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GREENSBORO — N.C. A&T’s homecoming is still three weeks away.

But for A&T’s football players, this week is homecoming. And next week is homecoming. Then, finally, homecoming is homecoming.

The unspoken tradition of homecoming is to schedule the party around a patsy — an opponent the home team can beat.

With six losing seasons in the last seven years, including two 0-11 records, A&T has ended up on other schools’ homecoming radar. And so the Aggies start a stretch of three homecomings in a row: Morgan State’s, Howard’s and their own.

“If somebody invites you to come to their homecoming, they’re looking down on you,” Aggies wide receiver Wallace Miles said. “I take that — the whole team takes that — as a challenge to go out there and play to the best of their ability.

“I like being a homecoming opponent. I like going in and spoiling their happy moment.”

The first homecoming could be the toughest.

Morgan State (3-1, 1-0 MEAC) has won its last three against the Aggies (3-2, 1-1), including a lopsided 41-3 victory last season when Alonzo Lee was the Bears defensive coordinator.

“We remember what happened,” Miles said. “We won’t ever forget that, but we’re a different team. We have new motivation, new coaching staff, new work ethic. It’s just the next game on our schedule.”

It’s more than just another game for Lee. He recruited many of Morgan State’s current players and built friendships with the coaches.

This is his first trip back to Baltimore since A&T hired him as its head coach in January.

“There’s no mixed emotions,” Lee said. “We’re going up there to make it happen. ... We knew we’d have to go against each other. But that’s only one game out of the year.”

The Bears are on a three-game winning streak, and their defense — built by Lee and led by senior linebacker George Howard — has allowed just three touchdowns during the streak.

“A lot of those guys are my recruits,” Lee said. “We left a good solid defense up there, and those guys are playing real well.”

FAMILY FEUD: Miles had four catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns in A&T’s victory over N.C. Central.

He wants a similar performance against Morgan State, even if it comes at the expense of kinfolk.

Miles’ cousin, Kendall Jamison, was recruited by Lee and starts at cornerback for Morgan State.

“I lined up against him last year,” Miles said. “I’ll see him a couple of times (Saturday).”

Until then, it’s all quiet.

“We talk a little bit during the season,” Miles said. “But as the game gets closer and closer, we’ve been talking less and less because he’s the enemy right now.”

DOUBLE DUTY: Freshman kicker Patrick Courtney, who worked through an injury during training camp, has had an up-and-down first season. He’s just 4-for-10 on field-goal attempts.

Courtney kicked a 34-yard field goal to give A&T a 17-0 lead last week against N.C. Central, but he missed a 37-yarder with 11 seconds left that would’ve won the game in regulation. The Aggies won in overtime on Miles’ touchdown reception, and now Courtney has kicking competition — from Miles.

“Brother Wallace could put a little pressure on (Courtney),” Lee said. “Brother Wallace is an exceptional kicker. … He has a background in it. We were just trying to get him to concentrate on receiving.”

Miles, who will work out at receiver and kicker this week in practice, said he has made 50-yard kicks but would need more than a week of practice to reach that distance again.

“From 40 (yards) and in,” Miles said, “I could hit those right now.”

HUDDLE UP: Senior quarterback Carlton Fears, who had struggled in A&T’s two losses, was named MEAC offensive player of the week after passing for a career-high 166 yards and two touchdowns against N.C. Central.

“We went back to the huddle early on,” Lee said. “I think that took a little of the pressure off Carlton and put him in a little more of a comfort zone. … Calling plays from a huddle slows things down.”

A&T went back to its no-huddle offense near the end of the game, and Fears performed well again after getting off to a good start.

Contact Jeff Mills at 373-7024 or jeff.mills@news-record.com