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GREENSBORO -- Tailback Michael Ferguson won't turn down the opportunities, and he hasn't gotten tired yet. Of course, neither of those facts keeps N.C. A&T's football coaches from hoping backup Dione McNair can play Saturday at Norfolk State (1-1).

The Aggies, 2-0 for the first time in five years, still want a stable understudy for Ferguson. The season does last 12 games and isn't conducive to excessive reliance on one running back.

McNair, who missed this past week's win over Winston-Salem State with an ankle injury, has proclaimed his hiatus over. Medical authorities get the final call on that and probably won't be overruled if they rule in McNair's favor.

"In talking with him (Sunday), I think that watching the game on Saturday made him ready to play this week," coach Lee Fobbs said Monday. "We'll see as the trainers continue to work with him, but in his mind he's ready to play."

McNair, a junior from Randleman, gained 92 yards on 18 carries -- three more than Ferguson received -- in a season-opening win over Division II Johnson C. Smith. Some of his workload related to the score, which was out of hand at halftime, but there's more to the story. Last year, Ferguson hit a brief midseason slump, and the Aggies have already made it clear that diversity is the hallmark of a new offensive philosophy.

In Saturday night's victory over the Rams, Ferguson enjoyed a big second half after being taken down for losses on four of his first eight carries. Fobbs, the perpetual coach, liked it but still wondered.

"In these days of college football, you're going to find two or three tailbacks on most teams," he said. "And most of them are of different styles. Dione is very important to our offense. He's a little bigger back and very elusive for his size. To get him back would be big.

"Mike can handle 20 carries, but some of those runs (Saturday) might have been bigger."

Ferguson, for his part, says he'll accept any load. That happened to be 20 rushes against the Rams. He also got into the act in the passing game, where he grabbed four throws from Herb Miller.

"I was a little sore, regular bumps and bruises after the game," Ferguson said. "I was more happy and enjoying the win."

A consistent and efficient running game is still going to be the Aggies' most important weapon.

Although they're showing signs of considerable improvement, they're probably not as talented or as deep as the MEAC's top-tier clubs, one of which is Norfolk State. So far, new NCAA timing rules have taken away about five plays per offense per game, a fact that bodes well for clubs that can run for first downs and keep the ball inbounds. The clock policies can't cure everything that ails a relatively undermanned team, but they can mitigate the disadvantage if used properly.

Ensuring the presence of a fresh runner is one way the Aggies can stay with the Spartans, who gave Kentucky a game for a half before tiring last week. The others, Fobbs said, involve reducing mistakes that have been cloaked by the thrill of victory the past two weeks.

A&T has been flagged 15 times for 151 yards, and both numbers are a bit on the high side. The Aggies have fumbled seven times and have recovered six. Historically, the ball never bounces so favorably over the long term.

"Is it overwhelming? No," Fobbs said, "but it is of some concern."

Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rob.daniels@news-record.com