Dawson Odums knew this question would come and that a reasoned answer would be required.
Just moments after Norfolk State lost a game by one point for the seventh time in the last 11 months, the veteran head coach – in his important fourth season – explained to the press why he decided to attempt a two-point conversion that ultimately failed and resulted in a 23-24 loss to Florida A&M in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge.
The reason? He saw that his players – most of the 84 players who returned from the previous season, including 18 regulars – had given their all, even beyond their physical limits.
Their bodies simply couldn’t take much longer under the strain of battling for nearly 60 minutes against the defending HBCU national champions, who continued to inflict hits and body blows on them in the second half after falling behind by two touchdowns early on.
After Grandin Willcox’s extra point, which would have tied the game, was blocked by FAMU – but was nullified due to an offside penalty – Odums took a timeout and decided to take the lead from the 1-yard line and potentially win.
“I took two because I noticed a lot of guys were getting cramps,” he said. “I don’t know if we would have had enough gas to finish the football game.”
It seemed reasonable that the Spartans, who had rushed for 227 yards at 5.3 yards per attempt, would reach the 36 inches needed to regain the lead with 6:29 left in regulation. After all, seconds earlier, running back Kevon King had completed a skillful 9-play, 73-yard run with a touchdown.
But Florida A&M’s defense stepped up and linebacker Aric Horne intercepted a pass from Norfolk State quarterback Jalen Daniels at the line of scrimmage.
𝗔𝗕𝗠𝗘𝗟𝗗𝗘𝗡!
The Dark Cloud Defense stops the 2-point conversion attempt!
FAMU-24
NSU-23
📺 https://t.co/dNh4z5uTdl (ESPN+)
📻 https://t.co/cWHCUvVKGp
📊 https://t.co/IYCVrkuJ47#FAMU | #Rattlesnakes | #RELOAD | #REPEAT pic.twitter.com/C1KPavsJ94— Florida A&M Football 🏈 (@FAMU_FB) 25 August 2024
Odums admitted that the blocked kick, combined with a poor snap and hold on a field goal attempt in the second quarter, also influenced the decision to go for two at that critical point.
“Our offense played well and I can live with that decision because we didn’t come here to play football,” said a defiant Odums. “We came here to win a football game. And that’s the mindset I’ve always coached with and that’s the mindset our guys play with.”
Linebacker Dylan Long commented on the team’s decision to go for the two points:
“I trust my coach (Odums) completely,” he said. “So whatever decision is made, we will accept it.”
