North Carolina A&T is eligible to compete for the MEAC football championship in 2013.

Improved academic progress rate (APR) scores prompted the NCAA to remove sanctions from the Aggies football program effectively making the Aggies eligible for postseason play. The Aggies posted a single-year APR of 944 for 2011-12, marking the fourth straight year for score increases. APR is the method in which the NCAA measures a Division I school’s graduation rate.

For the first time in a decade Aggie football has a legitimate chance at grabbing first place in the MEAC at season’s end. North Carolina A&T is coming off of its first winning season (7-4) in nine years and finished tied for third in the MEAC with a 5-3 record.

“We still have some guys who are on the back end of that really bad stretch we had here,” said head football coach Rod Broadway.

“They tasted losing and now they’ve tasted winning, and I think they all agree winning is a lot better than losing. They understand now, the type of effort, attitude and commitment it takes to have a good football team,” he said.

The Aggies return four starting offensive linemen from an offense that rushed for 169.2 yards per game. Two-year starter Lewis Kindle (6-1, 205, SR, Atlanta, Ga.) returns at quarterback, but he will miss the opener (suspension) at Appalachian State on Sept. 7, leaving the door open for Kwashaun Quick (6-0, 185, SO, Laurinburg, N.C.) and Oluwafemi Bamiro (6-4, 209, R-FR, Washington, D.C) to earn playing time throughout the year.

N.C. A&T’s offense and its quarterbacks will be under the direction of new offensive coordinator Rickey Bustle. Bustle is the former offensive coordinator at Virginia Tech, where he helped the Hokies reach the national championship game in 2000. Bustle also has head coaching experience having served as Louisiana-Lafayette’s head man for nine seasons.

“He brings experience, leadership and knowledge, and he is committed to his work,” said Broadway. “I met coach Bustle some 30 odd years ago, and he has had a lot of success with a lot of different guys, so hopefully he can bring some of that to our program.”

Bustle will be working with an experienced backfield. Running backs Ricky Lewis (5-9, 187, SR, Greensboro, N.C.) and Dominique Drake (5-9, 202, SR, Mount Gilead, N.C.) will be ready for the start of the 2013 season. Even though Lewis and Drake served as backups to all-time leading rusher Mike Mayhew, each has made several starts throughout their careers. Lewis has a career rushing average of 5.0 yards per carry on 152 carries.

Drake, who opened the 2012 season as the Aggies starter, had his season come to an end with an ACL injury sustained against Morgan State on Sept. 27. Drake has 156 career carries and is averaging 4.0 yards per carry.

Inexperience creeps into the Aggies offense at the receiver position. Darren Bullock (5-11, 184, SO, Durham, N.C.) is the Aggies returning leading receiver and he only had 239 yards receiving last season.

“Last year we were able to win because of our defensive play,” said Broadway. “Offensive football can be so unpredictable and so sometimey. You can score 40 points one week and score three points the next. Defensively, you have a chance of always being good. If you’re sound defensively, that’s going to keep you in a lot of football games. But I want an offense that has the ability to win some games for us too.”

On the defensive end, the Aggies inexperience is along the defensive line. The Aggies lost three starters from a defensive front that helped the Aggies rank No. 2 in total defense in Division I-FCS. Tyree Hearn (6-1, 221, SR, Durham, N.C.) is the lone returning starter at defensive end. Hearn made eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage with three sacks.

D’Vonte Grant (5-10, 208, SR, Charlotte, N.C.), who earned second-team All-MEAC honors in 2012, returns at the weakside linebacker spot. Grant was a Jerry Rice Finalist for best freshman in the nation during his career, and he led the Aggies in tackles last season.

The Aggies secondary could become one of the best in the MEAC if not the nation. Senior All-American cornerback D’Vonte Graham (5-7, 160, SR, Tallahassee, Fla.) heads up the foursome. Graham is a two-time All-MEAC selection who led the conference in interceptions as a sophomore. Last season he was third in the conference in passes defended (12) and interceptions (4), and he was tied 24th nationally in interceptions per game.

While Graham’s cornerback skills are exceptional, he does much more than just cover receivers. Graham is also the Aggies punt and kick returner. In 2012, he scored touchdowns for the Aggies in four different ways. He returned an interception, field goal, punt and fumble to put the Aggies on the board at various times. As a punter returner, Graham led the conference in yard per return (12.4) and he ranked eighth nationally.

“He’s a ballplayer,” Broadway said about Graham. “He can just play this game. As the guys can say, ‘he has that swag.’ He is a little undersized, but he is just an outstanding football player.”

The Aggies open the season on the road on Sept. 7 against Appalachian State, which recently ascended to Division I-FBS status. Their quest for an MEAC title begins on Sept. 26 when the Aggies host Howard at Aggie Stadium in a nationally televised game on ESPNU. Their other home games include Elon (Sept. 14), Delaware State (Oct. 19), Virginia University of Lynchburg (Nov. 2, homecoming), Savannah State (Nov. 16) and N.C. Central (Nov. 23). Away from Aggie Stadium they will play Hampton (Oct. 12), Florida A&M (Oct. 26) and Morgan State (Nov. 9). On Oct. 5, the Aggies and S.C. State head to the Georgia Dome to play in the Atlanta Classic, which will be a tape delayed broadcast on ESPNU.

“My hope is that we have a really good football team,” said Broadway. “I expect us to be competitive, play hard and do the right things as far as football and school is concerned. How the ball bounces, I don’t know. I know we will be well prepared, and I know the guys are going to give great effort. This could be a big year for us despite not having spring practice.”