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During the celebration of the “Greatest Homecoming on Earth“(GHOE) this past weekend, the North Carolina A&T Aggies suffered a devastating 59-17 loss against former MEAC rival Hampton University. A&T's defense allowed 419 total offensive yards, including 231 rushing and 188 passing yards. The Pirates finished the game with two passing touchdowns and four rushing touchdowns.
The Aggies led 14-3 heading into the second quarter, but Hampton surged back, scoring 21 unanswered points before halftime. A&T managed only a field goal in the second half, while the Pirates added 35 more points to secure the victory. and end A&T's GHOE celebration.
Quarterback Justin Fomby completed 19 of 32 passes for 240 yards, with his top target, Ger-cari Caldwell, recording five receptions for 98 yards. Struggling with the run game, the Aggies finished with a total of just 59 rushing yards.
Head coach Vincent Brown wasn't pleased with the performance of the team and expressed as much postgame.
“That was an abject failure in every form and fashion. We looked like a poorly coached team, and I own that.”
But, Brown expressed optimism about the team's commitment to the future of Aggie football.
“It felt like we had a good plan coming in offensively and defensively. We’re going to need tremendous leadership from our players because they ultimately set the culture of the program. We try to set the vision, but the players really build the culture,” Brown said. “I think we have enough kids that are invested in this program, who will go out and fight till the very end.”
The Aggies have struggled the most against former MEAC rivals, allowing a total of 170 points in matchups against North Carolina Central, South Carolina State, and Hampton.
In the Coastal Athletic Conference, A&T currently sits at the bottom, on a five-game losing streak since September 14. Their only victory came against HBCU rival and Division II program Winston-Salem State.
The Aggies will seek redemption in their next matchup against the Campbell Camels, who have also yet to win a conference game this season, sitting at 0-3 in league play.
Campbell boasts the conference’s second-best passing defense and linebacker Jalen Brooks, who leads the CAA with 67 total tackles and two sacks this season.
To support their pocket-passing quarterback, the Aggies will need to generate a strong ground game. A loss in this game could effectively end their season, making this win crucial.
The game is scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m. Saturday and will be available on the FloSports network
