FVSU looking to keep momentum rolling
Facing their second straight loss to open the season as they trailed by 25 points early in the third quarter last week, the Fort Valley State Wildcats flipped a switch in the game’s final 29 minutes, outscoring Lane by 37 points en route to a 50-38 comeback Saturday.
Now, FVSU will look to a battle with Clark Atlanta on Saturday and seek to continue its second-half play from last week.
The Wildcats beat the Panthers 19-18 in their 2014 matchup after FVSU’s Aaron Davis blocked a Clark Atlanta extra-point attempt with 55 seconds remaining. This year’s game will mark the 66th time the programs have met, with the Wildcats holding a 46-15-4 series advantage.
“I know they’re hungry for a victory,” FVSU head coach Donald Pittman said of a winless Clark Atlanta team. “I think we have a good chance to win this game if we can go in and execute the game plan.”
And that plan, according to Pittman, will be simple: stop the Panthers’ rushing attack while moving the chains and limiting turnovers offensively. The former was an area of concern for the Wildcats in their win last week.
After limiting opponent Delta State to 101 yards on 3.6 yards per carry, FVSU allowed Lane to run for 435 yards on 6.7 yards per carry, and more than half of that came from quarterback Marcus Reynolds, who accounted for 239 yards and three touchdowns rushing.
“We want to definitely stop their run game,” Pittman said. “We don’t want as many yards or big plays on defense.”
Pittman said the rush defense’s struggles can been attributed to containing opposing athletic quarterbacks, especially when trying to defend against the zone-read offense. Pittman described Clark Atlanta starter Matthew Vincent as a “pretty athletic” quarterback, but the Panthers’ offense has struggled.
The team ran for only 78 yards last week in a 49-12 loss to Central State and scored its first points of the year with 47 seconds remaining in the third quarter. But while Clark Atlanta has experienced trouble finding the scoreboard, the Wildcats had no such issues in the second half last week.
“Our stars, they came up and showed up in the second half,” Pittman said of the offensive fireworks. “We have some weapons, and they showed up that second half.”
Quarterback Otis Brown played well enough to earn the starting role, for now. While Brown’s 276 yards, three total touchdowns and successful comeback attempt had an impact on Pittman, the Wildcats’ head coach said the sophomore out of Miami has not “solidified” himself yet.
“He’s been playing well, and so far he’s going to get the starting nod,” Pittman said.
In order for Brown to lock down his role, Pittman said he just needs to show consistency in practice and games, as well as show he’s a leader on and off the field.
“That’s what we expect,” Pittman said.
The Wildcats will now look to build upon their success, especially the character evidenced by the team in its comeback.
“I’m very, very happy that the team showed a lot of poise and determination the second half of that game,” Pittman said. “We learned a lot from the first game, Delta State, and it carried over. Hopefully during the season, it’ll continue to grow.”
This story was originally published September 18, 2015 at 6:36 PM with the headline "FVSU looking to keep momentum rolling ."