Football is back!! The North Carolina A&T State University Aggies will take the field for the first time in 2024 tonight.The Aggies were picked 14th in the 16-team Coastal Athletic Association preseason poll and hope to shatter those expectations.
The FBS Wake Forest Demon Deacons (0-0) are set to square off against an FCS opponent, the North Carolina A&T Aggies (0-0), on Thursday, August 29, 2024 at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium.
The immediate task for the Aggies is to improve after going 1-10, including a winless mark in eight CAA games, in Brown's first year. It's the school's worst record since going 1-10 in 2010. The Demon Deacons have their own goal for improvement after finishing 4-8 and winning just one game in eight ACC contests.
With the Aggies' 2023 season in the rearview mirror, one of the topics of discussion still staring at the program is offensive production after the Aggies ranked 115th in the NCAA Division I-FCS in total offense partly because the passing game produced 104.9 yards per game.
A&T's offense struggled last season as Brown searched for a quarterback who could consistently lead the team. In response to the lack of production, A&T replaced offensive coordinator Chris Young with David Marsh, a former Kevin Sumlin protégé' at Texas A&M whose spread offense at Texas Southern ranked fifth overall and first in rushing in the SWAC.
Brown said the Aggies had the talent, but didn't do a great job of using it. He thinks Marsh is the man to take advantage of the personnel.
The startingquarterback for the Aggies will be revealed today. Of course, the central question with any offense is who will lead it from the quarterback position. Sophom*ore Kevin White was put through the paces as a freshman, earning valuable experience through fire. In addition to Fomby, the Aggies also added University of Delaware transfer Noah Sanders and Braxton Thomas on Signing Day.
White completed 45 of his 85 pass attempts for 507 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions in seven games as a true freshman. He produced 130 rushing yards in leading the Aggies to their only win against Norfolk State.
There is not a lack of talent at the wide receiver position either. The Aggies did lose Taymon Cooke, who provided a weapon on offense and special teams, earning All-American honors as a kick returner. But most of the pass catchers are back in place, starting with returning leading receiver Amonte Jones, who still has two years of eligibility remaining.
Ger-Cari Caldwell, a 6-foot-4 receiver out of Rock Hill, S.C., also has two years of eligibility remaining. The Aggies expect wide receiver Jamison Warren to be back on the field after he missed the 2023 season. Redshirt sophom*ore Laquan Veney, junior Elijah Kennedy, and sophom*ore Rory Jones-Amen-Hetep also bring experience into the season.
A&T's tight end room is also full of players with good hands, including Antoine Bell, Nicholas Dobson and Anthony Rucker. Joshua George also started some games at the halfback/tight end position in 2023.
The Aggies backfield is also a source of pride for a program labeled Running Back U. Junior Kenji Christian led the Aggies in rushing last season with 718 yards and six touchdowns. The dual-threat back was also the Aggie's second-leading receiver.
The Aggies' defense was one of the best in the country last year even when the Aggies couldn't put points on the board. The Aggies added depth and size this off-season to a talented squad led by Karon Prunty. The adage that defense wins championships and offense sells tickets may undoubtedly hold for the 2024 North Carolina A&T football team, but not for why, you may think. That's because it may be more about curiosity than yards and touchdowns for A&T fans purchasing tickets to see A&T's offense.
Junior Wesley Graves has carried the ball 154 times over the previous two seasons, and sophom*ore Shimique Blizzard came on late in the season to provide the Aggies with speed and power in the backfield. Junior Charlie Dixon is back, and expect freshman Daniel Coles to also figure into the Aggies' offensive plans during the season.
Who is protecting this ensemble of talent, making it easier for the quarterback to get to the receivers and allowing the running backs to have room to run? The Aggies return three starters along the offensive line with guard Korion Sharpe, tackle Jason Ivey, and center Cesar Minarro. Brock Stukes earned valuable playing time as a freshman, and Jonathan Cannon, Jr. also provides A&T with depth up front.
NC A&T 2023 Stats
- While NC A&T ranked 94th in total defense with 405.2 yards allowed per game last season, it was slightly worse on offense, ranking 13th-worst (263.4 yards per game).
- The Aggies were a bottom-25 scoring offense last season, ranking 21st-worst with 16.1 points per game. On defense, they ranked 95th in the FCS (30.5 points allowed per game).
- NC A&T owned the 13th-best pass defense last season (177.5 passing yards allowed per game), but it ranked sixth-worst on offense (104.9 passing yards per game).
- The Aggies had the 44th-ranked rushing offense last season (158.5 rushing yards per game), and they were less effective defensively, ranking 11th-worst with 227.6 rushing yards allowed per game
About last night, it doesn’t get any better than this ?? @NCATFootball x #AggiePride pic.twitter.com/o2SKg2nvcn
— N.C. A&T Athletics (@NCATAGGIES) August 29, 2024
Just like the Aggies, Wake Forest has held out on revealing the outcome of the preseason quarterback competition, but the Demon Deacons can't wait to get going in hopes of having a better season than a year ago.
Wake Forest lost its last five games of 2023 and missed a bowl game for the first time since Clawson's second season in 2015. From that team, four of its six All-ACC performers return, including Desmond Claiborne, who rushed for 586 yards and five touchdowns on 137 carries at running back while earning All-ACC honorable mention as a kick returner. Senior defensive end Jasheen Davis, a former four-star recruit, had 49 tackles and 7.5 sacks. One of those players was Jacob Roberts, a former member of N.C. A&T's football team and a graduate of N.C. A&T.
Wake Forest's string of seven consecutive seasons with a bowl appearance ended with last year's 4-8 record. Michael Kern and Hank Bachmeier, a transfer from Louisiana Tech, have competed for the first-string quarterback job for Wake Forest. If there's uncertainty about the makeup of the Wake Forest offense, that doesn't have to translate to the defensive side.
The Demon Deacons are counting on a veteran element to help them this year. Coach Dave Clawson said in the changing environment of college athletes, there's an encouraging aspect of Wake Forest's roster stability.
Wake Forest 2023 Stats
- Wake Forest ranked 104th in total offense (327.8 yards per game) and 76th in total defense (386.7 yards allowed per game) last season.
- The Demon Deacons ranked 19th-worst in scoring offense last season (20.3 points per game), but they played slightly better on defense, ranking 73rd with 27.2 points allowed per contest.
- Wake Forest ranked 100th in pass offense (197.3 passing yards per game) and 78th in pass defense (232.2 passing yards allowed per game) last year.
- The Demon Deacons ranked 96th in run offense (130.4 rushing yards per game) and 74th in run defense (154.5 rushing yards allowed per game) last season.
Wake Forest vs. NC A&T Game Info
- Date: Thursday, August 29, 2024
- Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ACC Network Extra
- City: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Venue: Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium
While Coach Brown won't name his starting quarterback, Clawson is considering either redshirt senior Michael Kern or transfer Hank Bachmeier, who completed 67.7% of his passes for 2,058 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions for Louisiana Tech last season.
Whoever starts, Coach Brown knows it's an opening night and anything can happen, especially with Wake Forest and its offense. But as in the case with any FBS vs FCS match-up, the game will come down to depth and execution and we will get to see just how far the Aggies have come with their discipline in a tough match-up.
Additionally, Coach Bill Hayes, a Hall of Famer, will be recognized prior to and during the game. Hayes served as Wake Forest's running back coach from 1973 to 1975.
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