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A&T’s bid for its second miracle comeback this season fell just short against Maine last week, but in the process the Aggies may have finally solidified their quarterback position.
Before Kevin White’s final pass sailed high out of the end zone as time expired, the Aggies scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter and nearly overcame a three-score deficit in their 37-30 road loss to the Black Bears.
White, starting at quarterback for the second straight week, finished with a career-high 279 yards passing, two touchdowns and no turnovers against Maine. He led the Aggies 58 yards down the field in the game’s final 72 seconds to set up a potential game-tying score.
For a moment it looked like the stage was set for a repeat of A&T’s “Seventh Heaven” overtime win against Hampton, in which the Aggies - forced to play the No. 7 quarterback on their depth chart - miraculously overcame a 10-point deficit in the final 90 seconds of regulation, including the successful recovery of an onside kick and a last-second field goal.
However, after calling a timeout with 11 seconds left on the clock and the ball on Maine’s 22-yard line, White was unable to connect on two straight deep passes into the end zone – ending any hopes for another comeback.
“I’m proud of the guys and the way they continued to fight, but you know I tired of coming up close,” said Gibbs, whose team is now 1-4 on the season and 1-1 in the Coastal Athletic Association. “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades – not football. We have to find a way to win games like that.”
After an ugly start in which Maine scored on a 51-yard touchdown run by Sincere Baines on the second play of the game and racked up 30 points and 331 yards in the first half, A&T settled down defensively and produced a number of big plays on offense and special teams to narrow the margin.
In lieu of any moral victories, Aggie fans should be very optimistic about the emergence of White.
The 6-foot, 180-pound redshirt sophomore from Newport News, Virginia missed the first three games of this season while recovering from a broken leg suffered in spring camp.
Against Maine, he connected on a 34-yard touchdown strike to Jayvonne Dillard right before halftime to make it 30-16 and then later found tight end Antoine Bell down the sideline for a 26-yard touchdown to ignite the fourth quarter rally.
White's success against the Black Bears last Saturday came on the heels of his 232-yard, one touchdown debut performance in the blowout loss to North Carolina Central two weeks ago.
“I’ve always believed since I first got here and watched that kid that he’s a special quarterback,” said Gibbs. “And he’s still not 100 percent (healthy). He hasn’t even gotten close to what he can be. But what I like about Kevin is the way that he competes.”
This upcoming weekend, White and the Aggies will head back on the road and compete against an always tough William & Mary team that’s currently 2-3 overall and 1-1 in the CAA.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 EST at Zable Stadium in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Led by seven-year head coach Mike London, the Tribe has made 11 appearances in the FCS playoffs and won three CAA conference titles – the last one coming in 2022.
That year, William & Mary’s defense was run by then-defensive coordinator Vincent Brown who most recently served as A&T’s head coach in 2023 and 2204.
This season, the Tribe boasts three preseason All-CAA performers in defensive lineman David Dzidzienyo, linebacker Luke Banbury and cornerback Jalen Jones for a unit that's surrendering 385 total yards and 28.6 points per game.
Offensively, the Tribe is led by quarterback Tyler Hughes and running back Rashaad Raymond and ranks sixth in the CAA in scoring offense (24.6 ppg).
“We’ve got to start playing with more effort,” said Gibbs. “We’re going to demand the effort but, again, effort is something that’s internal. That’s something that's in you and something we’ve got to get out of these guys. If they’ll play with effort and play with good fundamentals, we’ll have a chance against anybody left on our schedule.”
