When Fayetteville State hired Richard Hayes in December 2015, he sounded like many head coaches who step to the microphone when they’re announced. He wanted his new team to consistently compete for championships.
Eight seasons into his tenure, he’s accomplished the mission. The Broncos have reached their sixth straight title game in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, this time as defending champs after winning the crown last season. “Going six years in a row, I mean the proof’s in the pudding that we’re doing something right around here,” Hayes said Wednesday on “FSU Broncos Pigskin Press Talk.”
Virginia Union running back Jada Byers breaks the tackle of Morehouse’s Cameron Selders as he runs for a first-half touchdown in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic on Sept. 3 in Canton. (Credit: Kevin Whitlock / Massillon Independent / USA Today Network)
FSU (8-2 overall, 8-0 in the CIAA) goes for back-to-back rings Saturday when it faces Virginia Union at Salem Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The Panthers (9-1, 7-1) are seeking their first league championship since 2001; they lost in 2007, their most recent attempt.
“I teased Coach Hayes earlier this year and called it ‘the Fayetteville Invitational,’” VUU coach Alvin Parker said Tuesday in a news conference. “Those guys are always there.”
The teams are meeting for the third time in 14 months after scoring impactful victories against each other. FSU’s lone conference loss last year came against VUU. The Broncos returned the favor by putting the only blemish on VUU’s league record this season.
Conditions on Saturday should be markedly improved from the matchup in September, played in the wind and rain of Tropical Storm Ophelia. VUU mustered 184 yards of total offense, and FSU generated just 92 yards total, but the Broncos won, 10-7, on a field goal by kicker Jacob Meneses with six seconds left.
Hayes said despite the previous game’s deplorable weather, there’s still value in studying that film to prepare for the rematch. Coaches will show the team what it can’t do and what it should do against the Broncos. He added that both teams’ identities have morphed since they played seven games ago.
“You find out you’re better at some things than you thought were, and not as good at some things you thought you were,” Hayes said. “When it’s the championship game, you lay it down and do what your team does well. You know you’re there for a reason, and you got to use what you did to get there.”
VUU’s primary weapon is junior halfback Jada Byers, who led the league in rushing with 950 yards and 13 touchdowns despite missing two games this season. Last year he led Divisions I and II with 1,928 rushing yards. “We’re gonna have to really focus on tackling him,” Hayes said. “He’s not easy to bring down. He’s a smaller stature guy [5-foot7 and 185 pounds], but he runs like he weighs 250-260, and he’s really quick.”
Virginia Union University quarterback RJ Rosales runs in for a second-half touchdown during the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic at Tom Benson Stadium on Sept. 3. (Credit: Kevin Whitlock / Massillon Independent / USA Today Network)
The Panthers’ high-powered offense led the CIAA in scoring with 39.1 points per game, topping 50 points in three outings. But the defense is no slouch, yielding a league-best 11.8 points and 37.4 rushing yards per game. VUU didn’t allow a single rushing touchdown all season until Virginia State scored one last week.
FSU relies on its stout defense, which allows just 14.8 points per game. The Broncos typically don’t light up scoreboards – ranking 10th in the CIAA at 17.4 points per game – although they posted a 40-34 shootout win in overtime last week against Winston-Salem State. The offense leans heavily on a backfield-by-committee rushing attack that’s fourth in the league at 142.6 yards per game.
But Hayes lately has given more leeway to sophomore quarterback Joe Owens, who in the last two games completed 41 of 59 passes for 470 yards. “Allowing Joe to open it up is more of us taking what the defense gives us,” Hayes said. “As long as he understands it, we’ll open up the playbook for him.”
VUU graduate quarterback Christian Reid expects similar opportunities from the Broncos’ defense. “They’re going to hang their hat on stopping the run,” he told the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “They’re going to kind of force us to throw the ball around.”
Even as Byer sat out with a leg injury, the Panthers attempted only six passes when they lost against FSU in September. But they haven’t lost since, reeling off six straight wins. They clinched the CIAA North last week against archrival Virginia State, setting up a rematch against the Broncos.
“We knew if we took care of business after that loss, we would see them again,” Reid said. “We knew the process will take care of itself. It would put us right back in position to not necessarily get revenge, but play the guys we didn’t play our best against.”
This time they can leave the rain gear at home.
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