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The Aggies of North Carolina A&T will look to rebound after losing to longtime HBCU rival South Carolina State, 45-25.
The Aggies' defense struggled, allowing 567 total yards and extending their losing streak to three games. While many fans are disappointed with the season's direction, there remains hope for what lies ahead.
In the postgame show for NC A&T, Al Swann and Donal Ware emphasized that the Aggies are not going anywhere and urged fans to be patient with the process.
“We’re going through a really tough time right now. Nobody likes losing, but stick with the guys and stick with the program, and things will get better,” Swann said.
“This is where we are. We're not going backward. We're not going back to the MEAC,” Ware added.
Their upcoming Colonial Athletic Association (CAA)conference game presents another challenge, as the Spiders come off a 27-17 victory against Elon University, racking up 443 total offensive yards. Running back Zach Palmer-Smith ranks third in rushing, while defensive lineman Jeremiah Grant leads the conference in sacks.
With starting quarterback Kevin White sidelined due to injury, the Aggies will rely on graduate transfer Justin Fomby to lead the offense. In the last game, he completed 16 of 29 passes for 205 yards and three touchdowns.
The run game will also need to step up, as their 6-foot-2 star running back Kenji Christian is also injured. The team managed a collective 152 yards on the ground, but has yet to find a key player to fill the gap.
On defense, redshirt senior defensive back Janaz Sumpter ranks third in the conference for interceptions. He will be crucial for a struggling Aggies defense that ranks last in points allowed, giving up 218 total points in five games.
Head coach of the Richmond Spiders Russ Huesman spoke with the media after practice and acknowledged that, despite the Aggies' injuries, his team cannot overlook the matchup.
“They're athletic. I think they’re a little banged up just like we are. They got after us last year with their defense and our offense,” he said. “They’re going to be ready. Vince will have those guys ready to go; he's a good coach, and they're going to be hungry. I told our team that they want to come in and beat Richmond on our home turf and get their season going in the right direction. We have to match that intensity and even exceed it.”
This will be NC A&T's second conference game after losing to Delaware earlier this season.
The game is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday in Richmond, Virginia, and will be broadcast on the FloFootball sports network app.
