Not Good Enough
By Tyler Ball, Guest Analyst
Published: October 19, 2021

N.C. A&T got a taste of what life in the upper echelon in the Big South Conference is going to be like, and while there were some bright spots, too many mistakes doomed the visitors in a 14-0 loss at #13 Kennesaw State. The Aggie defense turned in an impressive performance, as they forced three first half turnovers and kept the game within one score for most of the contest. Unfortunately, the Aggie offense slipped and sputtered to its first shutout since 2014.

 


Offense

Quarterback – For the majority of the contest, Jalen Fowler (14-35-176 yards) never could get into a rhythm throwing the football. It seemed as if the Aggies were content to force feed Jah-Maine Martin and it didn’t work, resulting in more pressure on Fowler to make things happen. Kennesaw State brought pressure in the red zone, which killed the game’s opening drive and forced a missed field goal. Fowler seemed shaken after taking a big hit on a 3rd-and-goal, and was noticeably off afterwards. While the receivers didn’t help with at least five drops, Fowler was inaccurate on several throws as well. It was weird to watch after this run of solid performances. Fowler picked up the pace and found a few targets on the last Aggie possession, but on a 4th-and-1 at the Kennesaw State 14, he was given a non-favorable spot after a sneak and that ended the day for the offense. The day was frustrating for everyone to see, but the important thing is that he stayed upright and continued to make the throws. Things will get better for him.

Running Back – The first minute of the television footage of the game showed a surprising image to Aggie fans: senior Kashon Baker was standing on the sideline in street clothes. This injury may have single-handedly cost the Aggies a shot at the Big South title. His presence was sorely missed, as Kennesaw State brought an extra linebacker and at times the safety to challenge the Aggie offensive line and Jah-Maine Martin (11 carries, 25 yards). As many of you readers know, I called for freshman running back Bhayshul Tuten to be unleashed. I think I may have to say it a little louder. Tuten got three carries and no touches as a receiver after torching North Alabama for 166 total yards last week. To the Owls’ credit, they were prepared and hit Martin several times in his own backfield. In addition, the defense was clearly coached to force Aggie runners to the sideline and not let them get up the field. Reserve quarterback Kingsley Ifedi saw spot duty in a couple of plays to give KSU a different look, but the Owls stuffed each of those plays as well. There is a sense of concern among the fan base about Martin’s health and explosiveness, even on his game-high 17-yard burst up the sideline. Even without Baker, Bhayshul Tuten and Fredderick Graves are capable runners who need as many touches as possible.

Wide Receiver – As weird as a day it was for Fowler, it was the same for the wide receivers. Getting open was not a problem, especially for tight end Jameson Warren (team high five catches, 43 yards). But each receiver that caught a pass had at least one go through their hands during the contest. It’s difficult to point out why plays were not made, but it added to the lack of rhythm for the offense. It was good to see the return of the wide receiver screen, even though it was blown up. That play has been reserved for Zach Leslie and Kashon Baker, but it’s always a welcome wrinkle. Fowler did take a few shots down the field, but the Owls shut down those plays with disciplined defense. Even the jump ball attempt to Leslie on the best scoring chance of the day was thwarted. It just wasn’t their day.

Offensive Line – Yikes. Let’s just say it. Kennesaw State dominated the line of scrimmage and played a lot of running downs in the N.C. A&T backfield. It’s been a decade and a half since the running game was shut down at this level. Thirty-one yards is the fewest rushing yards gained for an Aggie offense since 2006. To say we haven’t seen a defensive effort this good by an opponent is an understatement. Defenses of option teams are typically given an advantage because the option naturally runs so much time off the clock. KSU had the ball for 33 minutes, so the Owl defensive line was well rested and it showed. Evan Thompson (team high 12 tackles, three for loss) was a problem all day. The only MEAC defense that gave the Aggies these types of problems on offense was S.C. State, and those teams featured future NFL starters. There were just no holes to run through today. Pass protection was solid when the Owls rushed four but several times, KSU brought an extra linebacker or a rover and hit Fowler. Once again, I’m calling this a major anomaly.

 


Defense

Defense Line – Stopping the run is what N.C. A&T hangs its hat on. It was extremely difficult to stop Kennesaw State’s triple option but the Aggie defense held the Owls to 66 yards below their 288 yard-per-game rushing average. How herculean was the effort? KSU converted all five of their fourth down attempts, yet scored just 14 points. The Aggies played the dive and the pitch extremely well, and even pounced on two fumbles when quarterback Xavier Sheppard made poor pitches. Freshman Henry Daniel made a heck of an athletic play when he leaped to intercept a pass while being engaged. Daniel should be mentioned with Bhayshul Tuten for team and conference All-Rookie honors, as he’s been solid all season long. Karfa Kaba (nine tackles, fumble recovery) turned in his best game as an Aggie while Jermaine McDaniel recovered another fumble.

Linebackers – Jacob Roberts (game high 16 tackles) has established himself as an First Team All-Big South conference candidate. Roberts stopped plays against the dive, pitch and the quarterback read. Joseph Stuckey (13 tackles) also made his presence felt up front. The linebackers made sure tackles throughout and were consistently present at the point of attack. These guys did what was asked to do and did not get beat over the top. I would love to have this effort for the remainder of the season. This group missed Alex Fumbah and hopefully he will be back.

Secondary – Who are these guys? We saw two players on the edge with uniform numbers we had not seen before. Safety Najee Reams wore jersey number 1 on defense lined up at right corner and was clearly assigned to guard the pitch, and a mysterious jersey number 3, who appeared to be a much smaller player than Kyin Howard manned the left side. I believe that to be cornerback Miles Simon who normally wears number 4. Rover Richie Kittles provided safety help and was the last line of defense against runners that broke through the secondary. In a game where perfection may have been required to win, the secondary was close. FB/TE Irving Smith made two catches that were extended because of missed tackles. Each Smith catch set up a red zone touchdown. Owl quarterback Xavier Sheppard (25 carries, 66 yards, 2 TDs, 6-for-13, 129 yards) was not very good throwing the football, which made plays a lot easier to be broken up by the secondary, and get the defense off the field. N.C. A&T is still missing both corners in Amir McNeil and DJ Crossen. I already have the thought that Crossen will miss the remainder of the season at this point and will be shocked if he plays now. By nature of the opponent, the secondary got a bit of a break and will be pressed into action for the rest of the season, as four of the five remaining teams are pass-happy teams. We will see how this group develops, particularly Simon and reserve Herbert Booker, who will likely be called upon next week.
 


Special Teams

Losing the coin toss provided a bad omen for the Aggies. Heavy gusts of northern winds swirled around the stadium and of course, the Owls deferred the toss to the second half. The Aggies wanted to kick with the wind in the second and fourth quarter. Andrew Brown looked totally confused when his 25-yard attempt sailed wide to the right against the wind after the opening possession of the game. He eventually got another chance in the third quarter but his 37-yard kick from the right hash mark stayed to the right and missed. Even the home kicker missed a field goal wide right as well. Aggie punter Michael Rivers had not been used much in the previous three weeks but got plenty of work this game. Unfortunately out of his seven kicks, one was partially blocked and two others were under intense pressure. I thought the Aggies were quite conservative early in the contest, as the choice to punt on a 4th-and-3 at the Kennesaw State 41 on the second possession backfired when Rivers’ punt landed in the end zone. The Owls took the ensuing possession and drove 80 yards for their first touchdown. Kennesaw State punter Ben Moran made one of the game’s biggest plays when he bounced a 35-yard punt inside the five-yard line. The defense would then earn a three-and-out, which set up the game’s second score.
 


Today will be remembered as a missed opportunity to make a major national statement for N.C. A&T and few of those come during a Big South conference season. The harsh reality is that an outright title has likely gone by the boards. Games are still remaining to be played, and next week the Aggies cannot overlook an upstart Hampton squad that has proven it can score. This game is not an indication of what Big South football will be in the future, however. Kennesaw State will join North Alabama, Eastern Kentucky, Austin Peay, Jacksonville State, and Central Arkansas to join a football playing Atlantic Sun Conference, which will add another automatic bid to the NCAA FCS field of the 24, meaning one fewer at-large bid. Talent on the field did not matter today, as the Aggies were equal to the Owls in that department. Today was a lesson in strategy, coaching, and execution. Let’s not overlook that Kennesaw State was missing its best player in tailback Issac Foster, who is out for the season after getting hurt last week. The Owls staff made the adjustments and got more players, such as Iaan Cousin and Irving Smith involved. Those players simply made plays and the Aggies did not. Can’t get any more black-and-white than that.

Credit co-defensive coordinator Courtney Coard for drafting a solid defensive scheme to keep a potent offense to two scoring drives for the day. It had been seven years since the Aggies were shutout on offense, dating back to a season before the championship success started. I seriously doubt the Aggies will face a defense that is as good as that one until next season at North Dakota State. Credit the concerted effort in team discipline during the week, as the team was flagged just three times for 20 yards. This game came down to the details, and KSU was better at the details of the game, such as special teams hidden yardage, and offensive players making plays for their team.

In breaking down an offensive performance as bad as this one, I don’t think any kind of “adjustments,” would have done much. The execution was not there for anything the offense tried. Fans have to accept that there will be simply bad days. N.C. A&T has always had an aura of resiliency after a bad game, and the coaching staff will work hard to ensure that continues. We will not have two negative performances in a row. Bring on the Pirates.

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