Box Score         
Postgame Quotes
GREENSBORO, October 13, 2007 – How do you beat the No. 1 team in Black College Football? The North Carolina A&T football team did a few of the things needed. The Aggies held Delaware State to under 200 yards of total offense, they only allowed Delaware State one offensive touchdown and they only committed three penalties.

Delaware State (5-1, 4-0 in the MEAC), who is ranked No. 17 nationally and No. 1 in the Sheridan Black College Football poll, overcame those pesky things by using its special teams and a stellar defense to earn a 27-0 win over North Carolina A&T at Aggie Stadium on Saturday. The Hornets allowed the Aggies just 182 yards of total offense and scored on special teams and defense to keep the Aggies (0-7, 0-4) winless.

Chris Strother led the Hornets with 63 yards rushing on 16 carries. David Robinson had 57 yards rushing on 16 carries for the Aggies, while sophomore linebacker Andre Thornton recorded 13 tackles.

The Aggies lack of offense on Saturday came a week after they put together several big plays to nearly pull off a win against Morgan State.

“Playing the way we played last week, we really felt like we had some momentum coming into this ball game,’’ said N.C. A&T coach Lee Fobbs, whose team led most of the fourth quarter against the Bears before losing 22-17. “So we shouldn’t have played the way we played today. But it happened.”

The Hornets gave no indication they were going to entertain any ideas the Aggies had about pulling off an upset. Brandon Hudson took the game’s opening kickoff 84 yards for a touchdown. The Aggies went three-and-out on their first possession and were hurt by a 16-yard punt that gave the Hornets the ball at the N.C. A&T 37-yard line.

Delaware State took advantage by taking the ball to the Aggies 10. After a five-yard penalty, Peter Gaertner kicked a 32-yard field goal to give the Hornets a quick 10-0 lead.

“The opening kickoff obviously set the tone for us,’’ said Delaware State coach Al Lavan. “In one regard, you’re happy about the kickoff return. But on the other hand you are worried about if you’re team is going to get too giddy and not play football the way it should be played. I think for the most part our defense was able to contain the Aggies offense.”

N.C. A&T running back Michael Ferguson, who came into Saturday’s game the second-leading rusher in the conference, was held to just 36 yards on 11 carries. It was his lowest output of the season. “Mike’s been playing hurt, but that’s no excuse,’’ said Fobbs. “Mike will be the first to tell you that. I just think that should be mentioned because the way he’s played previously in the position he plays.

Delaware State wasn’t the only team playing good defense Saturday. The Aggies held the Hornets to 156 yards of total offense. The Hornets only offensive touchdown of the day was an 80-yard, 13-play drive aided by a 22-yard Strother run and a pass interference call in the end zone that gave the Hornets the ball at the Aggies 4.

Vashon Winton capped the drive with a 1-yard quarterback to give the Hornets a 17-0 lead. A 45-yard Gaertner field goal gave the Hornets a 20-0 halftime lead.

“They returned the opening kick and that was big,’’ said Fobbs. “We came into the game looking for some good things to happen and we kick it in the wrong direction. Of course they get it and take it back, which was a big momentum boost for them. It was devastating for us.”

N.C. A&T dominated the time of possession in the third quarter. A 28-yard Robinson run and two Delaware State personal fouls helped the Aggies reach the Hornets 11. But on 4^th-and-3 from the Hornets 4, Eric Sewell stopped Aggies fullback Tre Parnell short of the first down.

On the ensuing drive, Delaware State went three-and-out and punter Josh Brite helped the Aggies by booting an 11-yard punt to give the Aggies the ball at the Hornets 21. The Hornets turned things in their favor, however, by sealing the game with an Akeem Green 86-yard interception return of a Morgan pass.

“We knew coming into the game their success has been based on the kind of defense they play,’’ said Fobbs. “They stopped some of things we wanted to do and of course they took the interception back for the score. That’s just been their M.O., all season long.

The Aggies travel to the nation’s capital to face Howard next week at 1 p.m.