GAME NOTES

By Jim O'Hara
 
ARLINGTON, Texas – The world's most modern arena, has the world's largest column-free interior and the fourth largest high definition video screen and is complete with 80,000 seats.

For those who step inside AT&T Stadium for the first time and stand in the middle of the structure, the sight leaves them in awe.

Imagine what it will be like for a group of young football players from a small university in Rome, Ga., all who probably never dreamed they would get to see such a sight, let alone play a game in it, but on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. the Shorter Hawks will have that opportunity when they square off against West Texas A&M in the fourth annual Lone Star Football Festival at the stadium that is the home to the Dallas Cowboys.

"It's a totally different environment, that's for sure," Shorter head coach Phil Jones said the Hawks, who carry a 2-0 record – it's the best start to a season since 2011 – and the Gulf South Conference banner into the game against a win-hungry bunch of West Texas Buffaloes (0-2) out of the Lone Star Conference.

"You have to be careful that you don't lose your focus on what you need to do on the field," Jones said. "You've got to remember that the field is still 100 yards long. We have to be in the mindset knowing who we are and how we play. The thing is not to be awed."

The Hawks can ill-afford to let the surroundings get them off their game plan as the WTUAM Buffs, who reached the NCAA Division II semifinals two years ago and last fall advanced to the quarterfinals, are a far cry from what their record indicates.

What West Texas has had to face in their first two outings of the season were a pair of ranked teams, a 35-6 loss to No. 2 Colorado State-Pueblo in the opener and last week a 31-27 setback to LSC foe Tarleton State, ranked No. 12 and also playing Saturday against GSC member Florida Tech.

The Biffs, who average .344 yards a game, are led offensively by the tallest quarterback the Hawks will face this season, 6-foot-7 Preston Rabb, who will be making his third career start against Shorter and in his first two outings has completed 48 of 83 passes for 457 yards and one touchdown and one interception.

West Texas also boasts the versatile Venric Mark, who is averaging 73 yards rushing but can hurt opponents catching and returning the ball as well and, as will be the case all year, the Hawks will be facing a huge offensive line.

Middle linebacker Patric Youngman anchors the Buffs' defense averaging 13.5 tackles a game (10 solos, 17 assists) and for added measure West Texas has a weapon in kicker Connor Hollabaugh, who last week against Tarleton State connected for a career-best 48-yard field goal.

"If you wanted to draw up the team position by position, they would be it," Jones said about the Buff. "They have put themselves in a position where they are always thinking about the postseason and have been there before, and have played here before."

"We plan to focus on what we always do," he said, "and play as well as we can.

The Hawks have been playing well thus far into the season, but they fully understand that they must step up their game against West Texas and have that all-important confidence for their unquestionably toughest test to date.

Senior quarterback Eric Dodson, senior slotback Kirk Wilson and sophomore fullback B.J. McCoy has emerged as a triple threat running the ball as the trio has combined to gain more than 350 yards on the ground, and while he has thrown the ball just 20 times Dodson has found his targets 10 times – to six different receivers – for 159 yards and four touchdowns to four separate teammates, Sean Fowler, Bruce Clark, Darius Turner and Wilson.

Still, the Hawks are aware that a much better performance is needed as Shorter is getting an average of just 206 yards on the ground (286 yards a game total), well below what the team expects from the option attack that sets up everything else.

What has caught the attention of both the GSC and the national Division II ranks has been the Hawks defense, which has allowed just 79 yards on the ground and while the unit has given up 292 passing yards a game Shorter's pass defense has put up some gaudy numbers.

In the first two games, the Hawks have registered eight sacks – they had 10 for the season in 2013 – and have picked off eight passes, with junior safety Jordan Shaw responsible for five of them. This week, Shaw's three-pick day last week against Mars Hill, one that went for a 100-yard touchdown return, and his 11 tackles earned the Jasper native not only the GSC's Defensive Player of the Week honor but also the D2Football.com's national defensive player award.

Knowing that they have an off-week arriving after battling the Buffs – Shorter is back in action on Thursday, Sept. 2 when they host Mississippi College to open its rugged GSC slate – the Hawks understand that they will have to go all out and leave everything on the floor at AT&T Stadium in order to remain unbeaten and serve notice in the conference.

"We'll focus on how our team will function together," said Jones. "We know that this type of opportunity makes you better.

"But there are times in life when you have opportunities presented to you," he added, "and what we want to do is make the best of this one."