GREENSBORO – It was not expected. But it happened.
In a Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Football Conference matchup between North Carolina A&T and Towson, which looked without a doubt even on paper, was anything but even on the scoreboard.
The Tigers scored 42 first-half points on their way to a 62-9 win at Truist Stadium on Saturday over an Aggies team that seemed to have things going their way after a home win last week and another home game scheduled against Towson on Saturday.
However, the Tigers employed an array of schemes, gimmicks, and blitzes to keep the Aggies offense off-balance. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Kevin White faced pressure from various positions on the field, making it difficult for him to operate in the pocket. He was 11-for-25 for 90 yards and two interceptions.
Meanwhile, Towson's offense clicked with several big plays down the field, and the Tigers blocked a punt.
"We ran into a buzz saw today," said A&T head coach Shawn Gibbs. "Hats off to Towson and their coaching staff; they did what they were supposed to do. They embarrassed us, so we obviously have a lot of work to do."
Saturday's sunny afternoon with a slight breeze started well for the Aggies. On the opening play of the opening drive, White connected with graduate running back Wesley Graves for a 17-yard gain. White also completed a pass to sophomore Jayvonne Dillard for a 13-yard gain. A&T eventually moved the ball to the Towson 34-yard line before having to bring on graduate kicker Andrew Brown for a 56-yard field goal.
Three weeks ago, during the Greatest Homecoming On Earth, Brown booted a 55-yard field goal to break the program record. He bested himself on Saturday. Brown's 56-yard field goal attempt had just enough distance to get over the bar and through the uprights to secure yet another program record.
He not only holds the longest field goal made in program history, but he is also the all-time leader in field goals made (44), field goals attempted (64), and 50-plus-yard field goals made (4). In addition, Brown is tied for the third-longest kick in CAA history.
With all those accolades to his credit, Gibbs would love to see an invite from the Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl, which features the top HBCU football seniors in the country, come Brown's way. The game is scheduled for February 26 in New Orleans.
"He's a special player, so I'm hoping he can get that Legacy Bowl invite," said Gibbs. "I don't know what else he needs to do. He has 55-yard field goal, a 56-yard field goal, and he has more field goals than anybody in the history of North Carolina A&T.
Legacy Bowl. What are we waiting on? Is there another senior kicker in the country better than him? I'll be glad when he gets that invite, so he can show the country what he can do."
After Brown's historic kick, not much went right for A&T. On Towson's first offensive play from scrimmage, Towson starting quarterback Andrew Indorf connected with John Dunmore for a 55-yard reception. That led to a touchdown pass from Indorf, where he eluded two A&T defenders who looked like they had sacked him before he scrambled long enough to connect with running back Al Wooten II at the A&T. Wooten turned and ran into the end zone to give Towson a 7-3 lead.
Towson followed that score by blocking a DJ Page punt. Xzavion Crumb scooped up the loose ball at the A&T 2 and ran it in for a touchdown. A&T's defense did force Towson to punt on its next two drives. But after those two stops, Towson scored on its next five drives, which led to 28 second-quarter points, a 42-3 halftime lead, and the Tigers led 45-3 with 10:20 remaining in the third quarter.
"We don't need to make any excuses. The truth of the matter is, they came in here and kicked our butts," said Gibbs. "Period. Point blank. They were more physical than we were. They played with more intensity than we did. They outcoached us, so hats off to them."
Freshman quarterback Nelson Layne, who did miss some time with an injury, returned to game action on Saturday and scored on a 60-yard touchdown run. After four straight weeks of not playing a road game, the Aggies will head to the Long Island, NY area to face Stony Brook University on Saturday, November 8, at noon.
