North Carolina A&T Aggies

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GREENSBORO -- The N.C. A&T Aggies are venturing to their coach's home state this weekend to play a Division I-A football opponent. While that sounds cool, it's not certain to become a trend. More relaxed bowl-eligibility rules at the I-A level are creating more matchups between the nominal big guys and I-AA schools, and A&T surely doesn't mind the exposure that such games create. That's particularly true while A&T tries to complete a $100 million capital campaign in 2008. But for the Aggies, playing I-A foes -- even the seemingly benign Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns -- is like deciding to become a pilot. You don't just climb into the cockpit without proper training. "Down the road, as we build the program, it will be good for us," coach Lee Fobbs said. "But we want to be smart about the times and situations in which we do it." Truth be told, this is a tough time for the Aggies to play a team with 85 scholarships. This year, A&T has 53 scholarship recipients. That number will grow closer to the NCAA Division I-AA maximum of 63 if Fobbs strings recruiting classes together and retains the players he signs, but that's a long-term project. Fobbs grew up in Monroe, La., played at Grambling and coached high school and college football in the state. On some levels, Saturday's game against the Cajuns is appealing. But it came about for more reasons than geography. The rest of the story By Rob Daniels Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 rdaniels@news-record.com

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Field painted for Saturday's game....

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LOUISIANA La. — The University of Louisiana at Lafayette experienced the favorable side of a lopsided score Saturday. After being outscored 96-10 in its first two games, the Cajuns celebrated their 2006 home opener, routing North Carolina A&T, 48-7, before 15,041 at Cajun Field. The outcome took longer than expected after game officials delayed the start by 45 minutes and mandated another 30-minute halt in the first quarter because of nearby lightning strikes. UL coach Rickey Bustle said it was obvious how he felt following the win. “It was awesome. The (first two) teams we played didn’t cut us any slack,” Bustle said. North Carolina A&T (0-3) had 195 offensive yards against the Cajuns, who scored on their first five offensive possessions. The Aggies, from Division I-AA Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, finished with 195 total offensive yards, while ULL gained 408. The rest of the story By BOB ARDOIN Special to The Advocate