North Carolina A&T Aggies

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They've had two losses to open the season, neither of which were close. They haven't been able to mount a consistent offense, averaging less than 205 yards per game in those two losses. They're desperate for a solid performance, much less a win. Sound familiar? North Carolina A&T holds two losses to Division I-AA partners Winston-Salem (41-14) and Hampton (48-14). Now, the Aggies will play their second-ever game against a Division I-A opponent when they come to Cajun Field Saturday to meet the 0-2 and equally-struggling University of Louisiana squad. "Lafayette is no different from Hampton, or N.C. A&T, or any other team," said Aggie linebacker Davion Hemphill, who leads NCA&T with 20 tackles through two games. "A team is a team. Eleven individuals go out and play. I have to get my assignment done and push my teammates to get their assignments done." The rest of the story Dan McDonald dmcdonald@theadvertiser.com

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North Carolina A&T plays its official homecoming game on Oct. 21, and the Aggies will have a lot of chances to improve on their 0-2 start between now and then. Saturday's game against UL's Ragin' Cajuns shouldn't be one of those chances, but homecoming for the Aggies' head man starts today when A&T touches down at Lafayette Regional Airport. Lee Fobbs knows that airport. He probably knows every airport, every highway and every back road in Louisiana. "It's home for me," Fobbs said this week. "It'll always be home. My profession has taken me a few places and I've enjoyed every moment and I continue to enjoy it. But it's a pleasure to come back home." Fobbs coached in Louisiana for two decades, on both the prep and collegiate levels, before leaving LSU for a job at Southern Mississippi in 1995. He's since been on staffs at Minnesota, Baylor, Alabama and Texas A&M before finally getting a college head coaching opportunity last December when A&T came calling. Fobbs was the running backs coach at A&M, a place where traditions run deeper than just about anywhere in college athletics. The Cajuns saw up close and personal - try 51-7 and five rushing scores - what kind of athletes Fobbs was mentoring in College Station. He's watched the video of the UL-A&M game more times than he can count, mostly for scouting purposes. But more than once he caught himself eye-balling his former Aggies. The rest of the story Dan McDOnald dmcdonad@theadvertiser.com

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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