Behind enemy lines: Breaking down B-CU vs. North Carolina A&T

Coming off a dramatic 12-9 win over South Carolina State, the B-CU Wildcats (3-3, 2-1), winners of two in a row, head north to take on the undefeated, and seventh-ranked North Carolina A&T Aggies. 

Ahead of Saturday's 1 p.m. kickoff, Aggies beat writer Jeff Mills, of The Greensboro News & Record, stopped by to give us the weekly scouting report. 

ZD: First or second in just about every major statistic in the conference. Is there anything A&T CAN'T do? What's the weakness?

JM: The two areas of concern for this team are injuries along the inexperienced defensive line and the kicking game. A&T lost three excellent defensive linemen to graduation, and three of the four starters on opening day have missed time with injuries. That unit tends to wear down as the game moves along because the Aggies cannot substitute as freely as they would like. Special teams have always been a point of emphasis, and they have improved since opening day. But the Aggies still start freshmen at kicker, punter, long snapper and holder, and kick coverage has been mediocre by this program’s standards.

ZD: The Aggies lost Tarik Cohen and have somehow maintained an absolutely lethal offense. Who are the new weapons to watch?

JM: Quarterback Lamar Raynard has made giant strides in the last three years and looks like one of the best QBs in all FCS. His group of receivers is the deepest talent pool in A&T’s 93-year history. Keep an eye on WR Elijah Bell, who is flat-out special. Running back Marquell Cartwright was Cohen’s backup for two years and is a straight-ahead power runner willing to initiate contact rather than avoid it. True strength is the offensive line led by NFL-bound left tackle Brandon Parker and center Darriel Mack.

ZD: The defense has allowed a conference-best 11.6 points per game. What makes this unit so good?

JM: Speed. Every guy on the field can run, even the big fellas up front. The Aggies tend to swarm to the ball. You’ll see very few solo tackles in an A&T game. Leading tackler Jeremy Taylor, a hybrid linebacker/safety, makes the defense work with his versatility. He came to A&T as a walk-on, a guy recruiters thought was too small to play college football. But he runs well and has a nose for the ball.

ZD: The Wildcats took the Aggies deep into the fourth quarter last year. How does A&T view Bethune?

JM: Since Rod Broadway’s arrival seven years ago, he has preached that to win a MEAC championship, the road goes through N.C. Central, S.C. State and Bethune-Cookman. Those are the three most dangerous teams on A&T’s league schedule, and everybody knows it. Even in years when the Wildcats record hasn’t been great, A&T approached the matchup with caution.

ZD: Alright, prediction time. Who ya got?

JM: There’s a lot at stake for A&T. The last time an Aggies team was 8-0 was 1927, and the current players all know it. There’s pressure on them to perform, and pressure can make you do odd things. So I have a feeling this one will be close and come down to the fourth quarter. A&T 28, Bethune-Cookman 23.