The Aggies beat Howard in Washington 38-22 on Saturday.
It was A&T’s first conference game of the season.
The game started with the Bison’s quarterback, Greg McGhee scoring an 11-yard touchdown. Kicker, John Fleck kicked a field goal to take the lead 0-7.
Four minutes later, the Aggies quarterback, Kwashaun Quick threw a 49-yard pass to wide receiver, Desmond Lawrence. The Aggies kicker, Cody Jones tied the game with a field goal 7-7. With 2:26 left in the first quarter, Quick received a 3-yard pass from wide receiver, Caleb Gabriel. Another field goal from Jones helped the Aggies take the lead 14-7.
In the last 20 seconds of the first quarter, the Aggies running back, Marquell Cartwright scored an 11-yard touchdown. Jones scored his third field goal to make the score 21-7 at the end of the first quarter. In the first quarter alone the Aggies scored three-straight possessions.
To start the second quarter, the Aggies scored another touchdown as Quick threw a 46-yard pass to wide receiver Darren Bullock, making the score 28-7. Two minutes later the Bison’s running back, Aquaniu Freeman had a 3-yard run. Fleck’s field goal was blocked by the Aggies defense. This took the score to 28-13. During the winding seconds before the half, Fleck kicked a 19-yard field goal, but the Bison still trailed the Aggies 28-16.
“I thought we should have had 35 or 42 points in the first half. We had too many mistakes that cost us. But any time you can get up 28-7. It’s big for you, despite what they did to us on that first drive, our defense ended up playing well,” said the Aggies head coach Rod Broadway.
The nation’s sixth-leading rusher, Tarik Cohen did not play after the first half. Quick left the game due to injury. After the game coach Broadway said, “Tarik couldn’t play today. Our quarterback only played a half, but guys just keep rising up and playing for us. That’s a good sign to have as a football team.”
In the third quarter, McGhee had a 1-yard touchdown pass to the Bison’s tight end, Justin Chaney. The Aggies defense blocked the 2-point conversion attempt by McGhee that brought the score to 28-22. The Aggies defense remained strong in spite of the dwindling lead in the last few minutes. With one minute left in the third quarter Cartwright had a 16-yard run scoring a touchdown. Jones kicked yet another good field goal to make the score 35-22.
During the fourth quarter, Tony McRae caught an interception from McGhee. That was the team’s 11th interception. The Aggies lead the nation in interceptions.
To end the game, Jones scored a 40-yard field goal to bring the Aggies 16 points over the Bison.
Redshirt sophomore and nose guard, Marquis Ragland led the Aggies with five tackles that were unassisted, a sack and two tackles for loss. Redshirt junior, Denzel Jones added a team-high with 10 tackles. Cartwright finished with 135 yards and two touchdowns. Quick threw for 200 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 14-for-23 passing and caught a 3-yard touchdown pass in only two quarters.
“I’m so proud of our guys because they just keep overcoming a lot,” said coach Broadway.
The Aggies will return to the Georgia Dome in Atlanta this Saturday, Oct. 4th to face the South Carolina State Bulldogs at 3:30 p.m. for the 26th annual Atlanta Football Classic.
Broadway said, “We have a number of injuries, so we just have to go back and prepare for South Carolina State the best way we know how.”
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- Alexis Wainwright Register Reporter