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One last stop remains on A&T’s second trek through the Coastal Athletic Association, and then the Little Engine that Couldn’t will be sent back to the maintenance shop for repairs.
After suffering a 31-13 loss at Towson last weekend, the Aggies (1-10 overall, 0-7 in the CAA) will return home to Truist Stadium this Saturday at 1 p.m. to close out the year against Elon.
Major changes are expected this offseason as the Aggies will be looking to use the transfer portal to overhaul a roster that’s been ravaged by injuries and plagued by inexperience.
“The losing record didn’t just happen overnight,” said A&T head coach Vincent Brown who is now 2-20 in his two seasons in Greensboro and still searching for his first conference victory. “Just like winning doesn’t just happen overnight. There’s a long, drawn-out process that contributes to both. Now, we’ve had some circumstances that have impacted us significantly this season but we continue to try to build a program that North Carolina A&T and the football alums can be proud of.”
Facing most of the season without their starting quarterback, top two running backs and key offensive linemen, the Aggies now rank dead last in the conference in scoring offense, total offense, red zone offense and offensive efficiency.
Defensively, A&T has been forced to fill the back end of its secondary with freshman and walk-on players, as safeties Ty Williams Jr, David Laney and Cam Maddox have all missed significant time due to injuries.
Another challenge for the A&T defense this year has been a sheer lack of size, as A&T's smaller front seven has often been manhandled by opposing CAA teams at the line of scrimmage, resulting in big plays on the ground and through the air.
Not surprisingly, A&T ranks dead last in the CAA in scoring defense and total defense too, surrendering 38.6 points per game and an average of 446.1 each contest.
In the weeks ahead, questions will also arise about the future makeup of the A&T coaching staff. Last offseason, Brown quickly announced the firing of first-year offensive coordinator Chris Young after A&T finished with the worst passing offense in FCS football.
On Monday during his weekly press conference, Brown was vague about any potential staff moves. However, he acknowledged that everything was currently under review.
“We will evaluate as we did last season every aspect of our program, and look at it, the ‘what’ or is it the ‘who’," Brown said. "And in some cases, it might be combination of both; what (plays) we’re calling and who we’re asking to make plays in the moment. So we’ll evaluate every aspect of our program and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure we put A&T football back on a winning path.”
Saturday’s contest will also be the final home game for 19 Aggie players who will be honored as part of the annual Senior Day festivities.
Included in that group is Karon Prunty, a preseason All-Conference selection at cornerback who currently has one interception and four pass breakups this season. He will be joined by familiar names like center Cesar Minarro, offensive guard Korion Sharpe and defensive back Janaz Sumpter.
Redshirt junior running back Wesley Graves will also be among those players honored on Senior Day, likely indicating that he has decided to take his talents elsewhere next season.
Earning the start at quarterback on Saturday will be graduate transfer Justin Fomby, who took over for injured starter KJ White in week five and has had mixed results thus far this season.
Fomby had a promising debut in his first start against South Carolina State – finishing with 205 passing yards and three touchdowns, but like most of the offensive leaders, his production has gradually diminished in recent weeks.
Overall, he has thrown for 1,383 yards with nine touchdowns and nine interceptions in 10 games this year but during the last six games the Aggie offense has averaged just 10.6 points. That lack of scoring motivated the A&T coaching staff to name true freshman Braxton Thomas as the starter each the past two weeks in hopes of a spark.
Thomas is not expected to see action this week in order to preserve his redshirt and retain four more seasons of eligibility.
With a win on Saturday, A&T would be able to improve its overall series lead over Elon to 9-5.
Elon enters the contest playing better than its record of 5-6 overall and 4-3 in the CAA would suggest. The Phoenix, who defeated Maine 31-25 last week, are currently riding a three-game winning streak and have won four out of their last five.
“This is probably the best 5-6 team that I’ve seen in a while,” Brown admitted.
When playing at home, the Aggies currently hold a 4-2 record against the Phoenix including a dramatic 24-21 victory in 2019 when kicker Noel Ruiz nailed a game-winning 52-yard field goal as time expired.
A similar outcome on Saturday would be a great sendoff for the A&T seniors and also provide some much need optimism for a football program entering a critical offseason.
“I want our players to understand that you will be faced with many challenges in life," Brown said. "We’ve been faced with some serious challenges over the course of this season. But that does not mean you have not given our all and that you need to walk around with your head down. I am proud of the effort that our players have continue to fight with despite our losing record.”
