“There’s nothing like Aggie Stadium at night.”
That’s the quote that was muttered among the press box as Elon University’s 49-7 football win against West Virginia Wesleyan College wound down Sept. 7. By that time, word had spread that North Carolina A&T State University had gone on the road to Boone, N.C. and knocked off Appalachian State University, 24-21.
The Aggies’ win on the road sets up a showdown against Elon in which both teams will be coming off victories and looking to prove they truly belong. Further adding to the excitement, the game will be the home opener for A&T. Home games at Aggie Stadium represent a unique segment of the culture of college football.
North Carolina A&T is a historically black college or university (HBCU) and competes in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), which is comprised entirely of HBCUs. At the NCAA Div. I level, 23 of the 24 HBCUs compete in either the MEAC or the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), the two all-HBCU leagues. This model allows the similar schools to play one another at an even level and maintain rivalries dating to a bygone era of segregation in American history.
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These games are famous for the passion of the fans, the legendary band performances at halftime and intensity flowing through the stadium. But overall on-field success for HBCUs has been sparse at the Football Championship Subdivision level. No HBCU has won a playoff game in the past decade. Only one — Bethune-Cookman College — has hosted a playoff game in the past five years. It ended in a loss to Coastal Carolina University last season.
Could that trend be changing? The Aggies’ performance last week has the nation on alert of what they can do. As part of their transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision, Appalachian State entered this season at 73 scholarships, which is 10 more than the FCS maximum of 63. The Mountaineers entered last week’s home opener reeling from a 30-6 humiliation at the hands of the University of Montana the week before. Although Appalachian State got a quick 6-0 lead, a 91-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by sophomore Tony McRae gave the Aggies the lead for good less than five minutes into the game.
The Aggies’ defense, ranked second in the FCS in 2012, nearly allowed a late comeback, but A&T held on for the win. With the victory, the Aggies became the first team from the state of North Carolina to win a road game in Boone since October 1984. The win was also the Aggies’ first against a non-HBCU since a 2004 triumph over — who else? — Elon.
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Time will tell if the win was a byproduct of a down Appalachian State team, a strong North Carolina A&T team or both. The Aggies may falter as the season goes along, exposing weaknesses from a defense that came within a missed field goal of coughing up an 18-point lead.
For the Phoenix, one thing is for certain: A win at Aggie Stadium Sept. 14 will validate an Elon team looking to prove itself following a 1-1 start. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Greensboro.
“There’s nothing like Aggie Stadium at night.”