Shorter Game Notes
Florida Tech Game Notes
Listen To The Game
 
By Jim O'Hara
 
MELBOURNE, Fla. – There is no doubt that no one on the team has forgotten what took place the two times when they played against the lone team from Florida that plays in the Gulf South Conference.

Two years ago, they saw a 24-7 lead in the fourth quarter evaporate and result in a 28-24 heartbreaking loss. That outcome, however, was pale in comparison to what took place last fall when they were victimized by a "Hail Mary" touchdown pass on the last play of the game.

The Shorter Hawks, however, will be more focused on the present than the past on Saturday night when they square off against the team that has given them two of the program's most heartbreaking setbacks, one that thanks to a four-game win streak has become a legitimate contender for a GSC championship – the Florida Tech Panthers.

"We've talked about those two games and you hope it helps them focus more about what they need to do," Shorter head coach Phil Jones said as the Hawks take a 2-5 overall record and a 1-3 conference slate into the third meeting between the two teams at Panther Stadium that begins at 7 p.m.

"They're better than they were last year," Jones said, "and, like every team in this league, they're good. Plus, they're the only Division II team playing right now in Florida, so they have the numbers."

The Panthers host Shorter coming off what has been an impressive – and successful – four game road trip that has put FIT (5-3 overall) smack in the middle of the conference title race with a 3-1 GSC record, their lone loss coming to North Alabama in their first Gulf South test of the season and the three wins posted against Delta State, West Alabama and last week at Mississippi College, one that gave FIT its longest win streak ever.

"They're strong on the line of scrimmage," said Jones, "and have great skill people."

One of those skilled Panthers includes red-shirt sophomore quarterback Mark Cato, who was the 2014 GSC Freshman of the Year after passing for nearly 3,000 yards and 32 touchdowns a year ago. Cato enters Saturday's game against the Hawks adding to those numbers as he directs an FIT offense that averages more than 450 yards a game having thrown for 1,550 yards (221 yards a game) and 15 touchdowns.

Blessed with a deep corps of receivers, Cato's favorite target has been  T.J. Lowder, who has hauled in 41 passes for 531 yards and five TDs, and while the Panthers possess a potent aerial attack they boast a solid running game that is spearheaded by Trevor Sand, who has averages 92 yards a game.

Defensively, the Panthers are anchored by defensive end J.J. Sanders, who led the GSC in tackles a year ago and this past week earned his third career conference Defensive Player of the Week honor after registering seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for losses and 1.5 sacks in FIT's win at Mississippi College.

Not surprisingly, the game will pit each team's strength on both side of the ball against each other.

While FIT boasts one of the GSC's top passing offenses in the league, the Panthers will be going up against a Shorter defense that is the league No. 2 team defending against the pass as the Hawks allows 145 yards through the air.

And when the Hawks have the ball, they will count on their steadily improving run offense that leads the conference in rushing and is the seventh best in Division II, averaging just shy of 300 yards a game, but will face an FIT defense that yields just 158 yards a game.

Heading up Shorter's ground game is junior fullback B.J. McCoy, who this season has assaulted the Hawks' record book. Last week against Valdosta State, McCoy set a single-game record rushing for 256 yards – the seventh most of GSC history – and two touchdowns, including an 81-yard run, to claim the conference's Offensive Player of the Week recognition for the second straight week.

That effort also pushed McCoy over the 1,000 yard barrier for the season – he is just third Shorter player to do that – and heading into Saturday's game has rushed for 1,086 yards, the fourth most this season in Division II. He now averages 155.1 yards a game which ranks his No. 5 nationally.

McCoy, however, isn't the only run threat for the Hawks.

In that same game against Valdosta State, red-shirt sophomore quarterback Devante James also rushed for more than 100 yards – it was the second time this season the Hawks have had two players go over the century mark in a game – when he ran for 143 yards on just 11 carries, the big gainer an 89-yard touchdown run.

The Hawks are led defensively by the two of the top leading tacklers in the GSC, junior linebacker Zach Butts, who is averaging 10 stops a game, and senior All-American safety Jordan Shaw, who averages 8.3 tackles, and eager to help Shorter disrupt FIT's pass game is junior defensive end Trevaris Horton, who has four sacks this season.

"We have an opportunity. We feel we're on the cusp of getting better," Jones said. "But we know that in this league, if you don't play hard the entire game and have letdowns, you can get beat."