 |  |
Destination Dome: Football Hawks set to take on Georgia State
Shorter @ Georgia State; Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010; 7:30
p.m.; Georgia Dome (Atlanta, Ga.)
ATLANTA, Ga. – “It’s just another game.”
So goes one of the most common clichés used by athletes and coaches when asked to discuss the build up towards important contests.
Although it may be true that Shorter University’s gridiron battle with Georgia State University tomorrow night means little in terms of conference standings and championship implications, it isn’t difficult to sense the heightened levels of anticipation from both camps.
For the Panthers, it is the culmination of two years of preparation, the focal point of a journey that began with the announcement of the birth of their football program on April 17, 2008.
For Shorter, it’s a chance to put its rising program in the state and national spotlight – an opportunity to gauge the progress of its six-year journey against the Peach State’s newest NCAA Division I member coached by one of the most storied names in football history.
“Excitement is a good word,” said Shorter head coach Phil Jones, who’s Hawks will take the field against GSU at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta on Thursday night for a 7:30 p.m. kick off. “Everyone is excited, from the players to the coaches and myself. If you aren’t excited, you must not have a heart beat.
“Excitement is all around us and we have to hold onto that and have it burst at the right time.”
The Hawks know what their counterparts are going through – Shorter kicked off for the first time in 2005 and since, under the direction of Jones, has quickly become one of the best programs in the NAIA.
Shorter won its first conference title in its fourth season and for the last three years, has been a staple in the NAIA Top 25 Poll all while turning in four straight winning seasons.
Jones picked up Mid-South Conference and AFCA Region I Coach of the Year honors after the Hawks’ championship season in 2008 while also garnering the 2008 FCA Grant Teaff National Coach of the Year Award, joining an elite class of honorees that includes Tommy Bowden, Sylvester Croom and Tommy Tuberville.
Shorter’s recent shared history with Georgia State gives Jones and his staff a unique perspective on this game.
“We are aware of the things that they are going through because we have been through the same process,” said Jones. “There is a marked difference in the two circumstances in that Georgia State had a whole year to practice, had a spring game in the Dome, then another recruiting class with preseason practice.
“Not having played together before in game situation, that is something unique to each of us in regards to the game itself.”
Each team has its own advantages in terms of preparation.
Georgia State has essentially had one full year to prepare for Shorter’s spread option offense – the game between the Hawks and Panthers was officially announced in September of 2009 – and had the luxury of scanning hours upon hours of film of a system that has changed little over the past several seasons.
Shorter, on the other hand, will not enter Thursday night’s game cold. While GSU will suit up for the first time under the lights of a real game situation, the Hawks had a chance to work out some kinks in their opener last Saturday at University of West Alabama, the No. 10-ranked team in all of NCAA Division II.
Although Shorter will play its second game in five days, Jones pointed out some noteworthy positives of a short week.
“Anytime you play and you are not satisfied with the result, the faster you can play again is often the best remedy for that hurt,” Jones said. “You have to be able to reduce those feelings into real issues and address those issues, then put it all together and move on.”
The high profile nature of the game has produced its share of distractions – although Jones admits that there haven’t been too many – and there has been no dodging the extra attention from media and fans surrounding Thursday night’s game.
Jones has been careful to try and keep those potential distractions in perspective for his players.
“We tried to share with our players that this is an opportunity,” said Jones. “This is a big challenge – a big undertaking. But at the same time, it is a great opportunity to be a part of something big and to be able to represent the Shorter family.”
Although there is little to go on in terms of scouting reports for Shorter in regards to Georgia State, the Hawks’ first game at West Alabama provided the coaching staff and players with a barometer of their current strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the football.
Shorter offensive coordinator Tim Mathis and defensive coordinator Mike Bartik pointed to a common positive that they drew from the West Alabama contest, something they feel their players can build on against the Panthers.
“The biggest positive [I saw] was effort,” said Mathis, who is in his first year as SU offensive coordinator after serving previously as the offensive line coach that helped the Hawks lead the NAIA in rushing in each of the past two seasons. “As the game went on, there was never a lack of effort. We made a lot of mistakes, but we didn’t just lie down.
“We have a lot of things to fix, but the effort was definitely there.”
“A good football team is going to reveal some weaknesses,” said Bartik, whose aggressive defensive unit forced four turnovers against West Alabama. “We did that, but consequently, we made it a focus to fix those things. I’m feeling good with the progress we made through two practices this week.
“Is that enough time? Probably not, but our kids know what they are supposed to do and they will go out and fight.”
Offensively, there is no doubt that Shorter will have to produce more than the 66 yards of total offense it mustered against West Alabama last Saturday.
And there is no reason to assume that the Hawks won’t bounce back – Shorter averaged just under 400 yards of total offense per game last season, including 326 yards per game rushing.
“The biggest key for us [on Thursday] is to play fast,” said Mathis. “We have to play fast and execute the offense well. If we do that well, you hope that Georgia State wasn’t able to simulate that speed in practice and therefore it will be hard for them to adjust to the speed of the game.
“More or less, from what we’ve heard, they are more athletic than we are at most positions, so we have to cut down on our mistakes to have a chance.”
Bartik also puts a premium on execution – something that is critical when facing an offense that will most likely run through quarterback Star Jackson, a 6-3, 210-pound redshirt sophomore who spent the 2009 season backing up Greg McElroy and playing for Nick Saban at 2009 national champion University of Alabama.
Jackson completed 13 of 18 passes for 116 yards last season, and figures to be the favorite in a four-man quarterback competition of which GSU head coach Bill Curry will not announce the winner until Thursday.
“They have some key players, some good transfers,” said Bartik. “We are not seeing a typical first year program. They have practiced for a full year and Coach Curry is a good football coach.
“They will be physical, fast and athletic,” Bartik added. “We can’t give up the big play. Fundamentally we have to play well and we have to play within ourselves, tackle well and play fast.”
Strategy and game planning will certainly be a critical factor in Thursday night’s result, but for Jones, making sure his players take advantage of an incredible opportunity while staying true to themselves is the main focus.
“When you have the kind of opportunity that we have, a challenge as big as this is and this stage on which to carry it out, the best thing for all of us to do – from players to coaches – is to go back to our roots and foundations,” Jones said. “That foundation is relationships, beginning with our relationship with the Lord.
“That’s what we have relied on all along, that it’s not about any particular individual. It’s about our whole family.”
Fans can listen to the action by tuning into 95.7 WATG-FM The Ridge or by accessing the live audio webcast via the link on the Shorter Athletics homepage.
For Game Notes previewing tomorrow night's game, please click here.
