Wednesday, Nov. 04, 2009

Fountain City Classic: Albany State, Fort Valley State football teams feature explosive offenses, top two quarterbacks in SIAC

Game features SIAC’s top two quarterbacks

By CHRIS WHITE

cwhite@ledger-enquirer.com

If Albany State football coach Mike White’s hunch is correct, the final score of the Fountain City Classic on Saturday may look more like rushing totals.

White’s Golden Rams (8-1, 7-1 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) meet Fort Valley State (6-4, 5-3) on Saturday in the rivalries 20th matchup at A.J. McClung Memorial Stadium, where the teams bring the two best offenses in the SIAC, creating a recipe for a shootout.

“I think it will be a pretty explosive game,” White said. “There are going to be some big plays. I think you’re definitely going to see some pretty big numbers up there.”

Albany State and Fort Valley State sit at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, on the conference’s scoring charts with 31.7 and 29.1 points per game, and the teams’ starting quarterbacks occupy the same spots as the SIAC’s top passers.

“It definitely has the potential to be a high-scoring game,” Fort Valley State assistant Vernon Dean said. “Both teams are playing well and can score a lot of points. It may turn out like that. We have to be ready for a game like that.”

Albany State’s A.J. McKenna has averaged 182 yards per game through nine contests this season and has thrown 17 touchdown passes. The Golden Rams also have relied heavily on utility man Demetri Johnson, whose 19 touchdowns are a conference best. And with an added emphasis on perfection, the Rams’ offense has taken off.

“Our offensive coordinator, Coach (Steven) Smith, he’s been making us do everything right this year,” Albany State receiver and former Manchester High player Ronnie Childs said. “If we mess something up, he just makes us do it over and over again until everyone gets it. He’s got us really focused this year.”

Fort Valley State quarterback Nathaniel Samas is second in yards per game with 171.6 and leads the conference with 1,716 yards, while three Wildcats receivers are in the SIAC’s top five in catches per game. Versatility, offensive lineman Collin Cordell said, have been key to the Wildcats offense this seaosn.

“We just use all our players to make plays,” Cordell said. “We’ve got a lot of guys to get the ball to and they all know how to score.”

Defenses under the gun

With all the offensive possibilities, preparing for the Fountain City Classic could pose a bit of a nightmare for each team’s defensive coaches. But Dean, who coaches outside linebackers, said he and the rest of the Wildcats coaches are not worried.

“Both teams have good offenses, but both teams have good defenses, too,” Dean said. “You can’t expect anything for sure. It could also be a low-scoring, close game.”

In playing the stopping game, Albany State has the distinct advantage. Their 11.6 points per game allowed leads the SIAC and is 10 fewer than Fort Valley State’s average. It’s just one more reason the Wildcats may have to shoot out or shut out Saturday, Dean said.

“We have to find a way to eliminate explosive plays for touchdowns,” Dean said. “We’ve given up a few of those this season, but we get better every week and just have to execute. I think we’ll be OK stopping them even if we can’t make those plays, but I think we can do both.”