Shorter is tall order for Eagles

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September 27, 2008

by Josh Moon - Montgomery Advertiser


When Faulkner University officials first entertained the idea several years ago of establishing a football program, they turned to Shorter College for help.

    Officials at Shorter were as accommodating as possible, offering advice and guidance and allowing Faulkner officials to take a look at the inner workings of a football program.

    "They were truly a whole lot of help," Faulkner coach Jim Nichols said. "Still today, our (athletic directors) talk a whole lot. They've always been there to answer our questions and help us out."

    The Hawks likely will be a bit less accommodating today, as Faulkner's second-year football team plays its first road conference game against the program it's modeled after.

    "This is an important game for us," Nichols said. "We've identified some problems and made some changes. We need to see how the guys are going to respond. We feel like we're getting close, getting better every time out. But we want to get over that hump."

    That "hump" is, of course, a win.

    Through three games, the Eagles are winless and dealing with many of the same problems each time out. While the coaches have addressed those recurring problems and instituted possible solutions, they're not so sure it will matter today.

    That's because Faulkner's biggest weakness -- it's defensive front -- is matched up against Shorter's strength -- it's tricky running game.

    "We're going to have our work cut out for us," Nichols said. "We're so thin up front and we just don't have the numbers right now. We're also just not very big. We've had a lot of problems stopping the run. We haven't stopped it yet."

    He's right about that.

    Faulkner ranks dead last in the Mid-South Conference at stopping the run. The Eagles are giving up 323 yards per game -- nearly double of the next worst program -- and have allowed 12 rushing touchdowns.

    Shorter happens to rank first in the conference in rushing offense, averaging better than 280 yards per game.

    "They live and die by the run," Nichols said. "They run the old wing-T and probably don't throw the ball five times a game. Everyone knows what's coming and still they haven't been able to stop it."

    What makes the wing-T scheme so effective is its misdirecton that forces defensive players to follow their assignments and exploits every little brain lapse.

    "There's a lot of option and it's really tricky, especially for us," Nichols said. "They wear you down over the course of a game and just wait on you to make a mistake. With us being so thin, that's a big problem."

    Offensively, things look a little better for the Eagles.

    Nichols said Quarterback Philip Moore has improved each game out and the Faulkner offense has slowly gained momentum because of it. The Eagles are averaging just over 120 yards per game through the air and Moore has been picked off just once.

    "We need to keep the turnovers down and continue to improve," Nichols said. "We have to limit the mistakes and turn it into a field position game. If we can do that, we'll be OK."