Here's why Fayetteville State football will win the CIAA championship this year
Minutes after Bowie State beat Fayetteville State in the 2021 CIAA football championship game, Broncos coach Richard Hayes didn't appear defeated, instead showing resolve and confidence in his team.
"We'll be back," he said in the postgame presser. "Definitely."
After an offseason spent acquiring new talent and building on championship experience, it's time for FSU to begin its march to a conference crown it last hoisted in 2009.
With back-to-back-to-back-to-back South Division titles and a 32-19 record over his five seasons leading FSU, Hayes' goal is set firmly on the next step for the program and he believes he has the team to get there.
"We have to be outstanding on special teams, take care of the ball on offense, and get our defense off the field on third down," he said in an interview with The Fayetteville Observer this week.
The return of veteran quarterback K'hari Lane, preseason HBCU All-American defensive back Brandon Barnes-Brown, and a group of transfers to mentor young talent give the Broncos plenty of reasons to be optimistic about 2022.
Here's why Fayetteville State will win the CIAA championship this year.
Howard Feggins new offensive coordinator
Hayes has added former UNC and NFL cornerback Howard Feggins to his coaching staff.
Despite his experience playing and coaching on the defensive side of the ball at Wingate and Miami-Ohio, Feggins is the offensive coordinator for the Broncos.
"It was an easy transition," he said in a school release, noting that he can pass along his understanding of coverage, defensive schemes and how to beat defensive backs to the offense for an added advantage.
A good corner has to study the offense, and Feggins has plenty of experience with that.
Plus, he has a prized play-caller taking snaps.
Lane signed with Arizona after posting one of the most prolific prep QB careers in Georgia's high school football history. He redshirted in 2017 and after not playing in a game the next season, transferred to Hutchinson Community College in 2019. He didn't play that season either, so Lane landed with Fayetteville State two years ago, grateful for the opportunity to be on the field again.
"Coach Hayes came in and introduced himself and he was very assertive. And I was just like, wow, at the college level, I’ll be coached by a Black coach. And that was very appealing to me," Lane told HBCU Gameday about his decision to join the Broncos.
Lane returns for his senior season at QB looking to build on last year's 2,204 passing yards and 21 TDs. Named to the CIAA All-Preseason team and Black College Football Hall of Fame Player of the Year watch list, he'll have plenty of options at receiver, where the Broncos have bulked up with transfers.
"We have the ability to go deep," Feggins said. "We have some guys we can throw the ball to."
Despite the loss of primary receiver Tyeous Sharpe, FSU has a dangerous receiving corps with transfers Nique Martin (NC Central), Tre Goode (Charlotte), Barry Elliott (Charleston), Braxton Knotts (Campbell) joining junior E.E. Smith alum Toshiro Spivey and several talented underclassmen.
FSU's ground game, too, is geared for a title run with Scotland alum Syheam "Smiley" McQueen as a pass-catching running back, Mekhi Fenner in the role of bruiser and Charleston Southern transfer Elijah Henry a slasher. The backs bench goes deeper with ECU transfer Derrick Alston Jr., Dashawn Hinton and Brian McIntyre.
All 3 phases
Six starters return to the CIAA's best defense from last season. FSU gave up a league-low 16 touchdowns and an average of 12.5 points per game, finishing in the top five nationally in five defensive categories.
Brandon Barnes-Brown, another preseason All-American who led the conference in interceptions last season (5), is back with a secondary that includes NC State transfer Khalid Martin (whose brother Nique is a receiver for the Broncos), Kenny Merritt, Georgia Military College transfer Enoch Howard, Gerald Simpson and Cameron Merrell.
On the defensive line, FSU returns Preseason All-CIAA Gray's Creek alum Devin Cowan, who had 29 tackles last season, with 10 for loss.
Hayes was the defensive coordinator for Winston-Salem State during its 2015 CIAA championship-winning season. He said "defense was the strength of the team last year," but this year's edition of the Broncos have skill in all three phases.
Backup quarterback Avery McCall also figures into FSU's strategy, and kicker Elton Andrew, a UNC Pembroke transfer from Salemburg, represents Broncos special-teamers on the Preseason All-CIAA squad.
Changes for BSU
The last three of FSU's four straight CIAA title-game losses have come to Bowie State.
But the Bulldogs won't be the same this season. They've lost top running back Calil Wilkins, who ran for 1,331 yards in 2021 and averaged more than 95 per game. They also lost quarterback Ja'rome Johnson, who threw for 2,223 yards.
Perhaps most importantly, they've lost coach Damon Wilson, who has moved on to lead Morgan State in the MEAC.
Kyle Jackson, Bowie State's defensive coordinator last season, is the interim head coach. He is a BSU alum and was a four-year starter at linebacker.
Still, the Bulldogs are favorites to win the conference title for a fourth year in a row.
We'll see what happens.
Fayetteville State University football schedule
Saturday — vs. UNC Pembroke, 7 p.m.
Sept. 10 — vs. Wingate, 7 p.m.
Sept. 17 — at Lincoln (Pa.), 7 p.m.
Sept. 24 — vs. Virginia Union, 4 p.m. (Military Appreciation Game)
Oct. 1 — vs. Chowan, 7 p.m.
Oct. 8 — vs. Saint Augustine's, 2 p.m. (Homecoming)
Oct. 15 — at Livingstone, 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 22 — at Johnson C. Smith, 1 p.m.
Oct. 29 — vs. Shaw, 4 p.m. (Senior Day)
Nov. 5 — at Winston-Salem State, 4 p.m.
Nov. 12 — CIAA Championship, 1 p.m. (Salem, Virginia)
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville State football will win the 2022 CIAA championship
