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What a difference a week makes.
A season that was on the brink of unravelling after A&T’s heartbreaking loss at Bryant, is now once again full of optimism and could be prime for an exciting stretch run.
That rapid reversal was sparked by last week’s 30-27 overtime win against New Hampshire – a rollercoaster affair that featured multiple lead changes and one of the most improbable endings you’ll ever witness.
On a cold and wet afternoon at Truist Stadium, the Aggies found themselves trailing by six points with a minute and 40 seconds left, before embarking on a gusty, 15-play drive that moved the ball to New Hampshire’s 19-yard line.
Facing third down and with seven seconds left, A&T quarterback Kevin White pass to Mark Tilman fell incomplete in the back of the end zone, but after a lengthy review the refs determined that one second remained on the clock.
That one second was all White would need as he found his top playmaker Elijah Kennedy in the middle of the field on a post route and rifled the ball between two defenders to knot the game at 27.
The only thing left was to kick the extra point and seal the win, but somehow A&T kicker Ash shanked it wide right, sending the game to overtime
No worries.
New Hampshire would return the favor on its opening possession of overtime by missing a 29-yard field goal, allowing Holland to quickly redeem himself with a 34-yard attempt that sailed perfectly through the uprights.
“On Saturday we found a way,” said A&T head coach Shawn Gibbs who saw his team improve to 2-5 overall and are now 2-2 in conference play. “When you’re building your program you’ve got to find a way to win games like that. And I think a big part of us finding a way to win that game was our ability to stop the run. We held our opponent, New Hampshire, to under 100 yards rushing for the first time all year, and then offensively we rushed for over 150 yards for the third game in a row. We’re trending in the right direction.”
The finish was not only redemption for Holland but also exorcised some demons for White who earlier this season left NCCU’s O’kelly-Riddick Stadium dejected when his final pass was intercepted in the end zone as time expired.
Against New Hampshire, he was the epitome of clutch.
On the Aggie’s game-tying drive at the end of regulation White converted three fourth downs just to give A&T a chance.
He would finish with 230 yards passing, three touchdowns and no interceptions, while adding another 38 yards on the ground.
Afterwards, White was named CAA offensive player of the week for his efforts – the first time an A&T player has received that honor since A&T joined the league in 2023.
"People have talked a lot of junk about Kevin White since he's been around here, but that guy is playing at a high level," said A&T head coach Shawn Gibbs during his postgame press conference on Saturday. "He is playing as good as anybody in this conference right now, and he’s making plays with his feet and his arm. He's a heckuva leader, and I'm super proud of him."
Now as unlikely as it seemed earlier this month, A&T could be poised to go on an extended run.
The Aggies, who are just a recovered onside kick from being on a three-game winning streak, have now won back-to-back home games for the first time since 2022. They hope to continue their winning ways this Saturday when they host first-year program Chicago State at noon.
The Cougars enter the matchup with a 1-5 overall record, their only win coming against an NAIA opponent.
However, don’t expect Gibbs to overlook any remaining opponents on his schedule – especially when he acknowledges that his own program is still a work in progress.
During this week’s press conference he credited Chicago State for having a number of talented players and lamented the struggles his Aggies have faced on special teams recently.
“We did not win the kicking game,” said Gibbs, who promised to take a more active role in coaching that unit moving forward. “We pride ourselves in being good in the kicking and we have not met the standard so far this year. We had two punts blocked, missed a field goal and an extra point. But, when it all mattered - when the game was on the line- we came through to win the game with a big kick by Asher.”
