Ferrum takes to the road for the first time this season Saturday when the Panthers travel to Durham, North Carolina, to face Shaw University. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. at Durham County Memorial Stadium.
The game will be Ferrum's final non-conference contest before the Panthers turn their attention to Conference Carolinas play.
Ferrum enters the game 0-2, but the first two weeks have probably created as many questions as answers about this year's team. The Panthers opened with a 13-7 loss to Catawba, a considerable improvement over last year's meeting between the two teams. Last week, Emory & Henry handed Ferrum a 55-16 loss, although the Panthers showed an ability to move the football through the air.
So what kind of football team is Ferrum?
Saturday may tell us quite a bit.
Shaw enters the game 1-1 after defeating Barton 23-13 last week. The Bears' win deserves Ferrum's attention. Shaw accumulated 379 yards of offense, controlled the football for more than 35 minutes and, after falling behind 13-10, responded with two fourth-quarter touchdown drives.
Running back Trey Thorpe finished with 114 yards on 19 carries, while quarterback Alexander Marsh completed 21 of 28 passes for 199 yards. Perhaps more important than any individual number was the way Shaw finished the game. With the outcome still very much in doubt, the Bears put together scoring drives of 73 and 79 yards and took control in the fourth quarter.
That doesn't make Shaw another Emory & Henry, and Barton isn't Emory & Henry either. But it does show that Ferrum will have to play well in all phases Saturday.
Offensively, the Panthers have already demonstrated that they can move the football through the air. Now they need to develop some balance.
One player Ferrum needs to find ways to get more involved is Omarza Gray. Through two games, Gray has five receptions for 58 yards. Getting the football into the hands of one of Ferrum's playmakers more frequently could help open other parts of the offense.
The same is true in reverse.
Jycen Anciso leads the Panthers with 74 rushing yards through two games, but Ferrum has yet to establish a consistent running game. A productive passing attack can create running lanes, while an effective running game can make things considerably easier for the quarterback and receivers. Ferrum doesn't necessarily need one or the other Saturday. It needs the two working together.
Defensively, there are also areas where Ferrum needs to take another step. The Panthers have made plays in the opposing backfield, recording 11 tackles for loss, but have yet to record a sack. Against a Shaw offense that was able to sustain drives and control the clock against Barton, getting off the field will be important.
Special teams will have a role as well. Field position, coverage, returns and the kicking game don't always receive the attention of offensive and defensive statistics, but in what could be a close football game, any one of them could make a difference.
Ferrum defeated Shaw 14-6 last season at W.B. Adams Stadium. The Panthers trailed 6-0 at halftime before scoring twice in the second half to earn the win. Saturday will be different. It will be Ferrum's first road game, and Shaw comes into it with some confidence after last week's victory.
But Ferrum should have some confidence as well.
There have been positives during the first two games. The Panthers played Catawba much closer than they did a year ago. The passing game showed signs of what it can become against Emory & Henry. There are playmakers on this football team.
The next step is putting those pieces together.
At 0-2, Ferrum has plenty of football remaining, and Saturday provides an opportunity to close the non-conference portion of the schedule with a win and some momentum. It won't require Ferrum to be perfect. It will require the Panthers to be productive on offense, disruptive on defense and solid on special teams.
Perhaps most importantly, it will require a complete effort for four quarters.
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