2016 North Carolina A&T Aggies football team

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2016 North Carolina A&T Aggies football
ConferenceMid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Ranking
STATSNo. 17
FCS CoachesNo. 17
Record9–3 (7–1 MEAC)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorChip Hester (2nd season)
Defensive coordinatorSam Washington (6th season)
Home stadiumAggie Stadium
Seasons
← 2015
2017 →
2016 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 22 North Carolina Central $   8 – 0     9 – 3  
No. 20 North Carolina A&T ^   7 – 1     9 – 3  
Hampton   5 – 3     5 – 6  
South Carolina State   5 – 3     5 – 6  
Bethune–Cookman   4 – 4     4 – 6  
Florida A&M *   4 – 4     4 – 7  
Norfolk State   3 – 5     4 – 7  
Savannah State *   3 – 5     3 – 7  
Morgan State *   3 – 5     3 – 8  
Howard *   2 – 6     2 – 9  
Delaware State   0 – 8     0 – 11  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
  • * Florida A&M, Howard, Morgan State, and Savannah State ineligible for postseason due to APR violations
Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2016 North Carolina A&T Aggies football team represented North Carolina A&T State University as a member of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) during the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Rod Broadway, the Aggies compiled an overall record of 9–3 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, placing second in the MEAC. North Carolina A&T received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where the Aggies lost in the first round to Richmond. North Carolina A&T played home games at Aggie Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Before the season[edit]

At the conclusion of the 2015 football season, the Aggies lost key players such as quarterback Kwashaun Quick, who was the only quarterback in the program's history to finish with more than 2,000 passing and 1,000 rushing yards.[1] In addition to Quick, the Aggies also lost defensive back Tony McRae, defensive tackle Michael Neal and linebackers Denzel Jones & Landis Shoffner.[2][3]

Recruiting[edit]

US college sports recruiting information for 2016 recruits
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Tyler Beck
LB 		Glenwood, IL Homewood Flossmoor HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 235 lb (107 kg) Feb 3, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Elijah Bell
WR 		Wheeling, WV Wheeling Park HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 210 lb (95 kg) Feb 3, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Daquan Blake
OL 		Leavenworth, KS Coffeyville CC 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 315 lb (143 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Kentre’ Grier
QB 		South Charleston, WV South Charleston HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Ron Hunt
WR 		Greensboro, NC Southern Guilford 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Feb 3, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Savion Johnson
RB 		Wheeling, WV Wheeling Park HS 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 225 lb (102 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Randy Leak
WR 		Laurinburg, NC Scotland County HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Feb 3, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Franklin McCain III
DB 		Greensboro, NC Dudley HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 170 lb (77 kg) Feb 3, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Justin Phillip
DB 		Brooklyn, NY Grand Street Campus HS 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Feb 3, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Jarvis Reid
Albany, GA Westover HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 230 lb (100 kg) Feb 3, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Leon "Tre" Smalls
LB 		Hanahan, SC Hanahan HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 217 lb (98 kg) Feb 3, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
DeMarcus Tinsley
OL 		Newnan, GA Hewman HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 295 lb (134 kg) Feb 3, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Ashton Tolliver
DB 		Bronx, NY Cardinal Hayes 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Feb 3, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Shomari Wallace
DT 		Hope Mills, NC South View HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 220 lb (100 kg) Feb 3, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Derrek Williams II
Winston-Salem, NC North Forsyth HS 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 177 lb (80 kg) Feb 3, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

Coaching staff[edit]

2016 North Carolina A&T Aggies coaching staff

Head coach

Offensive coaches

  • Offensive coordinator/wide receivers – Larry "Chip" Hester
  • Offensive line – Ronald Mattes
  • Quarterbacks - Chris Barnette
  • Running backs/recruiting coordinator - Shawn Gibbs
  • Tight end/offensive graduate assistant – Matt Pawlowski

Defensive coaches

  • Defensive coordinator/defensive backs – Sam Washington
  • Defensive line – Courtney Coard
  • Inside linebackers – Thomas Howard
  • Outside linebackers – Dino Kaklis
  • Defensive graduate assistant – Michael Neal
  

Administrative staff

  • Athletic Director (A.D.) - Earl M. Hilton III
  • Administrative Support Associate for Football - Jeraldine Bailey
  • Student assistant – Brian Jenkins

Schedule[edit]

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 36:00 pmSt. Augustine's*No. 25
LTVW 62–011,381
September 106:00 pmat Kent State*No. 23
ESPN3W 39–36 4OT13,540
September 172:00 pmat Tulsa*No. 18
ESPN3L 21–5816,111
September 297:30 pmHamptonNo. 22
  • Aggie Stadium
  • Greensboro, NC
LTV, ESPNUW 31–914,467
October 67:30 pmNorfolk StateNo. 18
  • Aggie Stadium
  • Greensboro, NC
LTV, ESPNUW 35–013,005
October 15[notes 1]1:00 pmat Bethune–CookmanNo. 15
ESPN3, ESPNU (tape delay)W 52–353,715
October 221:00 pmat HowardNo. 14
WHBCW 34–77,086
October 291:00 pmFlorida A&MdaggerNo. 12
  • Aggie Stadium
  • Greensboro, NC
LTVW 42–1722,150
November 51:00 pmSouth Carolina StateNo. 11
  • Aggie Stadium
  • Greensboro, NC (rivalry)
LTVW 30–2011,357
November 122:00 pmat Delaware StateNo. 10
DESU-TVW 45–141,389
November 192:00 pmat No. 24 North Carolina CentralNo. 9
ESPN3, ESPNU (tape delay)L 21–4215,715
November 262:00 pmat No. 12 Richmond*No. 17
ESPN3L 10–393,281
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

[5][6]

Roster[edit]

2016 North Carolina A&T Aggies Roster (Source)

Wide receivers

  •  1 Denzel Keyes – Senior
  •  2 Michael Weaver Jr. - Senior
  •  3 Xavier Griffin – Redshirt Junior
  •  8 Khris Gardin – Junior
  • 17 Isaiah Hicklin – Sophomore
  • 19 Kevin Francis – Redshirt Senior
  • 47 Courtney Edmonds – Junior
  • 80 Jordan McGrigg - Redshirt Freshman
  • 81 Ron Hunt – Freshman
  • 83 Carlis Parker – Junior
  • 84 Elijah Bell – Freshman
  • 85 Terrence Peterson - Redshirt Freshman
  • 86 Deshaun McFadden – Sophomore
  • 88 Malik Wilson – Redshirt Sophomore

Offensive line

  • 61 Josh Mattocks – Redshirt Spohomore
  • 62 Malik Johnson - Freshman
  • 63 Nicholas Dease – Senior
  • 66 Arlander Cherry – Freshman
  • 69 Calvin Trotty – Freshman
  • 70 Brandon Parker – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 71 Chris Davis – Freshman
  • 72 Darriel Mack – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 73 Marcus Pettiford - Freshman
  • 74 Sylvester Smith – Freshman
  • 75 Charles Jones – Junior
  • 76 Shawn Best – Redshirt Freshman
  • 77 Charles "Wes" Cole – Junior
  • 78 Micah Shaw – Freshman

Tight ends

  • 19 Justin Smith – Redshirt Junior
  • 79 Eric McNair - Redshirt Freshman
  • 82 Jarvis Reed - Freshman
  • 87 Leroy Hill – Redshirt Sophomore

Fullbacks

  • 36 Anthony McMinn II – Redshirt Junior
  • 39 Corbin Martin – Junior
  • 46 William Hollingsworth – Freshman
  

Quarterbacks

  • 7 Lamar Raynard† – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 10 Kylil Carter - Sophomore
  • 15 Oluwafemi Bamiro - Redshirt Senior

Running backs

  • 20 Daniel Robinson – Redshirt Junior
  • 22 Marquell Cartwright - Redshirt Sophomore
  • 23 Amos Williams – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 26 Samuel Stidwell IV - Sophomore
  • 28 Tarik Cohen† – Senior
  • 38 Demetrius Fairley – Senior

Fullbacks

  • 36 Anthony McMinn II - Redshirt Senior
  • 39 Corbin Martin - Senior
  • 46 William Hollingsworth - Sophomore

Defensive line

  • 51 D'Anthony Ross – Senior
  • 92 Jermaine Williams – Freshman
  • 94 Justin Cates - Sophomore
  • 95 Julian McKnight – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 97 Sean Davis – Freshman
  • 99 Marquis Ragland - Redshirt Senior

Defensive ends

  • 40 Darryl Johnson - Sophomore
  • 50 Angelo Keyes - Redshirt Senior
  • 90 Malik Hampton-Prioleau - Senior
  • 91 Kenneth Melton - Redshirt Junior
  • 93 Turner Echols - Redshirt Sophomore
  • 96 Sam Blue - Redshirt Sophomore
  • 98 Kadarius Kendrick - Redshirt Freshman

Rovers

  • 24 Lorenz Suttles - Senior
  • 25 Jamaal Darden - Junior
  • 30 David Pulliam - Redshirt Senior
  

Linebackers

  •  4 Marcus Albert - Redshirt Junior
  • 26 Vander "Tre" Purcell - Sophomore
  • 34 Deion Jones - Redshirt Sophomore
  • 41 Leon "Tre" Smalls - Freshman
  • 44 Julius Reynolds - Redshirt Sophomore
  • 45 Joshua Patrick – Junior
  • 48 Jeremy Taylor - Junior
  • 52 Kiaundric Richardson - Sophomore
  • 53 Gerald Caskey – Redshirt Junior
  • 56 Tyler Beck – Freshman
  • 57 Markeiss Blue – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 58 Adrian McPherson - Redshirt Freshman
  • 59 Elijah Westbrook - Freshman
  • 68 Darryl Jackson - Redshirt Sophomore

Defensive backs

  •  5 Tard McCoy – Redshirt Junior
  •  9 Zerius Lockhart – Redshirt Junior
  • 12 Jerome Beatty – Redshirt Junior
  • 14 Timadre Abram – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 18 Tyree Andrews - Redshirt Senior
  • 21 Derrek Williams - Freshman
  • 27 Justin Philip - Freshman
  • 29 Franklin (Mac) McCain III - Freshman
  • 32 Marquis Willis – Redshirt Sophomore
  • 33 Jalen Bethea – Redshirt Freshman
  • 35 Deiontae Jones - Freshman
  • 37 Kashon Baker – Freshman
  • 42 Ashton Tolliver - Freshman
  • 43 Najee Reams - Freshman

Punters

  • 16 Garrett Nestor - Junior
  • 55 Dominic Frescura - Redshirt Junior
  • 60 Isaac Parks – Freshman

Kickers

  • 13 Cody Jones† – Senior

Long snappers

  • 67 Ernest (Petie) Bush III - Freshman
† Starter at position     * Injured; did not play in 2016.

Game summaries[edit]

St. Augustine's[edit]

See also: Saint Augustine's Falcons
Week One: St. Augustine's vs. #25 North Carolina A&T – Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Falcons 0 0 000
#25 Aggies 20 21 14762

at Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, North Carolina

  • Date: September 3, 2016
  • Game time: 6:00pm EDT
  • Game attendance: 11,381
  • Referee: Jason Soistman
  • TV: LTV
  • [7]
Game information

This game marked the 4th meeting between Division II Saint Augustine's and the Aggies. The two teams have not faced each other since 1935 when the Aggies defeated the Falcons 33–0.[8] Going into the matchup, the Aggies held the all-time series at 2–0–1.[9] The Aggies easily outmatched Saint Augustine's with performances such as quarterback Lamar Raynard's 17 completions and 2 touchdowns. Other top performances include running back Tarik Cohen's 2 touchdowns and 8 carries. Cohen now owns the school record for receiving and rushing touchdowns with a career number of 42.[10]

Kent State[edit]

See also: 2016 Kent State Golden Flashes football team
Week Two: #23 North Carolina A&T vs Kent State– Game Summary
Period 1 2 34OTTotal
#23 Aggies 0 0 1072239
Golden Flashes 3 7 701936

at Dix Stadium, Kent, OH

  • Date: September 10, 2016
  • Game time: 8:15 pm EDT
  • Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), Rain
  • Game attendance: 13,540
  • Referee: Amanda Sauer
  • TV: ESPN3
  • [11]
Game information

This game marked the first meeting between the Aggies and Division I FBS Kent State. Going into the game, A&T held an 0-3 all-time record against FBS opponents, while Kent State was 13-0 against FCS opponents over the last 15 years.[12] The Aggies were able to upset the Golden Flashes with a 39-36 victory in 4 overtimes. Fifth-year senior quarterback Oluwafemi Bamiro threw the game-winning pass to Denzel Keyes securing the program's first ever victory over FBS competition.[13]

Tulsa[edit]

See also: 2016 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team
Week Three: #18 North Carolina A&T vs Tulsa– Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
#18 Aggies 0 0 71421
Golden Hurricanes 24 24 10058

at Chapman Stadium, Tulsa, Ok

  • Date: September 17, 2016
  • Game time: 2:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 81 °F (27 °C), Sunny
  • Game attendance: 16,111
  • Referee: Marcus Wood
  • TV: ESPN3
  • [14]
Game information

This game marks the first meeting between the Aggies and Division I FBS Tulsa. The Golden Hurricanes were able to establish a commanding 48–0 lead by halftime. A&T's offense was held off by Tulsa's defense until late in the 3rd quarter, when the Aggies finally posted their first points of the game.[15]

Hampton[edit]

See also: 2016 Hampton Pirates football team
Week Five: Hampton vs #22 North Carolina A&T– Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Pirates 0 3 069
#22 Aggies 7 3 71431

at Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, NC

  • Date: September 29, 2016
  • Game time: 7:30pm EDT
  • Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 14,467
  • Referee: Rober Frazier
  • TV announcers (LTV, ESPNU): Jay Walker, Eric Clemons
  • [16]
Game information

This game marked the 45th meeting between A&T and Hampton. Going into the game, Hampton held a 26–17–2 all-time record against A&T.[17] In their last two meetings, the Aggies had beaten Hampton by a combined 76-45, including their 45-31 victory last season in Hampton.[18][19] Both the Aggies and Pirates went into the game with extra time to prepare courtesy of a bye week[20] Hampton also faced the additional challenge of playing an A&T team that is 24-5 at home since 2011.[18]

Tarik Cohen put in a 256-yard performance, including 3 touchdowns in the second half to give the Aggies their victory.[21] His performance in this game broke 2 A&T school records; Cohen surpassed Stoney Polite's (1984–87) 41 career rushing touchdown record and also James White's 25 year record for longest run from scrimmage (89 yards).[22]

Norfolk State[edit]

See also: 2016 Norfolk State Spartans football team
Week Six: Norfolk State vs #18 North Carolina A&T– Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Spartans 0 0 000
#18 Aggies 0 14 71435

at Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, NC

  • Date: October 6, 2016
  • Game time: 7:32pm EDT
  • Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C), Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 13,005
  • Referee: Andre Lowe
  • TV announcers (LTV,ESPNU): Jay Walker, Eric Clemons
  • [23]
Game information

This game marked the 40th meeting between A&T and Norfolk State. Going into the game, The Aggies held a 29-11 all-time record against NSU.[24] In their last meeting, the Aggies defeated the Spartans 27–3 in Norfolk.[25]

Bethune-Cookman[edit]

See also: 2016 Bethune–Cookman Wildcats football team
Week Seven: #15 North Carolina A&T vs Bethune–Cookman– Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
#15 Aggies 14 7 32852
Wildcats 7 7 71435

at Municipal Stadium, Daytona Beach, FL

Game information

This game marked the 37th meeting between the A&T and Bethune–Cookman. Going into the game, Bethune–Cookman held a 22–15 all-time record against the Aggies.[27] In their last meeting, the Aggies defeated the Wildcats 24–14 in front of a home crowd in Greensboro.[28] The Aggies scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter for a come-from-behind win over Bethune–Cookman. Tarik Cohen finished the game with 220 yards and three touchdowns, a performance that made him the first player in A&T history to rush for at least 200 yards in three straight games. This game also saw quarterback Lamar Raynard throw for a career-high 277 yards and 3 touchdowns.[29]

Howard[edit]

See also: 2016 Howard Bison football team
Week Eight: #14 North Carolina A&T vs Howard– Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
#14 Aggies 14 6 14034
Bison 0 0 077

at William H. Greene Stadium, Washington, D.C.

  • Date: October 22, 2016
  • Game time: 1:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C), Mostly sunny
  • Game attendance: 7,084
  • [30]
Game information

This game marked the 39th meeting between the A&T and Howard. Going into the game, A&T held a 27–20–2 all-time record against Howard.[31] In their last meeting, the Aggies cruised to a 65–14 victory over the Bison in front of sold out Homecoming crowd at Aggie Stadium.[32] The Aggies were able to cruise to a near shutout over Howard in Washington to play spoiler to the Bison's Homecoming. Quarterback Lamar Raynard threw 191 passing yards and 3 touchdowns; while Running back Tarik Cohen ran for 133 yards and 1 touchdown in the winning effort. Cohen's performance put him over 5,000 career rushing yards.[33]

Florida A&M[edit]

See also: 2016 Florida A&M Rattlers football team
Week Nine: Florida A&M vs #12 North Carolina A&T– Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Rattlers 0 10 0717
#12 Aggies 7 14 14742

at Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, NC

  • Date: October 29, 2016
  • Game time: 1:00pm EDT
  • Game attendance: 22,150
  • TV: LTV
Game information

This game will mark the 64th meeting between the A&T and Florida A&M. Going into the game, Florida A&M holds a 44-17-3 all-time record against the Aggies.[34] In their last meeting, the Aggies defeated the Rattlers 28-10 in Tallahassee.[35]

South Carolina State[edit]

See also: 2016 South Carolina State Bulldogs football team and North Carolina A&T–South Carolina State football rivalry
Week Ten: South Carolina State vs #11 North Carolina A&T– Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Bulldogs 6 7 7020
#11 Aggies 10 6 01430

at Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, NC

  • Date: November 5, 2016
  • Game time: 1:00pm EDT
  • Game attendance: 11,357
  • TV: LTV
Game information

This game will mark the 54rd meeting between the A&T and rival South Carolina State. Going into the game, South Carolina State holds a 32-19-2 all-time record against the Aggies.[36] In their last meeting, the Aggies defeated the Bulldogs 9-6 in Orangeburg, SC.[37]

Delaware State[edit]

See also: 2016 Delaware State Hornets football team
Week Eleven: #10 North Carolina A&T vs Delaware State– Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
#10 Aggies 7 14 141045
Hornets 7 0 7014

at Alumni Stadium, Dover, DE

  • Date: November 5, 2016
  • Game time: 2:00pm EDT
  • Game attendance: 1,389
  • TV: LTV
Game information

This game marks the 45th meeting between the North Carolina A&T and Delaware State. Going into the game, both teams are tied at 22-22-1 in the all-time record against one another, with Delaware state holding the lead over A&T.[38] In their last meeting, the Aggies tied the series when they defeated the Hornets 27-6 in Greensboro.[39]

North Carolina Central[edit]

See also: 2016 North Carolina Central Eagles football team and North Carolina A&T–North Carolina Central rivalry
Week Twelve: #9 North Carolina A&T vs #24 North Carolina Central– Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
#9 Aggies 0 0 71421
#24 Eagles 0 14 141442

at O'Kelly–Riddick Stadium, Durham, NC

  • Date: October 19, 2016
  • Game time: 2:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), Sunny
  • Game attendance: 15,715
  • Referee: Andre Lowe
  • TV announcers (ESPN3): Jay Walker, Eric Clemons
  • [40]
Game information

This game marks the 88th meeting between North Carolina A&T and arch rival North Carolina Central. Going into the game, the Aggies hold a 49–33–5 all-time record against the Eagles.[41] In their last meeting, the Eagles upset the favored Aggies 21-16 in A&T's sole conference loss of the season. The Eagle victory took away sole possession of the MEAC championship from A&T, resulting in a 3-way tie for first place.[42] The MEAC tiebreaker formula would then eliminate the Eagles and name A&T the conference's representative for the inaugural Celebration Bowl against Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Alcorn State.[42]

FCS Playoffs[edit]

First Round–Richmond[edit]

See also: 2016 Richmond Spiders football team
FCS Playoffs First Round: #17 North Carolina A&T vs #12 Richmond– Game Summary
Period 1 2 34Total
#17 Aggies 7 0 3010
#12 Spiders 14 9 9739

at E. Claiborne Robins Stadium, Richmond, VA

  • Date: October 26, 2016
  • Game time: 2:00pm EDT
  • Game attendance: 3,281
  • TV: ESPN3
Game information

This game marked the 1st meeting between North Carolina A&T and the University of Richmond. This was the program's fifth appearance in the FCS playoffs and their first at-large berth. A&T earned the playoff berth with combination of their #9 national ranking, their victory over FBS Kent State and their performance against Tulsa.[43] The Aggies' last appearance in the FCS Playoffs was in 2003, losing in the first round to Wofford.

In the lead up to the match up, both the Aggies and Spiders were dealing with depth issues. Both teams suffered losses of their starting quarterbacks, with A&T losing Sophomore Lamar Raynard and Richmond losing Junior Kyle Lauletta.[44] The Aggies started 3rd string Quarterback Oluwafemi Bamiro, while the Spiders tapped sophomore Kevin Johnson to make his season debut.[45]

Johnson threw for 315 yards, including a 35-yard pass and 7-yard scoring run.[46] The spiders were also able to neutralize running back Tarik Cohen, limiting him to only 70 yards from scrimmage and forcing Cohen's first fumble in 528 straight touches without one. Richmond also held the A&T to 226 offensive yards while gaining four turnovers.[47]

Statistics[edit]

Post Season[edit]

As the 2016 college football season neared the end, many organizations began to announce finalists and winners of various past-season awards. Aggie players and coaches appeared on many of these lists. Several players for the Aggies were honored with awards and accolades including Wide Receiver Elijah Bell; Left Tackle Brandon Parker & Running Back Tarik Cohen.

Senior Tarik Cohen was awarded the Offensive Player of the year award for the third consecutive year, making him the first player in MEAC history to do so.[48] Cohen also became the conference's all-time leading rusher, as his record-setting 1,588 rushing yards during the season extended his career total to 5,619.[49] Cohen's performance placed him on the watch lists for both the Deacon Jones Trophy, which he was awarded, and the Walter Payton Award, where he ultimately finished fifth in the voting.[50][51] In addition to setting new School and Conference rushing yardage records, Cohen broke the single-season touchdown record with 19 total. He also tied the school for the single-season rushing touchdowns record with 18; holds numerous school records including: rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns and total points at 56, 59 & 339 respectively.[52] Cohen also earned several All-American recognition from a number of organizations and media outlets including: the NCAA, STATS FCS and BoxToRow. He was also named to the 2016 Walter Camp Football Championship Subdivision All-American team and he was named a second-team AFCA Football Championship Subdivision Coaches' All-American selection.[51]

In addition to Cohen, Junior Brandon Parker & Freshman Elijah Bell also earned recognition. Parker was named offensive lineman of the year for the second straight season. Parker also earned conference player of the week honors on five separate occasions.[53] Freshman Elijah Bell was also named conference rookie of the year. In his debut season, Bell set a freshmen school record with 8 touchdown passes; and placed near the top of the MEAC in both yards per reception and receiving yardage.[53]

The following A&T players were also named to the All–MEAC First, Second, and Third Teams:[53]

All-MEAC First Team
  • Tarik Cohen, Sr., RB
  • Leroy Hill, R-So., TE
  • Brandon Parker, R-Jr., OL
  • Wes Cole, R-Jr., OL
  • Marquis Ragland, R-Sr., DL
  • Angelo Keyes, R-Sr., DL
  • Jeremy Taylor, Jr., LB
All-MEAC Second Team
  • Lamar Raynard, R-So., QB
  • Elijah Bell, Fr., WR
  • Denzel Keyes, Sr., WR
  • Darriel Mack, R-Jr., C
  • Khris Gardin, Jr., RS
All-MEAC Third Team
  • Dequan Blake, Jr. OL
  • Cody Jones, Sr. PK

The Aggies finished the 2016 season ranked 20th nationally both the Coaches & Media polls. This marks the 10 time in the program's history, and also the 3rd time this was accomplished in back to back seasons. The team's win over Kent State was the program's first-ever win over a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision school.[54]

2017 NFL draft[edit]

The 2017 NFL Draft was held on April 27–29, 2017 in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The following A&T players were either selected or signed as undrafted free agents following the draft.[55]

Player Position Round Overall Pick NFL Team
Tarik Cohen RB 4th 119 Chicago Bears

Ranking movements[edit]

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
Week
PollPre123456789101112Final
STATS FCS252318212218151412111091720
Coaches25241922231816141110991720
Sheridan Broadcasting Network (SBN)1111111111113
BoxToRow Media Poll and Coaches Poll (BTR)11111111111
Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN)11111111111

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Game was reseheduled from October 13, 2016 due to damages sustained to Daytona Beach from Hurricane Matthew.[4]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Mills, Jeff. "Expectations high as N.C. A&T approaches season opener". www.greesnboro.com. News & Record. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
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  43. ^ Mills, Jeff. "Playoffs feel like consolation prize for N.C. A&T in Celebration Bowl era". Greensboro News & Record. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
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  55. ^ "Philadelphia to host 2017 NFL Draft". NFL. September 1, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
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