Saturday’s game against the Morgan State Bears was one that A&T could have won. However, missed opportunities left the Aggies on the short end of a 7-6 game. It was a game where the defense dominated MSU and held them to a total of 224 offensive yards. They also forced five turnovers on two interceptions and three fumble recoveries.

During potential game-breaking plays, the Aggies were unable to find ways to capitalize on those opportunities. The offense found itself in MSU territory nine out of 14 possessions, and they made it to the red zone on four out of those nine possessions. Regardless of the time spent in MSU territory, the Aggies would score only once, starting with a recovered muffed punt on the Bears’ 11-yard line. Tony Coles would score on a 1-yard run three plays later. The game-tying extra point was blocked.

The Aggies missed out on 13 other points as well. There was a 103-yard kickoff returned by Justin Ferrell for a touchdown that was called back because of an illegal block. There were also two missed field goals, accounting for another missed six points.

The second field goal attempt came on the final drive of the game. The Aggies took the ball from their own 35 yard line and drove it down to the Bears’ 25. With no timeouts remaining and 50 seconds left in the game, quarterback Carlton Fears lost nine yards when he lost his footing on a roll-out to the right. Fears said he tried to plant on his inside foot.

“That’s a cardinal sin when you’re trying to cut, and my feet just came from under me.” Wallace Miles and the A&T special teams had to rush onto the field for a hurried 51-yard potential game-winning field goal, but the kick came up short. “Wallace had a lot of leg on that kick, but he was rushed,” said head coach Alonzo Lee.

“We had every opportunity to put it away today. We played hard, we made some big plays defensively, but we failed to step up to the mic again when we got the ball in the red zone. We simply have to find a way to get the ball in the end zone,” said Lee.

Though the team is far better off than they were a year ago, Fears knows they can be better. “We have to take advantage of every opportunity we’re given, and we just have not done that this year.”

The Aggies (3-3) will have a 4-3 record on midnight of Oct. 18 because of a forfeit by Delaware State. The next game will come on Oct. 24, when they travel to Washington D.C. to face Howard.  

• Prince Askew