FVSU’s Pittman feels ‘overmatched’ in opener against Delta State

After stumbling down the stretch with two losses to end its 2014 season, Fort Valley State is looking to bounce back and win a conference championship this year. But the team’s opener on Thursday night at Delta State might not provide an end to the Wildcats’ current losing streak, according to head coach Donald Pittman.

“We’re overmatched. They have a much better team than we do,” the fifth-year head coach said. “But we’re going to use it as a measuring stick just to see how good we are. We know we’re overmatched, but we’re playing against a great team.”

Thursday night will be the fifth game in the series’ history. The teams have split the first four meetings, and all of the victories have been by the road team. After a 56-13 loss at the hands of the Statesmen in the opener last year, Pittman respects the talent level on Delta State’s roster.

The Statesman were predicted to finish second in the Gulf South Conference’s preseason poll, are currently ranked No. 14 in the NCAA Division II poll (FVSU is unranked) and boast six players with preseason all-conference honors.

Pittman called the Statesmen a “very talented team” with a great coaching staff and a “rich tradition.” And while he anticipates another great defensive unit that can lead FVSU to a conference title this year, he cannot help but feel overmatched by Delta State.

“They have 36 scholarships; we have 16,” Pittman said. “We have three full-time coaches; they have eight.”

But that does not mean the FVSU team will lie down as Pittman said the coaches and players maintain a “win despite all” attitude. For the Wildcats to pull off an upset, the game-plan must remain simple.

“We don’t want to turn the ball over, we want to win field position, and we want to play great defense,” Pittman said. “And hopefully, we score a couple of touchdowns.”

A brunt of the offensive load rests on the shoulders of starting quarterback Malcolm Eady -- at least for the opener. Eady led the Wildcats with 885 passing yards and four touchdowns in 2014, and he nearly doubled his passing touchdown total with his legs, accounting for 310 yards and seven touchdowns rushing.

The junior out of Swainsboro beat out Otis Brown and transfer Deion Perry for the start. But while deemed the starter, Eady will rotate with Brown as the signal-caller and has not earned the position for the entire season.

“Eady is the starter -- at least (Thursday) he is,” Pittman said. “It’s not in stone.”

The offense will utilize Brown under center, as well, and he threw for 714 yards and nine touchdowns in 2014. He also ran for 381 yards and three touchdowns.

“I think they complement each other very well -- at least last year they did,” Pittman said.

This story was originally published September 2, 2015 at 7:33 PM with the headline "FVSU’s Pittman feels ‘overmatched’ in opener against Delta State ."