Observations from the Hornets' 48-0 win over Fairfield
By Michael V. Hannigan
The Athens Hornets extended their record to 3-0 Friday night with an impressive 48-0 win over Fairfield.
Three games into the 2020 season and we know some things now about this young Hornets team. They are going to play hard on defense, have big play capabilities on offense, and excel on special teams.
Here are some notebook observations from Fairfield.
-- It isn't easy to pitch a shutout, so give the game ball to the defense. The Hornets dominated Fairfield, particularly in the first half. For the game, the Hornets forced 8 Eagle punts.
-- We have given a lot of credit to the front seven the first couple of weeks of the season, but the Hornet secondary brings a hammer when they hit. Cedric Lowe and Trey Manning lit some people up in Fairfield.
-- It was a combination of defense and special teams, but the Hornets had three more takeaways this week. Kudos to Gage Friedrich, Caleb Bennett, and Drew Horn for recovering fumbles.
-- Speaking of Friedrich, give the freshman the Ball Hawk award. That's three straight games he has a fumble recovery or interception. Plus, last night he was the emergency QB.
-- Special teams continues to be a strength for Athens. Against Fairfield, the Hornets covered a surprise onside kick attempt by the Eagles, converted their own surprise onside kick, recovered an Eagle fumble on a kickoff return, and had a punt returned for a TD.
-- Cedric Lowe had that 50-yard punt return to the house. He also had a 40-yard return that led to a Hornet touchdown.
-- The Hornet offense again showed multiple weapons. Counting the punt returns, Athens had six plays of 30-plus yards from four different players: Cedric Lowe, Nathan Sims, Jecorey Roberts, and Dre Thompson. You can get a breakdown of the scoring plays in my game story from last night.
-- For the second straight week, the Hornets started the second half red hot, forcing a turnover and breaking a long touchdown run in the opening moments of the third quarter.
-- Finally, we had proof that everyone becomes a Neil Diamond fan as soon as "Sweet Caroline" begins. The Athens fans sang along with the Fairfield band's second half rendition Friday night. Good times never seemed so good.
===
Our Sponsors
This site is free thanks to Athens Screen Printing, HP Overhead Door Company, Speedy Tech Repair, Tinsley Law & Title, and Gibson Pharmacy. Please say thank you by visiting their Facebook page.
