news-record.com

GREENSBORO — The N.C. A&T Aggies play host to Coastal Carolina on Saturday, which is nice for reasons beyond the totally obvious: It means they won't be going to Tidewater Virginia for the third straight week.

An odd scheduling quirk sent A&T to Norfolk State on Sept. 13 and Hampton last week, and the Aggies made the five-hour drive back home with a pair of losses. It is the mirror image of scheduling in 2005, when the teams came to Aggie Stadium.

"It's like following your own footsteps back up there," coach Lee Fobbs said this week. "Hopefully, in the future, we can correct that. Is that the reason we lost? Probably not. At least (change) would give us some peace of mind."

So how does this happen? Imperfections are almost certain when the process is complicated by two otherwise welcomed trends, expansion and television.

Although it is not a full NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) member and is still officially in transitional status, Winston-Salem State is in the MEAC for many practical purposes, one of which is scheduling. The Rams play everybody in the conference this year. The expansion of FCS schedules from 11 to 12 regular-season games helps a bit, but isn't a panacea.

The league's deal with ESPN calls for three live ESPNU broadcasts on Thursday nights, and figuring everything out there is often a logistical challenge because the network can't finalize its preferences until late June.

A&T (2-2) is the only team playing its first two official MEAC games on the road and in consecutive weeks, but it isn't the only team with raised eyebrows. Florida A&M, for example, had to play at Delaware State on Thursday, Sept. 4. The Hornets were off the previous Saturday while the Rattlers, like most teams, opened their season.

COASTAL LIVING: The Chanticleers (2-2) began the season by accepting a nice paycheck and a healthy flogging from Penn State, but they have beaten Monmouth and Towson in the past two weeks. They're seeking to replace a pair of current NFL rookies: former Reidsville standout Jerome Simpson, a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals these days; and quarterback Tyler Thigpen, now a member of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Coastal operates the zone-read offense, a hybrid of the shotgun and the wishbone that requires the quarterback to be observant, mobile and strong-armed.

"They'll be solid and very well-coached," Fobbs said. "We'll have to be ready for a challenge this week."

STILL CLIMBING: Michael Ferguson began the season 906 yards short of the A&T record for career rushing yardage, and he's ahead of schedule in the quest to surpass Maurice Hicks. In four games of 2008, Ferguson has gained 408 yards on 77 carries, which puts him on pace to set the standard during A&T's home game with Howard on Oct. 25.

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