GREENSBORO – Wait!
Don't give up on the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University football season yet. The Aggies stunned No. 19 Rhode Island, 22-18, at Truist Stadium on Saturday. The Rams were also ranked 21
st in the AFCA Coaches' Poll.
URI entered as the defending Coastal Athletic Association Football Conference champion and the league's preseason favorite. Meanwhile, the Aggies were coming off a blowout loss in their CAA opener at Campbell last week. Questions lingered about junior starting quarterback
Kevin White after he sustained an injury last week, and the Aggies entered the game 0-4.
Yet, White started; the Aggies used the leg of their freshman kicker, their defense, and a solid running game to build a big halftime lead. Then they showed resiliency in the fourth quarter to earn
Shawn Gibbs his biggest win as head coach. It also marked their first win over a ranked team since beating Jacksonville State in Montgomery, Ala., in 2018.
"I know many people are surprised by this victory, but I'm not because I know what we're capable of doing," said Gibbs. "We feel like it's us against the world. So, when you have that type of feeling, it often draws you a little closer to your brothers. I'm super proud of the way those guys went and competed."
The Aggies held on in the fourth quarter as URI tried to overcome a 15-3 halftime deficit. URI head coach Jim Fleming replaced starting quarterback Tyler Budge with Alex McClelland with 10:10 remaining in the third quarter, and McClelland sparked a 14-play, 65-yard drive.
The fourth-year QB rushed for 13 yards and threw for 41 yards during the drive, which culminated in a 2-yard touchdown run by Gabe Winowich. URI converted on a 2-point conversion to cut A&T's lead to 22-11. After an A&T 3-and-out, URI went back on the attack. McClelland again used his dual-threat ability to lead a 10-play, 60-yard drive that ended with a 13-yard touchdown run by Terrence Campbell to cut the deficit to five at 22-17.
URI, however, decided not to attempt a 2-point try to get within a field goal. The Rams kicked the extra point, meaning they needed a touchdown to take the lead. The Aggies refused to let them, as their first-half defense resurfaced in the fourth quarter despite URI's good field position throughout the period.
The Rams had a 1
st-and-10 at their 35, but the Aggies forced a punt. On their next possession, the Rams took over at the A&T 37, but junior
Kamari Blankumsee closed ranks quickly on a short pass in the flats to Winowich on a 1
st-and-20 from the A&T 24. Winowich bobbled the pass from McClelland, and Blankumsee took advantage, ripping it away for an interception.
"The ball found me," said Blankumsee. "To be honest, I was trying to make the tackle, but then I saw a chance to make a play. When you see a play that you feel like you can make, you've got to attack it."
The Aggies then used 3 ½ minutes of clock before punting. The Rams got the ball again with one timeout remaining and 1:34 to play. They used their final timeout with 62 seconds to play. Sophomore
Travon Dye used more of the clock when he sacked McClellan. McClellan connected with Sean Byrd for a 29-yard completion on the next play. But the clock ticked down to zero, giving A&T its first Coastal win of the season.
"I'm not surprised because we practiced good on Tuesday, we practiced good on Wednesday, and we practiced good on Thursday," said Gibbs. "That's the first time all year that we've had three good days of practice. By good practice, I mean they were competing. It was physical. It was a lot of energy."
A&T showed that energy from the start. The Aggies held an opponent scoreless in the first quarter for the first time in nine games, while freshman
Asher Holland's career-best 41-yard field goal gave them a 3-0 lead going into the second quarter. The Aggies then forced the first of four turnovers when junior
Kamari Blankumsee forced a fumble at the Aggies' 39-yard line.
Freshman
DeAndre Nance recovered, giving the Aggies the football and a little momentum. A&T used that momentum three plays later when White connected with senior tight end
Anthony Rucker on a wonderful over-the-shoulder catch at the URI 8, then moved to the URI 2 for 1
st-and-goal.
White then scored on a roll-out to the right for a 2-yard TD run, putting the Aggies ahead 9-0 after Holland missed the extra point. URI answered with a 45-yard field goal from Josh Hamel to cut A&T's lead to six. The Aggies responded with a 63-yard run from senior
JT Smith and a 31-yard field goal from Holland to take the lead, 12-3.
The Aggies then made a big stop after URI drove to the A&T 23. Three plays later, freshman
Mykell Harvey intercepted Budge's pass in the end zone, ending a scoring chance for the Rams. Holland added another field goal in the first half, and A&T's only second-half score came on a sack fumble caused by freshman
Donavan Frederick. Sophomore
Tyrek Brown scooped up the fumble and returned it 69 yards for a touchdown, giving A&T a 22-3 lead.
"We as a coaching staff were finally able to convince the guys that this is what it takes to win, and they trusted the process."
The Aggies will try to garner another win on Saturday, Oct. 3, when they travel to Smithfield, RI, to face the Bryant Bulldogs at 6 p.m.
