game Time: 1 p.m.
Series: First meeting
Last meeting: N/A
Skinny: It has been a long time since the Aggies have hosted a non-Division I opponent. The last time the Aggies played a non-DI occurred in 2017; the same season the Aggies went 12-0. The Tigers are coming off a 4-7 season under head coach Toriano Morgan. The Tigers are in their second season of attempting to transition to a Division II program.
Coach Washington: "I think this is an important midseason game for us. The one thing you want to have when you get to this point in the season is depth. A game like this may give you a chance to test that depth and see if they are game ready."
WEEK 8
Opponent: Robert Morris
Date: October 22, 2022
Location: Moon Township, Pa. (Joe Walton Stadium)
Game Time: TBD
Series: A&T leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: A&T 41, RMU 14 (October 2, 2021)
Skinny: The Aggies had their way on the ground against the Colonials last season at Truist Stadium. The Aggies compiled 224 rushing yards and three touchdowns as the Aggies won the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The Aggies will be playing in Pennsylvania for just the seventh time in 99 seasons and the first time since 1985.
Coach Washington: "Robert Morris is a worthy football team. They are well-coached and have several talented young men on that team. Once they learn how to win, I think they will have a tremendous program. That is going to be a difficult road game for us to win. We must be at the top of our game."
WEEK 9
Opponent: Campbell
Date: October 29, 2022
Location: East Greensboro, N.C. (Truist Stadium)
Game Time: 1 p.m.
Series: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
Skinny: A&T/Campbell could be a fun game. The in-state Fighting Camels football program will come to the East Boro for the first time, and the Aggies will greet their guest with the Greatest Homecoming On Earth. Of course, as an in-state school, the Camels would love to send the Aggies away from the Big South with a Homecoming loss. But, on the flip side, the Aggies are smarting after losing their first Homecoming game in nine tries after the 2021 Homecoming loss to Monmouth.
Coach Washington: "Well, hopefully, this will start a nice in-state rivalry even though we are leaving the Big South. But for now, it is a welcomed challenge because I think Campbell has an excellent program. Homecoming is always a big ballgame around here, and last year was our first time losing Homecoming in quite some time, so I think we are looking forward to getting that corrected. There is still a bitter taste in our mouths.
WEEK 10
Opponent: Norfolk State
Date: November 5, 2022
Location: East Greensboro, N.C. (Truist Stadium)
Game Time: 12 p.m.
Series: A&T leads, 33-11
Last meeting: A&T 58, NSU 19 (October 5, 2019)
Skinny: Norfolk State is the third MEAC school on the schedule. Like the first MEAC team on the schedule – NCCU – Washington will be playing against one of his former pupils in Dawson Odums. After a successful stint at Southern University, Odums is in his second season with the Spartans. A former assistant coach at A&T, Odums is coming off a 6-5 season with the Spartans. Odums is 70-46 in 11 seasons as a head coach.
Coach Washington: "We are excited to have Norfolk State on the schedule for the next few years. Odums was one of those guys you knew would be a good coach because he was so curious as a player. I'm looking forward to competing against him, but I am glad to see so many HBCUs on the schedule."
WEEK 11
Opponent: Charleston Southern
Date: November 12, 2022
Location: East Greensboro, N.C. (Truist Stadium)
Game Time: 12 p.m.
Series: A&T leads, 2-0
Last Meeting: A&T 21, CSU 18 (November 6, 2021)
Skinny: The Aggies have escaped Charleston, S.C., with two close calls over the past two seasons A&T has played football. The Aggies had to overcome a 14-6 halftime deficit in 2019 with a historic performance from running back Jah-Maine Martin. The Aggies had a 21-3 going into the fourth quarter last season but had to withstand a frantic fourth-quarter Buccaneers comeback to win by three.
Coach Washington: "I'm sure they are champing at the bit to get in here. We were able to squeeze by the last two times we played, so they will be hungry coming in here."
WEEK 12
Opponent: Gardner-Webb
Date: November 19, 2022
Game Time: 1:30 p.m.
Location: Boiling Springs, N.C. (Spangler Stadium)
Series: A&T leads, 2-1
Last Meeting: GWU 35, A&T 27 (November 20, 2021)
Skinny: The Runnin' Bulldogs finally got a win over A&T after the Aggies had two straight blowout wins over Gardner-Webb in 2017 and 2018. The Bulldogs had a game plan of going to the air against the Aggies last season at Truist Stadium. GWU threw for 335 yards and four touchdowns. GWU scored 28 points in the fourth quarter and completed 7 of 9 passes for 148 yards.
Coach Washington: "I can't wait for that ballgame. We did not play up to our standards in that one, and we really shot ourselves in the foot on many occasions. I want to think we can play better against them."
