- The Aggies' defense has held its last two opponents to under 250 yards of offense. A&T has held its last six opponents to under 400 yards of offense.
- Quarterback Kevin White nearly snapped A&T's streak of not having a 100-yard rusher in a game. White finished with 97 yards rushing on 14 carries. The streak now stands at 24 straight games.Â
- Punter DJ Page booted a career-high 63-yard punt on Saturday. It marked his second career punt of 60 yards or more.
- A&T won its first homecoming game since 2022. The Aggies are now 47-49-4 on homecoming.
- The Aggies four wins tie the number of wins they have had over the previous three seasons combined.
GREENSBORO, NC – The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University football team belongs, and it proved it on one of the biggest days in the university's history.
The Aggies defeated Elon 13-10 before a sellout crowd celebrating the university's 100
th Greatest Homecoming on Earth at Truist Stadium on Saturday. Hundreds of thousands also enjoyed the weekend celebration as they converged on Greensboro. The win improved the Aggies to 4-5 overall and 3-2 in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Football Conference play.
Before the 2026 season, head coach
Shawn Gibbs implemented a new policy: A&T should stop trying to prove it belongs in the CAA and instead showcase the abilities that have made the Aggies a championship football program throughout history, carrying themselves like they know they belong. Now, for the first time since joining the CAA in 2023, the football program has an above-.500 record in league play, and Gibbs is thankful.
"I'm super proud of these guys," said Gibbs. "I'm happy for all our players. Great job by our coaches. Great job by our players. Great job by our fans. I want to thank the cheerleaders. I want to thank the band. Thank you to all the support staff and everybody who helped us to get this victory. It was definitely a community effort. That's what happens when we come together and stay connected."
A&T's defensive effort deserves applause. The Aggies entered the game facing the challenge of containing one of the best running backs in Division I-FCS. Elon freshman Kamerin McDowell-Moore came into Saturday's GHOE game averaging 203.3 rushing yards over his previous three games. A&T held him to 102 rushing yards on 25 carries, and Elon's offense generated only 201 total yards.
"It was a hard-fought game, a true defensive struggle. It was a heavyweight title fight on both sides," said Gibbs.
Saturday's game ended on a defensive play. The Aggies took a 13-10 lead with 2:18 remaining on a 34-yard field goal by freshman kicker
Asher Holland. On Elon's ensuing drive, quarterback Brady Stober connected with Alex Voss for a 36-yard completion, giving the Phoenix a 1
st-and-10 at the A&T 33-yard line. Elon also benefited from a pass-interference call to get a first down at the A&T 18. But on 3
rd-and-6 from the A&T 14, sophomore
Tyrek Brown sprinted through the Elon protection, reached Stober and forced him to fumble. Junior
Cadricus Stanley recovered the fumble, securing A&T's first homecoming since 2022.
"We called a pretty good play," said Brown. "We were disguising the blitz, so I wanted to make sure they didn't see me. As soon as the play snapped, I was trying to get the spot. But he didn't see me, so I just went for the ball. I thought they were going to review and maybe give the ball back to them. I'm just glad we got the ball and got the win."
Defense and hard hits defined Saturday's game. Brown finished with six tackles, two forced fumbles, a sack, a tackle for loss, and a pass breakup. Both offenses needed short fields to score their first points. The first points did not come until 21 seconds remained in the first half. After a 34-yard punt return from senior
Elijah Kennedy, the Aggies started their drive at the Elon 15 with 1:15 remaining in the half. That eventually became a 25-yard field goal attempt by Holland, which he converted to give the Aggies a 3-0 halftime lead.
Elon received a short field thanks to the Aggies' continued difficulties on kickoff return. The Phoenix opened the second half with a pooch kick that A&T muffed, and Elon recovered at the Aggies 39. It marked the third time in October the Aggies had a miscue on their kickoff return team. The miscue set up a 25-yard field goal by Luke Barnes to tie the game 3-3. A&T fumbled on its next possession, and Elon took over at the Aggies' 27.
The turnover led to Elon's only touchdown of the game, a 2-yard score by McDowell-Moore to give Elon a 10-3 lead with 7:19 to play in the third quarter. The Aggies tied the game on junior quarterback
Kevin White's speed. White's 36-yard run put the Aggies in Elon territory. A crucial 7-yard completion to freshman
Jayden White on 3
rd-and-7 kept the drive going. White then ran for 6 yards on 3
rd-and-3 from the Elon 15. Three plays later, White connected with junior
Jayvonne Dillard for an 8-yard touchdown pass, tying the game 10-10 going into the fourth quarter.
"I feel like I'm one of the fastest people in the nation. Actually, I am the fastest in the nation, in my opinion," said White. "Whenever I go out there, I feel like there is no one who can run with me and no defense that can stop me. So, if I step up in the pocket and find a lane, that's all me."
A confident A&T team, feeling completely inclusive in its CAA environment, has a chance to make an even bigger mark on the conference next week. The Aggies will travel to West Long Branch, NJ, to face Monmouth on Saturday, Nov. 7 at Kessler Stadium. Kickoff is at noon. The Hawks are ranked 17
th in the AFCA Coaches Poll and 18
th in the FCS Stats Media Poll.
