AIKEN --- When Aiken's offense takes the field and collapses into its 11-man formation, it's not done moving.
Backs dip and dart in motion, and quarterback Kessler Scott waves his hands like he's perched in front of an orchestra.
The easiest play Scott barked against Silver Bluff on Thursday night was pretty simple: turn around and hand the ball to Hudson Smith.
Smith, in what he said was his first start at fullback, carried the ball 24 times for 129 yards and both touchdowns in Aiken's 14-7 win. The Hornets scored twice in the first half when it started drives in Silver Bluff territory and didn't allow a point on the Bulldogs' last eight possession.
Smith got all but nine of the 33 handoffs or pitches from Scott because senior playmaker Cortez Abney didn't dress out. (Said Aiken coach Carey Johnson: "He did something I didn't like.").
Smith (6-foot-1, 222 pounds) said he knew early in the week he would be playing fullback, and when he watched film he figured Aiken would run inside to take advantage of its size.
"I feel like I can run through whoever I'm playing," he said.
With Abney, who rushed for 129 yards in the season opener and scored three touchdowns last week, not available, Aiken earned only 208 yards of offense and had scoring drives that totaled just 16 and 42 yards. Scott completed only one of his 10 passes.
Silver Bluff also couldn't sustain a long drive. Take away its first-quarter touchdown march -- seven plays, 54 yards, ending on a 5-yard Kendrick Garnett run -- and Silver Bluff never got inside the Aiken 28-yard line. The Bulldogs, however, completed a 44-yard pass on their first offensive play, had four runs longer than 10 yards and had an 80-yard fumble return called back for a clip. Their aggressiveness pleased their coach.
"I'm proud of the way we battled ... we learned about this team," coach Al Lown said, adding that turnovers (two interceptions, one fumble) crippled the Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs' first interception gave Aiken the ball 16 yards from the end zone. Four runs later, Smith had his first score.
Two possessions later, a shanked punt gave Aiken the ball at the Bulldogs' 42-yard line. After a 21-yard dart by Scott, the drive ended with a 5-yard Smith TD run.
After it was over, Smith was asked how many more times he could have carried the ball.
"As many as it took," he said.
Reach Matt Middleton at (706) 823-3425 or matt.middleton@augustachronicle.com.
AIKEN 14, SILVER BLUFF 7
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Aiken fullback Hudson Smith rushed 24 times for 129 yards and two TDs.
PLAY OF THE GAME: Forty seconds before halftime, Silver Bluff QB Austin Pollock made a nice play-action fake and had receiver Jamal Beal wide open down the field by at least 20 yards. Pollock overthew him, and no one scored for the rest of the game.
WHY AIKEN WON: The Hornets utilized their size advantage in the interior running game. Smith and quarterback Kessler Scott combined for 167 of the team's 200 rushing yards, earning most of the yardage in between the hash marks.
WHY SILVER BLUFF LOST: Down by a touchdown, the Bulldogs' first three plays of the second half went for more than 10 yards. They missed a field goal on the drive and ran just one more play that earned at least 10 yards.
NEXT: Silver Bluff plays host to South Aiken at 7:30 p.m. Friday; Aiken has a week off.
AIKEN 14, SILVER BLUFF 7
Silver Bluff 7 0 0 0 -- 7
Aiken 7 7 0 0 -- 14
First Quarter
A--Hudson Smith 5 run (Greg Collins kick), 4:27.
SB--Kendrick Garnett 5 run (Kyle Mackey kick), :46.6.
Second Quarter
A--Hudson Smith 5 run (Greg Collins kick), 6:34.
SB A
First Downs 10 14
Rushes-Yards 31-93 40-200
Passing Yards 96 8
Comp.-Att.-Int. 6-14-2 1-10-1
Fumbles-Lost 4-1 4-3
Punts-Avg 4-26.3 4-37.5
Penalties-Yards 2-20 2-20
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING--Silver Bluff: Kendrick Garnett 5-27, Frederick Garnett 8-45, Khaloab Anderson 5-18, Robert Green 3-6, Andre Washington 2-10, Cordrea Tankersley 2-(-4), Austin Pollock 4-(-4), Eric Stokes 2-(-5). Aiken: Hudson Smith 24-129, Kessler Scott 7-38, Aubrey Johnson 5-19, Jeremy Robinson 3-7, Hunter Scott 1-7.
PASSING--Silver Bluff: Pollock 6-14-2 63. Aiken: Kessler Scott 1-10-1 8.
RECEIVING--Silver Bluff: Jamal Beal 2-48, Anderson 3-38, Ty'Juan Harris 1-10. Aiken: Demetrius Washington 1-8.
icon.
