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Dismal '06 campaign drags on like broken record
By Semaj Marsh
Bluedeathvalley.com
Nov. 9, 2006
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| For A&T coach Lee Fobbs, this season has been the same story, different week |
With the way things have gone this season, A&T coach Lee Fobbs is beginning to empathize with Bill Murray’s character in the movie “Groundhog Day”.
No matter how hard he works to improve his current plight each week, it seems that he’s just destined to relive the same series of events over and over again.
And frankly, its starting to get a tad bit old.
“I tired of sitting here saying to everybody that we’re a young team,” said Fobbs, who found it difficult to mask his frustration after his team’s most recent lopsided defeat - a 45-12 loss to Florida A&M last Saturday. “At some point in time we’ve got to grow up and start making plays.”
Against FAMU, the few positive plays A&T was able to make were quickly offset by its usual spree of untimely turnovers and mental breakdowns.
After scoring their first touchdown at Aggie Stadium in nine quarters on a 23-yard pass from Wayne Campbell to Michael Caldwell, the Aggies found themselves down 21-6 with just over one minute remaining in the first half. However, A&T kicker Brian Barnhouse shanked the point after attempt, and on the ensuing kickoff FAMU’s David Bowen would return the ball across midfield to the A&T 49.
Four plays later, the Rattlers would add a 22-yard field goal to increase their lead at halftime to 24-6.
After the break, any hopes the Aggies had of establishing momentum were quickly dashed when FAMU’s Joe Lawson return the second half kickoff 82 yards to the A&T 11. That return eventually set up a three-yard touchdown run by quarterback Albert Chester, making the score 31-6 and sending A&T on its way to a school-record 13 straight defeat
Fobbs, who’s team has lost by at least two touchdowns in every game this season, believes that even though his players are young, the time has come to take the kid gloves off.
“The first thing you have to do from the very beginning is be honest with these kids and tell them to truth,” Fobbs said. “Then we they watch film they know with what’s going on right now that the majority mistakes that are happening are because of us - what we’re not doing consistently. When they see that they say ‘ hey, we’ve got a chance. This guy is not full of bologna, he’s telling us the truth. All we’ve got to do is continue to work and get better to do those things.’ And until they do things they way it should be done, its not going to happen for them. At some point in time this team will wake up.”
This week, the Aggies (0-9), 0-7) face off against next-door rival Elon, in a match-up of area teams that appear to be headed in different directions.
Like A&T, The Phoenix welcomed a new coaching staff this season led by Pete Lembo, but unlike the Aggies, their transition on the field has been a encouraging one. Elon is currently 4-5 overall and 2-4 in the Southern Conference.
Not surprisingly, the Aggies will be considered large underdogs again this week despite this being their final home game of the year and Senior Day. But while the end of this nightmare season probably will come as a relief to many Aggie fans, Fobbs makes it clear he remains committed to trying to snap his team’s current losing streak before next season arrives.
“Am I planning for the future?,” Fobbs asked. “Yes. I would be doing that anyway. But to say I want to hurry up and get the season over - I would never say that because that goes against my whole philosophy and my standards as a coach. We have Elon this week and we’ll go out and practice to win and be successful. We’re going to treat this week the same way and we’re going to try to finish the season on a high note.”
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