2015 North Carolina A&T Aggies football team

2015 North Carolina A&T Aggies football
Black college football national champion
MEAC co-champion
Celebration Bowl champion
Conference Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Ranking
STATS No. 21
FCS Coaches No. 21
2015 record 10–2 (7–1 MEAC)
Head coach Rod Broadway (5th season)
Offensive coordinator Chip Hester (1st season)
Defensive coordinator Sam Washington (5th season)
Home stadium Aggie Stadium
(Capacity: 21,500)
2015 MEAC football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  
#21 North Carolina A&T +   7 – 1         10 – 2  
Bethune-Cookman +   7 – 1         9 – 2  
North Carolina Central +   7 – 1         8 – 3  
South Carolina State   6 – 2         7 – 4  
Hampton   5 – 3         6 – 5  
Morgan State   4 – 4         4 – 6  
Norfolk State   4 – 4         4 – 7  
Savannah State*   1 – 7         1 – 9  
Florida A&M*   1 – 7         1 – 10  
Delaware State   1 – 7         1 – 10  
Howard   1 – 7         1 – 10  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • Florida A&M and Savannah State ineligible for postseason due to APR violations
Rankings from STATS FCS Poll

The 2015 North Carolina A&T Aggies football team represented North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in the 2015 NCAA Division I FCS football season. This season marked the 92nd for the program, which was led by fifth-year head coach Rod Broadway.[1] and played their home games at Aggie Stadium. They were a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

The Aggies finished the season 10–2, 7–1 in MEAC play to finish in a three-way tie for the MEAC championship, capturing their eighth conference title and earning the opportunity to compete in the inaugural Celebration Bowl. The Aggies defeated Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Alcorn State in the Celebration Bowl, earning their fourth black college football national championship.

Previous season

The Aggies finished the season 9–3, 6–2 in MEAC play to finish in a five-way tie, earning the school's seventh MEAC championship and 12th conference title.[1] Due to the MEAC tiebreaker system, A&T did not earn the conference's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs and did not receive an at-large bid.

Before the season

At the conclusion of the 2014 football season, the Aggies lost key players such as All-American center Ronald Canty, All-American and three-time All-MEAC standout guard/tackle William Ray Robinson III and 2014 starting right guard Olin Leak and defensive back Donald Mattocks. In addition, one of the best tacklers in school history, All-MEAC linebacker D’Vonte Grant, played his final season with the Aggies.[2] NC A&T was picked to win the MEAC championship and junior running back Tarik Cohen was selected as the preseason offensive player of the year.[3]

Recruiting

Schedule

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
September 5 6:00 PM Shaw* Aggie Stadium • Greensboro, NC LTV W 61–7   13,828
September 12 6:00 PM at North Carolina* Kenan Memorial Stadium • Chapel Hill, NC ESPN3 L 14–53   44,000
September 19 6:00 PM at Elon* Rhodes Stadium • Elon, NC W 14–7   9,729
October 3 12:00 PM at Hampton Armstrong Stadium • Hampton, VA W 45–31   2,139
October 10 2:00 PM at Norfolk State Dick Price Stadium • Norfolk, VA W 27–3   6,194
October 17 1:00 PM Bethune-Cookman Aggie Stadium • Greensboro, NC LTV W 24–14   12,471
October 24 1:00 PM Howarddagger No. 24 Aggie Stadium • Greensboro, NC LTV W 65–14   21,500
October 31 3:00 PM at Florida A&M No. 20 Bragg Memorial Stadium • Tallahassee, FL W 28–10   10,279
November 7 1:00 PM at South Carolina State No. 19 Oliver C. Dawson Stadium • Orangeburg, SC (Rivalry) W 9–6   15,283
November 14 1:00 PM Delaware State No. 19 Aggie Stadium • Greensboro, NC ESPN3 W 27–6   8,732
November 21 1:00 PM North Carolina Central No. 16 Aggie Stadium • Greensboro, NC (Rivalry) LTV L 16–21   18,409
December 19 12:00 PM vs. Alcorn State* No. 22 Georgia Dome • Atlanta, GA (Celebration Bowl) ABC W 41–34   35,528
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from STATS FCS Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Roster

2015 North Carolina A&T Aggies Roster (Source)

Wide Receivers

  •  1 Denzel Keyes – Junior
  •  3 Xavier Griffin – Junior
  •  8 Khris Gardin – Sophomore
  • 10 Quentin Todd – Senior
  • 16 Michael Weaver Jr. – Junior
  • 19 Kevin Francis – Senior
  • 81 Caleb Gabriel – Freshman
  • 82 Keenan Medley – Sophomore
  • 85 Javius Nixon – Freshman
  • 86 Deshaun McFadden – Freshman
  • 88 Malik Wilson – Freshman

Offensive Line

  • 61 Josh Mattocks – Spohomore
  • 62 Malik Johnson - Freshman
  • 63 Nicholas Dease – Senior
  • 66 Arlander Cherry – Freshman
  • 69 Calvin Trotty – Freshman
  • 70 Brandon Parker – Sophomore
  • 71 Chris Davis – Freshman
  • 72 Darriel Mack – Sophomore
  • 73 Marcus Pettiford - Freshman
  • 74 Sylvester Smith – Freshman
  • 75 Charles Jones – Junior
  • 76 Shawn Best – Freshman
  • 77 Charles "Wes" Cole – Junior
  • 78 Micah Shaw – Freshman

Tight Ends

  • 22 Justin Smith – Sophomore
  • 87 Dequan Swann – Senior

Fullbacks

  • 36 Anthony McMinn II – Junior
  • 39 Corbin Martin – Junior
  • 46 William Hollingsworth – Freshman
  

Quarterbacks

  • 2 Kwashaun Quick† – Senior
  • 7 Lamar Raynard† – Freshman
  • 17 Isaiah Hicklin – Freshman
  • 18 Frank Foster – Senior

Running Backs

  • 20 Daniel Robinson – Sophomore
  • 23 Amos Williams – Freshman
  • 28 Tarik Cohen† – Junior
  • 35 Keevin Thompson – Freshman
  • 38 Cameron Hill – Freshman

Defensive Line

  • 51 D'Anthony Ross – Junior
  • 55 Michael Neal – Senior
  • 94 Justin Cates - Freshman
  • 95 Julian McKnight – Freshman
  • 97 James Morris – Senior
  • 99 Marcus Ragland – Junior

Defensive Ends

  • 50 Angelo Keyes - Junior
  • 79 Darryl Johnson - Freshman
  • 83 Korey Curry - Freshman
  • 90 Malik Hampton-Prioleau - Junior
  • 91 Kenneth Melton - Sophomore
  • 92 Miles Hillard - Junior
  • 93 Turner Echols - Freshman
  • 96 Sam Blue - Sophomore
  • 98 Kadarius Kendrick - Freshman

Safety

  • 41 Aaron Leach - Senior

Rovers

  • 24 Lorenz Suttles - Junior
  • 37 Landis Shoffner - Senior
  

Linebackers

  •  4 Marcus Albert - Sophomore
  • 26 Vander Purcell - Sophomore
  • 29 Craig Gailliard Jr. - Freshman
  • 34 Deion Jones - Freshman
  • 44 Julius Reynolds - Freshman
  • 45 Joshua Patrick – Sophomore
  • 47 Courtney Edmonds – Sophomore
  • 52 Kiaundric Richardson - Sophomore
  • 53 Gerald Caskey – Sophomore
  • 54 Leroy Hill – Freshman
  • 56 Denzel Jones – Senior
  • 57 Markeiss Blue – Sophomore
  • 58 Adrian McPherson - Freshman
  • 59 Celeb Smith - Freshman
  • 65 Seth Schoonover - ""Freshman
  • 68 Darryl Jackson - Freshman

Defensive Backs

  •  5 Tard McCoy – Sophomore
  •  9 Zerius Lockhart – Sophomore
  • 12 Jerome Beatty – Sophomore
  • 14 Timadre Abram – Freshman
  • 21 Tony McRae – Senior
  • 25 Jamaal Darden – Sophomore
  • 27 Marquis Boyan – Senior
  • 32 Marquis Willis – Freshman
  • 33 Jalen Bethea – Freshman
  • 40 Jovan Williams - Sophomore
  • 48 Jeremy Taylor - Sophomore

Punters

  • 49 Steven Sawicki - Freshman
  • 60 Isaac Parks – Freshman

Kickers

  • 13 Cody Jones† – Junior

Long Snappers

  • 67 Ernest (Petie) Bush III - Freshman
  • 89 Jonathan Hall - Junior
† Starter at position     * Injured; did not play in 2015.

Coaching staff

2015 North Carolina A&T Aggies coaching staff

Head Coach

Offensive Coaches

  • Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers – Chip Hester
  • Offensive Line/Recruiting Coordinator - Keith Wagner[notes 1]
  • Quarterbacks - Chris Barnette
  • Running Backs - Shawn Gibbs
  • Tight End - Colin Williams

Defensive Coaches

  • Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs – Sam Washington
  • Inside Linebackers – Thomas Howard
  • Outside Linebackers – Trei Oliver
  

Administrative Staff

  • Athletic Director (A.D.) - Earl M. Hilton III
  • Administrative Support Associate for Football - Jeraldine Bailey

Game summaries

Shaw

Week One: Shaw vs. North Carolina A&T – Game Summary
1 2 34Total
Bears 0 7 007
Aggies 7 23 171461

at Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, North Carolina

  • Date: September 5, 2015
  • Game time: 6:00 PM EDT
  • Game weather: 82 °F (28 °C), Cloudy
  • Game attendance: 13,828
  • Referee: Rick Warren

This game marked the 21st meeting overall between the Shaw University Bears and the Aggies, and the first between the two in 52 Years. Going into the match up, the Aggies held the all-time series at 3-17-1. The last meeting between the two in 1968, saw The Aggies defeat the Bears 0-69.[4]

The Aggies called upon redshirt freshman quarterback Lamar Raynard to be the starting quarterback. Raynard passed for 188 yards with three touchdowns and 1 interception.[5] Junior Wide Receiver Denzel Keyes went on to make a career-high six catches to finish with 119 yards receiving and two touchdowns.[6] Preseason All-American & MEAC Offensive player of the year, running back Tarik Cohen, ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. This game marked Cohen's 13th career 100-yard game.[6] Cohen is now 928 rushing yards short of becoming the all-time leading rusher in school history.[5]

The Bears were held to 44 yards on the ground in 30 attempts. Bruce Parker Jr. returned an interception 85 yards for a touchdown for the team's lone score.[5]

UNC

Week Two: North Carolina A&T vs. UNC – Game Summary
1 2 34Total
Aggies 0 0 7714
Tar Heels 22 14 17053

at Kenan Memorial Stadium, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

  • Date: September 12, 2015
  • Game time: 6:00 PM EDT
  • Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), Scattered Showers
  • Game attendance: 44,000
  • Referee: Ron Cherry
  • TV: ESPN3

This game marked the first meeting between the Tar Heels and the Aggies. The Aggies last saw an opponent from the ACC in 2004, with a 42-3 loss to Wake Forest.[7]

Elon

Week Three: North Carolina A&T vs. Elon – Game Summary
1 2 34Total
Aggies 0 7 0714
Phoenix 0 0 077

at Rhodes Stadium, Elon, North Carolina

  • Date: September 19, 2015
  • Game time: 6:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 83 °F (28 °C), Sunny
  • Game attendance: 9,729
  • Referee: Chris Bloh

This game marked the 11th meeting between A&T and nearby In-state FCS opponent Elon. Goin into the game, the Aggies held a 7-4 all-time record against the Phoenix, with the Aggies getting a 17-12 victory on the road in 2014.[8]

Hampton

Week Four: North Carolina A&T vs. Hampton – Game Summary
1 2 34Total
Aggies 10 21 01445
Hampton 7 7 10731

at Armstrong Stadium, Hampton, Virginia

  • Date: October 3, 2015
  • Game time: 12:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C), Cloudy
  • Referee: Rick Warne

This game marked the 44th meeting between A&T and Hampton. Going into the game, Hampton held a 26-16-2 all-time record against the A&T, with the Aggies winning the last meeting 31-14 in front of a home crowd.[9]

Norfolk State

Week Five: North Carolina A&T vs. Norfolk St. – Game Summary
1 2 34Total
Aggies 7 3 17027
Hampton 0 0 303

at William "Dick" Price Stadium, Norfolk, Virginia

  • Date: October 10, 2015
  • Game time: 2:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C),
  • Game attendance: 6,194

This game marked the 39th meeting between the Aggies and Norfolk State and the first game between the two since 2012. Going into the game, A&T hoeld a 28-11 all-time record against the Spartans, with the Aggies winning the last meeting 30-9 in front of a near capacity Homecoming crowd.[10]

Bethune-Cookman

Week Six: Bethune-Cookman vs. North Carolina A&T. – Game Summary
1 2 34Total
Wildcats 7 0 0714
Aggies 0 10 7724

at Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, NC

  • Date: October 17, 2015
  • Game time: 1:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 0 °F (−18 °C),

This game marked the 36th meeting between the A&T and Bethune-Cookman and the first game between the two since 2012. Going into the game, Bethune-Cookman held a 22-14 all-time record against the Aggies, with the Wildcats winning the last meeting 28-12 in Daytona Beach, FL.[11]

Howard

Week Seven: Howard vs. #24 North Carolina A&T – Game Summary
1 2 34Total
Bison 7 7 0014
#24 Aggies 7 23 28765

at Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, NC

This game marked the 38th meeting between the A&T and Howard. Going into the game, A&T held a 26-20-2 all-time record against the Bison, with the Aggies winning the last meeting 38-22 in 2014.[12] For the first time this season, the Aggies are nationally ranked, breaking into the top 25 at #24.

Junior Running Back Tarik Cohen rushed for 137 yards and three touchdowns as North Carolina A&T rolled over 0-7 Howard in the Aggies' Homecoming game. Quarterback Kwashaun Quick threw for 67 yards and one touchdown and rushed for 85 yards and another score, while Amos Williams also rushed for 85 yards and one touchdown. On the Bison's side, Quarterback Kalen Johnson threw for 163 yards and two touchdowns.[13] Howard was able to establish a 14-13 lead until Cohen broke for a 31-yard touchdown run with 5:13 left in the second quarter. The Aggies then quickly added 10 more points to go into halftime with a 30-14 lead. In the second half, the Aggies scored 34 unanswered points. Howard were never able to mount a rushing attack as A&T compiled 311 rushing yards and held the Bison to only 31.[13]

The win secures A&T’s fourth straight winning season.[14]

Florida A&M

Week Eight: #20 North Carolina A&T vs. Florida A&M. – Game Summary
1 2 34Total
#20 Aggies 14 7 7028
Rattlers 0 0 7310

at Bragg Memorial Stadium, Tallahassee,FL

  • Date: October 31, 2015
  • Game time: 3:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C),

This game will mark the 63rd meeting between the A&T and Florida A&M. Going into the game, Florida A&M holds a 44-16-3 all-time record against the Aggies, with the A&T winning the last meeting 40-21 in 2014.[15]

South Carolina State

Week Nine: #19 North Carolina A&T vs. South Carolina State. – Game Summary
1 2 34Total
#19 Aggies 0 0 279
Bulldogs 3 0 306

at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, Orangeburg, SC

  • Date: November 7, 2015
  • Game time: 1:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C),
  • Referee: Andre Lowe

This game will mark the 53rd meeting between the A&T and rival South Carolina State. Going into the game, South Carolina State holds a 32-18-2 all-time record against the Aggies, with the Bulldogs shutting out A&T 13-0 in the 2014 Atlanta Football Classic.[16]

With both North Carolina A&T and South Carolina State being the top two defenses in the MEAC, the contest was low scoring and heavily relied upon the team's defensive lines.[17] In the final play of the game, SC State Kicker Tyler Scandrett missed a 33-yard field goal attempt as time expired. This win was the first time, and the 2nd in 16 attempts, since 1969 that the aggies defeated rival SC State inside Dawson Stadium, ending a 14-game losing streak.[17]

Delaware State

Week Ten: Delaware State vs. #19 North Carolina A&T – Game Summary
1 2 34Total
Hornets 0 0 066
#19 Aggies 0 6 71427

at Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, NC

  • Date: November 14, 2015
  • Game time: 1:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C),
  • Game attendance: 8,732
  • Referee: Marcus Woods
  • TV announcers (ESPN3): Jay Walker;

This game marked the 44th meeting between the A&T and Delaware State. Going into the game, Delaware State held a 22–21–1 all-time record against the Aggies, with A&T winning the last meeting 33–20.[18]

The Aggies kept Delaware State scoreless until six minutes into the fourth quarter, leading 13–0. Delaware state's Brycen Alleyne scored on a four-yard run giving the Hornets their only points of the game. Following the hornet's kickoff, Senior Tony McRae returned the ball far a 75-yard touchdown. The Aggies were able to keep the hornets from scoring again after stopping quarterback Kobe Lain short on a 4th down run. The Aggies took over possession at their own 28 yard line and in 9 plays drove the ball 72 yards, with the drive ending in a touchdown.[19]

North Carolina Central

Week Eleven: North Carolina Central vs. #16 North Carolina A&T – Game Summary
1 2 34Total
Eagles 0 7 7721
#16 Aggies 0 3 7616

at Aggie Stadium, Greensboro, NC

This game marks the 87th meeting between A&T and arch rival North Carolina Central. Going into the game, the Aggies hold a 49–32–5 all-time record against the Eagles.[20] In the 2014 Meeting between the two schools, the Eagles upset the Aggies 21–14, taking the outright MEAC championship from them and creating a 5 way tie which gave Morgan State the conference automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs.[21] Going into the game, the Aggies ranked 13th in the FCS coaches poll, had allowed opponents only 73.7 rushing yards per game to top the NCAA Division I-FCS.[22]

The Eagles amassed 393 yards of total offense, including 193 yards on the ground.[22] With the loss to NCCU, the Aggies shared the MEAC Championship with their arch rival for the second year in a row.

Alcorn State - Celebration Bowl

2015 Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl – Game Summary
1 2 34Total
Braves 6 7 71434
#22 Aggies 21 3 31441

at Georgia Dome, Atlanta,GA

  • Date: Decemberber 19, 2015
  • Game time: 12:00pm EDT
  • Game weather: Played Indoors, Domed Stadium
  • Game attendance: 35,528
  • TV: ABC

This game marks the inaugural Celebration Bowl Game, and only the 2nd meeting between the Aggies and Alcorn State. In their 2004 meeting, the Aggies lost to the Braves 13-15 in Lorman, MS. By virtue of the MEAC tiebreaker system, the Aggies were invited to the Celebration bowl vs Alcorn State, who defeated Grambling State in the 2015 SWAC championship game.

The game's first quarter showcased both Alcorn and A&T's special teams. A&T punt returner Khris Gardin scoring the first touchdown of the game with at 74 yard return from Alcorn's 26 yard line. Alcorn's game, Anthony Williams returned the favor moments later with an 84-yard punt return to pull Alcorn State within 7-6.[23] Running Back Tarik Cohen made scoring runs of 74 and 83 yards out of the Aggies' next two possessions, and A&T pushed its lead to 24-6 when Kicker Cody Jones was completed a 45-yard field goal with 11:31 left in the first half.[24] Tarik Cohen was able to drive a 73-yard touchdown with 4:17 left in the game to put A&T up by 7. Alcorn then attempted 4 passes from A&T's 9 yard line in the final possession of the game to all come up incomplete, giving A&T the first ever Celebration Bowl victory.

Tarik Cohen and Lineman Denzel Jones were named offensive and defensive most valuable players. Cohen rushed for 295 yards, recording his fourth career 200-yard rushing performance and 3rd best single game performance in A&T history. He now ties Maurice Hicks for the most 200-yard plus games in an Aggies career. Additionally, Cohen's performance has helped him set a new School record for most rushing yards in a single season with 1,543 and 15 Touchdowns. on the defensive side, Jones had 7 tackles and 1 interception.[25] Khris Gardin's performance helped him break the NCAA FCS records for punt return yards in season with 740 punt return yards. Additionally His 61.7 punt return yards per game is also a new NCAA record. Aggies junior kicker Cody Jones made two field goals from 40 yards or more. It is the first time in his career he has accomplished the feat. He has made five kicks in his career of 40 yards or more. The Aggies are now 13-12 all-time against the SWAC, and the teams' 543 yards of total offense are the most the Aggies have compiled in the five-year Broadway era.[25]

Statistics


Team

Team Opp
Scoring 371 206
  Points per Game 30.9 17.2
First Downs 221 179
  Rushing 122 64
  Passing 73 99
  Penalty 26 16
Total Offense 3905 3208
  Avg per Play 4.8 4.2
  Avg per Game 325.4 267.3
Fumbles-Lost 16-7 21-8
Penalties-Yards 76-692 102-880
  Avg per Game 57.7 73.3
Team Opp
Punts-Yards 73-2604 86-3367
  Avg per Punt 35.7 39.2
Time of Possession/Game 31:43 28:17
3rd Down Conversions 76/187 46/175
4th Down Conversions 10/18 9/21
Touchdowns Scored 49 27
Field Goals-Attempts-Long 9-14 6-12
PAT-Attempts (46-48) 96% (24-24) 100%
Attendance 74940 87624
  Games/Avg per Game 5/14988 6/14604

Scores by quarter

1 2 3 4OT Total
Opponents 52 49 54 51206 412
NC A&T 66 106 102 97371 742

Offense

Rushing

Name GP-GS Att Gain Loss Net Avg TD Long Avg/G
Tarik Cohen 12 264 1671 128 1543 5.8 15 83 128.6
Kwashaun Quick 10 87 408 61 347 4.0 5 23 34.7
Kylil Carter 4 43 203 57 146 3.4 1 24 36.5
Amos Williams 10 35 128 16 112 3.2 1 33 11.2
RB 1 12 221 1207 103 1104 5.0 14 84 100.4
Total 12 592 2727401 2326 4.4 24 83 193.8

Defense

Name GP Tackles Sacks Pass Defense Interceptions Fumbles Blkd
Kick
Solo Ast Total TFL-Yds No-Yds BrUp QBH No.-Yds Avg TD Long Rcv-Yds FF
Def 1 12 56 46 102 17-51 5-36 9 9 5-63 12.6 1 48 1-0 2 0
Total

Special teams

Name Punting Kickoffs
No. Yds Avg Long TB FC I20 Blkd No. Yds Avg TB OB
Steven Sawicki 65 2451 37.7 3 19 19 3
Kicker 1 67 3920 58.5 32 1
Total
Name Punt Returns Kick Returns
No. Yds Avg TD Long No. Yds Avg TD Long
Khris Gardin 32 740 23.1 3 82 4 73 18.2 0 28
Tony McCrae - - - - - 22 165 28.3 2 90
Caleb Gabriel - - - - - 7 165 23.6 0 28
Jeremy Taylor - - - - - 1 0 0.0 0 0
Tarik Cohen - - - - - 1 26 26.0 0 26
Total 32740 23.1 3 82 35 886 25.3 3 92

Post season

As the 2015 college football season neared the end, many organizations began to announce finalists and winners of various past-season awards. Aggie players and coaches appeared on many of these lists. Several players for the Aggies were honored with awards and accolades including Junior running back Tarik Cohen, Redshirt Sophomore Offensive Lineman Brandon Parker, and Sophomore punt returner Khris Gardin.

Cohen was named MEAC Offensive player of the year for the second year in a row. He is the first Aggie football player since Connell Maynor to win back-to-back offensive player of the year awards. Cohen led the MEAC in rushing and recorded his third straight 1,000 yard season with 1,248 total yards.[26] Parker was named MEAC Offensive Lineman of the year and is only the second Aggie in school history win the award, following Qasim Mitchell, who claimed the award in 2001.[27] Parker did not allow a single sack from his left tackle position through 11 games and only had two penalties called against him this season while registering 4.32 pancake blocks per game. The offensive line accounted for 3,902 total offensive yards including 1,960 yards on the ground, making the Aggies the second-best rushing offense in the MEAC.[27][28]

Gardin received All-American honors from STATS FCS (first team), BOXTOROW, and the FCS Athletics Directors Association. Additionally, he was also named first-team All-MEAC as a return specialist.[29][30] Gardin, who also holds the school record for punt returns in a season, set a new NCAA FCS records for punt return yards in both a single season and also average punt return yards per game, is the first first-team All-American punt returner for the Aggies since Curtis Deloatch in 2001.[29]

The following A&T players were also named to the All–MEAC First, Second, and Third Teams:[28]

All-MEAC First Team
  • Tarik Cohen, Jr., RB
  • Khris Gardin, So., RS
  • Tony McRae, Sr., DB
  • Brandon Parker, R-So., OL
  • Marquis Ragland, R-Jr., DL
All-MEAC Second Team
  • Denzel Jones, R-Sr., LB
  • Angelo Keyes, R-Fr., DL
  • Denzel Keyes, Jr., WR
All-MEAC Third Team
  • Marquis Boyan, Sr. DB
  • Michael Neal, Sr. DL

Ranking movements

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. ( ) = First place votes.
Week
Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Final 
STATS FCS RV RV RV RV RV RV RV 24 20 19 19 16 22 21 
Coaches RV NR RV RV RV RV RV 24 20 16 14 13 20 21 
Sheridan 2 (7) 2 (10) 2 (11) 2 (10) 2 (10) 2 (10) 2 (10) 1 (19) 1 1 (21) 
BoxtoRow 2 (3) 1 (5) 2 (3) 2 2 (2) 2 (18) 2 (20) 1 (18) 1 (20) 1 1 1 5 1 (21)

Notes

  1. ↑ Offensive Line Coach Keith Wagner was replaced by Graduate Assistant Ronald Canty following the North Carolina Central Game

References

  1. 1 2 "NCAT vs Bethune-Cookman Fact Sheet" (PDF). http://www.ncataggies.com. NCAT Sports Information. Retrieved 17 October 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  2. ↑ "Aggies Announce 2015 Class". North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Department of Athletics. November 10, 2015. Retrieved February 4, 2015.
  3. ↑ "A&T Picked To Win MEAC, Cohen Named Preseason POTY". North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Department of Athletics. July 31, 2015. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
  4. ↑ "SU, NC A&T Renew Football Rivalry in 2015 Season Opener Saturday". Shaw University Department of Athletics. September 3, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 "Cohen Runs for 2 Scores as North Carolina A&T Tops Shaw 61-7". ESPN. September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Aggies Topple Shaw In Season Opener". North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Department of Athletics. September 5, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Wake Forest Thrashes North Carolina A&T, 42-3". Wake Forest University Department of Athletics. September 14, 2004. Retrieved September 13, 2015.
  8. ↑ "A&T Wins as Defense Stifles Elon". North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Department of Athletics. September 19, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
  9. ↑ "North Carolina A&T vs Hampton (VA)". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  10. ↑ "North Carolina A&T vs Norfolk St. (VA)". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 5, 2015.
  11. ↑ "North Carolina A&T vs Bethune-Cookman (FL)". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  12. ↑ "North Carolina A&T vs Howard (DC)". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Aggies Look Great At Earth's Greatest Homecoming". www.ncataggies.com. NC A&T Sports Information. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "A&T Seeks Greatness At Greatest Homecoming". ncataggies.com. NCAT Sports Information. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "North Carolina A&T vs Florida A&M". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  16. ↑ "North Carolina A&T vs South Carolina St.". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  17. 1 2 "Bizarre Finish Leaves A&T Undefeated In MEAC". http://www.ncataggies.com. NC A&T Sports Information. Retrieved 13 November 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  18. ↑ "North Carolina A&T vs Delaware State". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  19. ↑ "Aggies Go Back-To-Back, Back-To-Back". http://www.ncataggies.com. NC A&T Sports Information. Retrieved 15 November 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  20. ↑ "North Carolina A&T vs North Carolina Central". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  21. ↑ "A&T Loses At NCCU, Share MEAC Title". North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University Department of Athletics. November 22, 2014. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
  22. 1 2 "- MEACsports.com - The Official Site of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference". MEACSports.com. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Retrieved 26 December 2015.
  23. ↑ "Alcorn State vs. North Carolina A&T - Game Recap - December 19, 2015 - ESPN". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  24. ↑ "North Carolina A&T tops Alcorn State in the inaugural Celebration Bowl". USA TODAY. Associated Press. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  25. 1 2 "Aggies Win HBCU National Championship". North Carolina A&T Aggies. NC A&T Sports Information. Retrieved 20 December 2015.
  26. ↑ "Cohen, Parker Win Top Offensive Awards". ncataggies.com. NC A&T Sports Information. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  27. 1 2 "Cohen, Parker Win Top Offensive Awards". http://www.ncataggies.com. NC A&T Sports Information. Retrieved 1 December 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  28. 1 2 "MEAC ANNOUNCES 2015 FOOTBALL ALL-MEAC AWARDS". http://www.meacsports.com. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Retrieved 1 December 2015. External link in |website= (help)
  29. 1 2 "Gardin Earns FCS All-American Honors". ncataggies.com. NC A&T Sports information. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  30. ↑ "Gardin Does It Again". http://www.ncataggies.com. NC A&T Sports Information. Retrieved 20 December 2015. External link in |website= (help)
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